
This means that your Hue smart lights, no matter how many you have, won’t put a damper on the strength or speed of your Wi-Fi signal. The Benefits of Philips Hue Not Using Wi-Fiīecause Philips Hue connects its devices primarily via Zigbee, you’re not using any part of your Wi-Fi’s signal or bandwidth. You can then position the N300 near your Hue Bridge anywhere in the house (mine is in my loft!), and connect this via a short piece of Ethernet cable. If you really want to use Wi-Fi (perhaps because you don’t have available Ethernet ports on your router), the only real option is to buy something like the Netgear N300 and connect this over Wi-Fi to your router. This limitation may change in future versions. You must instead connect it to your router via an Ethernet cable. Therefore, at this time there is no way to wirelessly connect your Philips Hue Bridge.

Hue’s starter kit instructions: plug Hue Bridge in ‘to your Wi-Fi Router’. During setup, there is nowhere for you to enter your Wi-Fi network name or password.

Related Reading: Smart Bulbs With 5Ghz Wi-Fi Support (Are They Any Good?!) Can The Phillips Hue Bridge Connect Wirelessly?Įven though the Hue Bridge installation instructions indicate that you can connect it to your Wi-Fi router, there are no options to indicate that you can do this wirelessly. You will wait for the app to discover your Hue Bridge, then proceed to follow the prompts to complete set-up.
Hue party echo skill plus#
Whether you’re using Amazon’s Echo, or Samsung SmartThings, they’ll need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the Hue Bridge is connected to via Ethernet.įor the Echo, you’ll enable the Hue skill in your Alexa app, then follow the on-screen prompts to connect to your Hue smart lights.įor Samsung SmartThings, you’ll connect via the SmartThings hub using the plus (+) feature to add a new device. In order to connect these devices, you will need the Hue Bridge. You can even use them to turn your internet on and off via a smart plug! The only exception is when using Hue Accessories such as the dimmer switch and motion sensors – these also use Zigbee, and so don’t require Wi-Fi for controlling your lights. In other words, whilst Philips Hue lights and bulbs don’t require Wi-Fi (since they use Zigbee or Bluetooth), you’ll often require Wi-Fi to configure things. Your smartphone then uses Wi-Fi to connect to the Hue app, whereas Echo and SmartThings also require Wi-Fi to various degrees. While Philips Hue lights and bulbs don’t connect directly to Wi-Fi, they can be connected indirectly via the Hue app, and bridge devices such as Amazon’s Alexa/Echo, and Samsung SmartThings. So does Philips Hue have ANY Wi-Fi compatibility? Still, they make a good option should you only want special lighting for a relaxing evening in the family/living room, or to set the mood in the dining room.
Hue party echo skill Bluetooth#
To control them in Bluetooth mode, you require a separate app – the Phillips Bluetooth app.īecause Bluetooth range is more limited and smartphones can’t control too many Bluetooth devices at once, you can only control up to 10 lights, and this is restricted to a single room. These are part of Hue’s most recent ‘generation’ (i.e.
Hue party echo skill full#
Philips Hue B22 full RGB color bulb with Bluetooth support One big benefit is clear though: no more entering Wi-Fi passwords (or more realistically: forgetting the Wi-Fi password, then spending 10 minutes hunting for it!).

This means that they way you set them up is slightly different to normal. They do not contain a Wi-Fi chip like many other devices. Hue lights and bulbs either support Zigbee or Bluetooth. Many people find these lights even more necessary during the holiday season when thefts tend to be on the rise.īut you may wonder, if you decide to make Philips Hue smart lights part of your life, how do you connect them? How does Philips Hue connect? This makes the lights particularly useful for people who are away from home for long periods of time – whether you’re at work or even on vacation. One such option is the ability to set timers so that your lights come on at regular intervals, further deterring burglars. The Philips Hue app gives you many options to control your lights. Users also find the outdoor lights to be particular helpful, as these lights illuminate the perimeter of your home, thereby deterring burglars. My Philips Hue motion sensor (in setup mode)
