WIFI three way switch - detached garage

[liljestrom]

Hello, I have a DETACHED garage with exterior lights that is on it's own electrical circuit (ie subpanel ran from the house). I also have an ATTACHED garage with exterior lights. Currently I have a single pole switch to turn on/off the ATTACHED garage exterior lights. I also have a single pole switch to turn on/off the DETACHED garage exterior lights. These are two separate circuits.

1. Is there a simple WIFI switch (no hub, and uses WIFI router) that is hardwired (preferably no batteries) that works like a three way switch? Meaning I can turn on/off both exterior lights on the ATTACHED and DETACHED garages at the same time. I've contacted a few manufacturers and they don't seem to make such a thing.

2. I'm not interested in Z wave or another type, unless I have to....I'm only asking if there is a simple three way WIFI switch that will essentially control two different circuits.

3. I want this to basically have a simple three way switch function....meaning physically using my hand to push a switch. I understand the phone/ipad/computers can control/setup timers, etc.

thanks much

 

[niget2002]

You can put the wifi switches in, but without a hub, I don't know of any that can be configured to talk directly to another switch.

You might be able to find one that can use IFTTT, but that would still rely on a 3rd party resource (https://ifttt.com/) and some setup to make it work.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Hello, I have a DETACHED garage with exterior lights that is on it's own electrical circuit (ie subpanel ran from the house). I also have an ATTACHED garage with exterior lights. Currently I have a single pole switch to turn on/off the ATTACHED garage exterior lights. I also have a single pole switch to turn on/off the DETACHED garage exterior lights. These are two separate circuits.

1. Is there a simple WIFI switch (no hub, and uses WIFI router) that is hardwired (preferably no batteries) that works like a three way switch? Meaning I can turn on/off both exterior lights on the ATTACHED and DETACHED garages at the same time. I've contacted a few manufacturers and they don't seem to make such a thing.

2. I'm not interested in Z wave or another type, unless I have to....I'm only asking if there is a simple three way WIFI switch that will essentially control two different circuits.

3. I want this to basically have a simple three way switch function....meaning physically using my hand to push a switch. I understand the phone/ipad/computers can control/setup timers, etc.

thanks much

What youre looking for would NOT be a 3-way switch- single pole/double throw, since these lights are on 2 separate circuits.

A 3-way switch would be for switching one or more lights, on the same circuit (single pole), from 2 different locations.

Since the garage light is required to be on a circuit from the garage subpanel, these lights need to remain on separate circuits.

What you would need is a 4-way switch- double pole/double throw. But i have not seen any wifi smart switches that are configured this way.

 

[AntonLargiader]

You're asking about WiFii so there's automatically some sort of router involved. You can put WiFi switches on both and then set a rule so that if one goes on the other goes on, and vice versa. When I used some Leviton switches I think that kind of rule was already in the Leviton app ready to go, although I'm pretty sure you could also create it in Homekit, Google, Alexa, whatever.

 

[cybrdyke]

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[PedroEvo]

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[nadogail]

I have a wireless three way dimming switch in my office. It replaced a wired single pole single throw switch.

We love it.

 

[FarmerPete]

I believe you can do this with TP-Link Kasa switches (WiFi). I've never tried it and only have 1 switch, but looking in the software, you can create a smart action to control a group with a switch.

 

[MikeF2316]

Can you use any of these switches with a PC and a browser?

I'm not a big fan of the free apps that use their equipment to turn my stuff on and off. I just want to hook it to my WiFi, and connect to it with a browser.

 

[AntonLargiader]

Browser from home, or from away from home?

The HomeKit (Apple) compatible stuff doesn’t use a hub; the devices just use WiFi. But if you need to talk to them remotely, you need something that creates a communications link between your internet connection and your WiFi. This is the case with every system as far as I know. In some cases a device itself can do that (a Trane thermostat also functions as a Nexia bridge) but more often you will have a hub. Like you, I wanted to stay away from having a separate hub but in retrospect it’s just not a big deal. For HomeKit, having an iPad at home can be enough to give remote access.

Homekit (and probably the others) doesn’t rely on your phone to communicate for day to day functionality, but typically the setup app is phone based and not browser based. Nexia provides a browser interface for remote control of your devices but you need a bridge/hub for that.

 

[MikeF2316]

Browser from home, or from away from home?

The HomeKit (Apple) compatible stuff doesn’t use a hub; the devices just use WiFi. But if you need to talk to them remotely, you need something that creates a communications link between your internet connection and your WiFi. This is the case with every system as far as I know. In some cases a device itself can do that (a Trane thermostat also functions as a Nexia bridge) but more often you will have a hub. Like you, I wanted to stay away from having a separate hub but in retrospect it’s just not a big deal. For HomeKit, having an iPad at home can be enough to give remote access.

Homekit (and probably the others) doesn’t rely on your phone to communicate for day to day functionality, but typically the setup app is phone based and not browser based. Nexia provides a browser interface for remote control of your devices but you need a bridge/hub for that.

Browser from home. The info available online doesn't mention anything but their "convenient" app.

 

[AntonLargiader]

Browser from home. The info available online doesn't mention anything but their "convenient" app.

And you would be browsing to what web server, and how would your device communicate with it? The control of the device needs to flow from that server to the device, because I don't think any of the smart switches act as their own web servers. That's where a hub comes into play, especially if the server is not local. Devices talk WiFi to the hub, hub communicates with a distant server for control, you browse to that server and give commands, even if those commands are only for initial setup.

For local control, manufacturers tend to make phones the servers, with the use of apps. With or without a hub.

I have a diagnostic tool for motorcycles that acts as a web server for control like this (the developers couldn't do it with an IOS app so this was their alternative; log in with a browser). It's pretty clunky, and I don't think anyone like Leviton, Lutrol, GE, etc. use this approach.

 

[ShutterBugg]

You can do this with just about any WiFi switch. Install two of the same kind (TP Link) and then assign them to the same group in the app. I have mine linked into my Alexa. During the holidays, I have my outside lights plugged into various WiFi outlets and I just tell it to turn on/off "The Outside Christmas Lights" and all of the outlets come on or off. Same with the inside lights.

When I saw the title, I was hoping it was more about having multiple switches for the same light - the situation I am going to be facing in my shop as I am beginning the wiring. I'd like to have a switch at each door (3) for the overhead lights, but still be able to control them via WiFi. Only options I have found were a bit out of the budget.

 

[macdabs]

Just did similar upgrades in my house for exterior flood lights and inside lights. The lutron casta will be your best route. And they are expensive and addictive. I started with just one location and they after the ease of use and installation I switched many circuits over. I have both Apple users and droid users so use the Apple Home app and the lutron app. The setup allows you to mount the remote switches anywhere with in 40 or so feet of the master wired switch. Run 60 bucks usually for a master switch and a remote. Also forgot to add my shop is 300 feet away but I have a router connected to my home router cause I added floods on the casta switches. Awesome to turn the lights on when your heading to the shop at night since it is 300’ feet from the house.

 

[FarmerPete]

What you are asking for is making a very simple problem unnecessarily difficult. You have two good options.

Option 1) Use a WiFi switch and the app that goes with it to get the results you want. Many of the apps will do local communication (I believe TP-Link is one of them) but will also use the cloud servers for remote access. You can control the TP-Link switches with 3rd party tools, like a Hubitat hub (see below).

Option 2) Go off grid with your solution. This will require an offline hub like a Hubitat and a compatible non-WiFi switch (z-wave). You didn't mention the distance between all the devices, but assuming WiFi range is there for them, you should be able to get something like this to work.