BroadlinkRM4mini Smart Remote Hub with Sensor Cable -WiFi IR Blaster for TV Remote, Smart AC Controller, Works with Alexa/Google Home/IFTTT

BroadLink RM4 mini Universal RemoteFirst of all I had trouble setting it up when my Router is set to “Smart Connect” which allows devices to automatically connect to either the 2.4 Ghz or 5 Ghz Wi-Fi bands. To work around this I temporarily disabled “Smart Connect” feature on the router so I could to complete the initial setup of the BroadLink RM4. Once the RM4 was successfully connected to my network after its initial setup - I was able to re-enable “Smart Connect” feature on my Router and then after a router reboot all of my devices were able to automatically connect as before… even the BroadLink RM4.I’ve only experienced this configuration setup issue with 3 smart home “2.4 Ghz Only” devices: 2 BroadLink devices and the other one was Sanoff RF Hub. All my many other devices (Wemo, Wink, August, Amazon – to name a few) that only use the 2.4 Ghz Band worked great with “Smart Connect” enabled on my router so I believe the issue is with the setup software of the two manufacture’s that don’t work - in this case the BroadLink App.I bought this device to issue IR commands with my Amazon Echo voice – Specifically my TCL Roku TV which I can normally control from my Echo via the network commands - except when the TV is set to Energy Saving mode with Fast Start disabled and the TV has been powered off for more than 12 minutes. Then I must first use the IR Remote to power it on.Which is where the BroadLink RM4 comes in. At first I added the remote for my “ROKU TV – IR”– as a TV Remote which is available for my Amazon Echo. The remotes they had on file were flaky on the power button so I created my own and used the Learn Feature to assign to the power button. Next, I added the command to my Amazon Alexa App’s “TV” Routine that I previously created. I just added the device “ROKU TV – IR” to Power On at the top of the TV Routine since it takes a couple seconds longer to power on the TV when fast start is disabled. I left the original power command that is sent via network control in the routine which is further down in the routine after all of the lighting controls.This Alexa “TV” routine worked perfectly when I say, “Computer TV” – it first sends the power button IR Code to the TV then processes the rest of the routine normally.NEXT, I added the eROD Motorized Drapery Rod’s remote to the BroadLink RM4’s App. This time I selected User Defined Remote. I added the three buttons: OPEN, CLOSE, & STOP and it easily learned their IR commands. I was able to control the curtains perfectly with the remote. THEN I added a Scene in the BroadLink App. I chose the General Scene type so that I could control the IR eROD Remote I had just created. I named it “Curtains OPEN” and set it to activate the Open Button on the eROD remote I made. I then created Scenes for both the Close and Stop commands as well.Next I created an Alexa Routine, “Open Curtains” and then added Smart Home activity which controls the Scene “Curtains Open” I created with in the BroadLink App and is published in the Alexa scenes. I also created Alexa Routines, “Close Curtains” & “Stop Curtains” which control there corresponding scenes.I also added the Smart Home activity which controls the Scene “Curtains Close” scene to the Alexa “TV” Routine I talked about earlier.Everything worked as expected.Later on I removed the ROKU TV “TV type remote” and recreated it as a User Defined Remote instead. Then I added & learned the POWER button. Next I added a Scene in the BroadLink app that activates that button. Once that was complete I then added the Smart Home activity which controls the “ROKU TV POWER - IR” scene to the Alexa “TV” Routine I talked about earlier.This method works better for me since when I originally created the “ROKU TV” remote I selected the “TV Remote” type and only assigned IR commands to the power button and that left a remote inside the BroadLink App with only the power button working… the rest of the buttons did not work because I didn’t assign them IR commands.Besides the BroadLink App discovered my TCL ROKU TV via the network and is available if the TV is powered on and so I wanted to get rid of the original “TV Remote” type I created with mostly non-working remote and create one using the “User Defined” type with only one button instead.All in all - I am extremely happy with the BroadLink RM4 IR control capabilities. It’s much better than using Harmony Hub to control devices like the Curtains or other devices that would automatically end activities running when you start another.I have already ordered a second BroadLink RM4 Mini with sensor cable to migrate some devices away from my Harmony Hub that interfere with its primary activities. I think Harmony Hub is stupid to end the active “Watch Movie” activity (Which turns off the Projector and surround sound when the automated sunset closing of the curtains is kicked off. A major issue with Harmony Hub.FYI: Sensor cable – with built in temp & humidity sensors. So far only the current temp is available with Amazon Echo – which is seen as a temperature sensor to the Amazon Echo. Alexa does not currently support the humidity function. However, hourly temp & humidity data readings are available inside the BroadLink App.I named my temperature sensor, “Living Room” inside the BroadLink App. So now I can say, “Computer, What is the Living Room Temperature?” Alexa responds, “The Living Room Temperature is 75.1 degrees!” I also created a Group in the Alexa App named, “Inside” and added the Living Room temperature sensor to that group. So I can also ask, “Computer, What is the Inside Temperature?”I know this review was rather long, but I wanted to add some “how to” information and issue work arounds I did that other users have reported as issues while setting up their BroadLink RM4 Mini to help fill in the gaps for the somewhat lacking instructions on how to setup and configure the device and BroadLink app.Happy Automating and thanks for reading!

I can finally control my wall AC unit from bed! Or anywhere! Plus, with the temperature sensor, one can check that the temp is ok for pets when away (though phone app or alexa phone app).Setup is easy as long as you follow the directions precisely. Here's how to look at it - The device has one button, so, you phone is the initial interface.***Phone->device to make device->wifi***First, you install the broadlink app on your phone and then turn off phone wifi so you can connect your phone to the device to set up the device to connect to your wifi so that you can control the device over wifi with phone/alexa. Sounds weird, but stay with me.Then with the broadlink app you set up all the programming for your IR devices this device will talk to. This is all in the Broadlink app and the instructions and usage are very intuitive. Then, add the Broadlink skill to alexa and link the accounts. Now tell alexa to scan for devices, and viola! There it is. Alexa now has control of the device through broadlink over your wifi to control your IR devices.The programmed remote functions are named by the app, so those are the names you tell alexa to do. For example, I programmed Energy Saver to "Heat" for my AC, so if I want energy saver, I say "Alexa turn on AC heat." And, if that's problematic, just create an Alexa routine so that when Alexa hears "Alexa turn on energy saver" she does the "you say" "Alexa turn on AC heat."Also, don't make the name for temperature "temperature" else alexa will say "The temperature temperature is 72 degrees." I named my temperature to just "Room" so alexa says the "Room temperature is 72 degrees."Lastly, to set fan speeds or volume or similar things to a specific value when there is only an up/down option, just program multiple actions. For example, for fan speed 2 out of 3, program "down down up". That way, whatever the fan speed is at the time, you are setting it to 1 first, then up for 2. 1 is down down and 3 is up up. You can do the same with volume if you don't mind putting in the multiple action sets. With a volume range of 50, to set to 10, it would be down down down down down down down down ............50 times then up 10 times. If you want to get that specific. :)