• About Us
    • — About Digitized House
    • — Advertise
    • — Editorial Guidelines
  • Policies
    • — Ad Policy
    • — Privacy Policy
    • — Cookie Policy (US)
Digitized House | Guide to the Connected Home
  • Home
  • Connect Your Home
    • Deals
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Security Cameras
    • Security Systems
    • Smart Displays
    • Smart Door Locks
    • Smart Lighting
    • Smart Plugs
    • Smart Product Round-ups
    • Smart Speakers
    • Smart Thermostats
    • Smart Water
    • Smoke + CO Detectors
    • Solar Photovoltaics
    • Window Coverings
    • Connected Home and Gadget Resources
  • Ecosystems
    • Amazon Alexa
    • Apple HomeKit
    • Google Assistant
    • SmartThings
    • Open Systems
  • Design Your Home
    • Architecture
    • Healthy Home
    • Home Design
    • How-To
    • Green Building
    • Real Estate
    • Sustainable Home
No Result
View All Result
Digitized House | Guide to the Connected Home
  • Home
  • Connect Your Home
    • Deals
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Security Cameras
    • Security Systems
    • Smart Displays
    • Smart Door Locks
    • Smart Lighting
    • Smart Plugs
    • Smart Product Round-ups
    • Smart Speakers
    • Smart Thermostats
    • Smart Water
    • Smoke + CO Detectors
    • Solar Photovoltaics
    • Window Coverings
    • Connected Home and Gadget Resources
  • Ecosystems
    • Amazon Alexa
    • Apple HomeKit
    • Google Assistant
    • SmartThings
    • Open Systems
  • Design Your Home
    • Architecture
    • Healthy Home
    • Home Design
    • How-To
    • Green Building
    • Real Estate
    • Sustainable Home
No Result
View All Result
Digitized House | Guide to the Connected Home
No Result
View All Result
Home Review

Belkin WeMo grows up: Nest Learning Thermostat integration

Tom Kolnowski by Tom Kolnowski
3 July 2016
in Review, Smart Lighting, Smart Thermostats, Sustainable Home
Reading Time: 5 mins read
7. Belkin WeMo grows up: Nest Learning Thermostat integration

7. Belkin WeMo grows up: Nest Learning Thermostat integration

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The WeMo smart-home automation ecosystem has been expanding steadily with more supported accessories from parent company Belkin as well as from third-party companies, but to date has not offered the benefit of integration with heating and cooling systems. With a recent upgrade to version 1.15 of the app, WeMo has taken a giant step toward becoming a more formidable force in today’s smart home. And that is largely due to the addition of very smooth integrations with the popular Nest Learning Thermostat through the Works with Nest program.

 

WeMo and the Nest Learning Thermostat
With a recent app upgrade, the WeMo home automation ecosystem gets a big boost by integrating the Nest Learning Thermostat through the Works with Nest program

 

More Original Content FromDigitized House

Kohler H2Wise+ Marks Rise of the Water Network

How Smart Tech Drives Sustainable Home Decisions

6 Steps to Furnishing Your Space Sustainably Without Compromising Aesthetics 

Smart Housing’s Promise for Rural Development

Healthier Smart Home Air Filtration: Aura Air Review

WeMo is a hub-less home automation setup, meaning the system does not require the presence of a dedicated home automation hub. In contrast to the competing Samsung SmartThings or Wink systems—which require the installation of one or more dedicated hardware hubs on the private home network plus a corresponding smartphone app—WeMo requires only the WeMo app and a minimum of one WeMo-compatible product in order to function. In that regard, the WeMo operational model is very similar to that of the software-based Apple HomeKit environment. Unfortunately, WeMo accessories cannot be integrated with Apple HomeKit, though that could be subject to change in the future.

Belkin offers a number of native WeMo-branded automation accessories, including the wall-pluggable WeMo Switch and Insight Switch, the in-wall Light Switch, the versatile Maker, and NetCam WiFi cameras. In addition to the integration with Nest, the list of supported products includes offerings from several other companies, including the Crock-Pot slow cooker and Mr. Coffee coffeemaker from Jarden Consumer Solutions, Lightify lighting solutions from Osram Sylvania, and others. WeMo accessories can also be controlled by Amazon Alexa voice commands through the Amazon Echo and Amazon Dot products, and scripted for robotic actions through the If This Then That (IFTTT) home automation website and app.

 

WeMo and the Nest Learning Thermostat
Belkin offers a number of WeMo-branded accessories, including the WeMo Maker (left) and WeMo Insight Switch (right), which can be used to control lights and other devices

 

A basic WeMo automation setup

The setup of a basic WeMo home automation system is very straightforward, and consists of first downloading the WeMo app from the Apple App Store for iOS devices or the Google Play store for Android devices, followed by plugging in or installing a supported WeMo accessory, and then finally configuring the accessory on the home WiFi network through the app.

Once setup is completed, the accessory can then be controlled directly through gestures in the WeMo app or programmatically through the setting of in-app rules—user-configurable settings for triggering actions based on time of day, day of week, motion detection, and other factors.

Through the Remote Access feature, WeMo accessories can be controlled by authorized mobile devices, both within the secure local home network as well as remote locations outside of the home. This is enabled through secure communications between the smartphone app and the WeMo Remote Cloud Server. A Forget and Disable button in the app facilitates revoking access to Remote Access services for a specific mobile device. The WeMo app is also designed to automatically produce notifications in the event an accessory requires a firmware update, which can typically be accomplished by simply acknowledging the notification event.

A test bed for WeMo and Nest integration

We have a number of WeMo products integrated into the testing infrastructure of our smart-home labs home, including the WeMo Insight Switch and WeMo Maker. In the case of the Insight Switch—a WiFi-enabled device that is able to remotely turn off or on any appliance, electronics, or lighting fixture plugged into its single electrical outlet as well as capture real-time and cumulative energy consumption data—we configured it to control a floor lamp that was fitted with a pair of LED lamps. And in the case of the WeMo Maker—a flexible, WiFi-enabled device designed to automate control of a single low-voltage device or sensor—we wired and configured one to control the opening and closing of a garage door.

 

Nest Learning Thermostat
The 3rd generation of the Nest Learning Thermostat

 

For the Nest component of the testing, we utilized our existing trio of second-generation Nest Learning Thermostats we employ to control our energy-efficient, ground-source geothermal heat pump heating and cooling system. The Nest thermostats were configured on the same secure private WiFi network as the WeMo accessories, and were also connected to the Nest cloud through a standard Nest account.

 

WeMo and Nest Learning Thermostat
Through the WeMo app, we authorized access to our Nest account and then all 3 of our Nest thermostats appeared on the WeMo home screen

 

In order to authorize integration with Nest, we selected the Connect to Nest menu option in WeMo settings, and then provided our Nest account credentials when requested. Once that was completed, all 3 of our Nest thermostats appeared in the WeMo home screen.

Working with Works with Nest 

The Works with Nest integration for WeMo is currently limited to the Nest Learning Thermostat, so, for example, any Nest Protect smoke detectors in the home will not be accessible or visible from WeMo. But the existing integration experience is very well done, functional, and quite useful.

 

WeMo and Nest Learning Thermostat
From within the WeMo app, each Nest thermostat can be individually controlled, including adjusting the temperature, selecting the desired mode, and setting the Home or Away status

 

First and foremost, each Nest thermostat can be individually controlled within the WeMo app, including adjusting the temperature, selecting the mode (heat, cool, heat/cool or off), and setting the Home or Away status. The app also displays the current temperature and set point, the Nest Sense icon (for example, display of the Nest Leaf when the thermostat is in energy-saving mode), and humidity reading.

This integration works seamlessly, and we can envision homeowners with automation setups consisting primarily of WeMo-compatible accessories and Nest thermostats choosing to forego the Nest app and using WeMo exclusively for day-to-day control tasks. Of course, the native Nest app or the Nest website would still be required for adjusting Nest schedules and deeper configuration settings, but we find these functions are accessed quite infrequently after the Nests have been configured and progress through their initial Auto-Schedule period.

But the more interesting aspect of the integration from a home automation and energy-conservation perspective is the ability to have WeMo-controlled lights and devices turn on or off based on the Home or Away status of a Nest thermostat. This feature will work with the Wemo Insight Switch, Light Switch, Maker, and Switch.

 

WeMo and Nest Learning Thermostat
An energy-saving benefit of the Works with Nest integration in WeMo is the ability to have WeMo-controlled lights and devices turn on or off based on the Home or Away status of a Nest thermostat

 

In order to facilitate this aspect of the testing, we set a WeMo rule to turn off the floor lamp connected to our WeMo Insight Switch when the Nest thermostat was placed in Away mode. Then, when we manually set the thermostat to Away mode—by selecting Away on the Nest thermostat itself, in the native Nest app, or from within the WeMo app—the floor lamp immediately switched off. Additionally, this rule will run whenever the Nest thermostat automatically goes into Away mode through the Nest Home/Away Assist or Auto-Away features.

Conversely, we set another WeMo rule to switch on the same floor lamp when a Nest thermostat was placed in Home mode—either manually through selecting the mode, or automatically through the detected arrival of one of the home’s occupants when Nest Home/Away Assist is active. In this case, an arrival event can be detected through the presence of an authorized smartphone user as configured in the Nest app. This rule also worked without fail in our testing. You can read much more about how the Nest Home/Away Assist or Auto-Away features are designed work in this article on the Nest support website.

Taking the home automation plunge with WeMo

For homeowners considering taking steps toward turning their dwelling into a smart home, WeMo offers a well-integrated set of accessory options that are quite straightforward to set up, simple to automate with point-and-click rules, and function smoothly and reliably. When the WeMo ecosystem is extended through the integration of one or more Nest Learning Thermostats, the resulting system takes a large step forward in potential convenience and energy savings.

More info about this topic:

Belkin WeMo website

Nest Learning Thermostat website

Works with Nest program

Digitized.House Magazine

Tags: AndroidApple iOSconsumer electronicshome automationnon-affiliateWeMo
Previous Post

Product brief: Antolini Natura Collection

Next Post

Pingo Solar aims to disrupt solar purchasing with DIY platform

Tom Kolnowski

Tom Kolnowski

Tom Kolnowski is the Chief Content Officer & Founder of Digitized House Media, LLC, the publisher of Digitized House | Guide to the Connected Home. When he isn’t writing about smart home technology, sustainability, and high-performance architecture, you’ll find him exploring faraway destinations with his family.

Related Posts

Kohler H2Wise+ Smart Home Water Monitor. Image: Digitized House Media.
Review

Kohler H2Wise+ Marks Rise of the Water Network

9 June 2022

Kohler Company recently expanded its smart home portfolio with the Kohler H2Wise+ water monitor, a system designed to surveil a...

The Google Nest Hub displaying home energy data for a Reliant Energy customer. Image: Digitized House.
Sustainable Home

How Smart Tech Drives Sustainable Home Decisions

18 April 2022

Most people try to do their part to cut down on carbon and help save the planet. From recycling to...

Image: Spacejoy on Unsplash.
Sustainable Home

6 Steps to Furnishing Your Space Sustainably Without Compromising Aesthetics 

18 April 2022

Going green has never looked so good. More homeowners than ever are looking to decorate their interior with gorgeous, but...

Next Post
Pingo Solar

Pingo Solar aims to disrupt solar purchasing with DIY platform

Nest Cam Outdoor

Nest to weather the elements with Nest Cam Outdoor

Twelve South PlugBug World

Twelve South PlugBug World a Swiss army knife among chargers

As an Amazon Associate, Digitized House may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links, ads, or buttons on this page. See our full Affiliate Link, Sponsorship, and Ad Policy.

About Us

Digitized House is the Guide to the Connected Home.

We help global consumers make their 
Connected Homes smarter, healthier, safer, and 
more sustainable through streams of original content. You can see our story here.

Like what you see on this website? You can also read us on our Apple News App Channel.

More Info

  • About Us
    • — About Digitized House
    • — Advertise
    • — Editorial Guidelines
  • Policies
    • — Ad Policy
    • — Privacy Policy
    • — Cookie Policy (US)

Affiliate Disclosure

As an Amazon Associate, Digitized House may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links, ads, or buttons on this page. See our full Affiliate Link, Sponsorship, and Ad Policy.

Recent Content

Kohler H2Wise+ Marks Rise of the Water Network

How Smart Tech Drives Sustainable Home Decisions

6 Steps to Furnishing Your Space Sustainably Without Compromising Aesthetics 

Smart Housing’s Promise for Rural Development

Healthier Smart Home Air Filtration: Aura Air Review

Smart Tech Helping Build Sustainable Homes

© 2015-2022 Digitized House Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Connect Your Home
    • Deals
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Security Cameras
    • Security Systems
    • Smart Displays
    • Smart Door Locks
    • Smart Lighting
    • Smart Plugs
    • Smart Product Round-ups
    • Smart Speakers
    • Smart Thermostats
    • Smart Water
    • Smoke + CO Detectors
    • Solar Photovoltaics
    • Window Coverings
    • Connected Home and Gadget Resources
  • Ecosystems
    • Amazon Alexa
    • Apple HomeKit
    • Google Assistant
    • SmartThings
    • Open Systems
  • Design Your Home
    • Architecture
    • Healthy Home
    • Home Design
    • How-To
    • Green Building
    • Real Estate
    • Sustainable Home
  • About Us + Policies
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • Ad Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy (US)

© 2015-2022 Digitized House Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Manage Cookie Consent
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional cookies Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}