[Amazon.ca] Securifi Almond+ Router

I saw this and have been debating it as I need a hub. Any feedback is welcome. Don't really need the router but it can't hurt. Been looking for comparisons for the hub features to SmartThings and wink but everything seems dated - there's been a lot of development since.

This router has nice looking touch screen but lower than normal performance. Go with a regular AC router such as TP-link or Netgear or Asus.

TracyWater wrote: ↑ This router has nice looking touch screen but lower than normal performance. Go with a regular AC router such as TP-link or Netgear or Asus.

Any thoughts on how it performs as a hub? Do you own one?

I recommend that you get a Samsung Smartthings hub its amazing. You can order it from https://shop.smartthings.com/products/s ... ghting-kit which is on sale at the moment in a kit.

protecteur wrote: ↑ I recommend that you get a Samsung Smartthings hub its amazing. You can order it from https://shop.smartthings.com/products/s ... ghting-kit which is on sale at the moment in a kit.

Yeah I've been waiting for a sale on those. Just wondering if anyone knows the difference in hub features. SmartThings seems to be much better. I posted the deal on the kit but I'm waiting for the $50USD deal that occurs frequently. The almond+ would be nice at this price if it was as good.

BlueLightSpecial wrote: ↑ I saw this and have been debating it as I need a hub. Any feedback is welcome. Don't really need the router but it can't hurt. Been looking for comparisons for the hub features to SmartThings and wink but everything seems dated - there's been a lot of development since.

Alright, since no one is really replying to you time to emerge from the shadows...

First off, the price; I got this a year ago for 99$ on clearance at Best Buy, so the price is not the greatest.

I would not get this if you don't need the router the part...after all, the main point of this is to have a router, not to have the hub. It's a secondary feature and other companies, like Samsung's Smart Things will perform significantly better than this.

The most useful feature the Almond + (or the Almond router in general) is the ability to control your network seamlessly and removes the annoyance of needing to go to your ip (192.1...) to change your internet settings or tinker with the router. Not only is there a touch screen, but the smartphone App is surprisingly useful not only as a hub, but mainly so you can see exactly what's connected to your network. It can also kick out people you don't want and easily know your router network's passwords without fiddling around and check for passwords, and changing them become really easy. You also get notified if an unknown device suddenly connects to your internet.

The second useful feature is that it displays the time or the approximate weather (it goes through your ip address, which is one of the worst developer ideas ever) on the screen, so it doubles as a clock/weather display.

Now if you want this only for the hub part, I would recommend other products. I did not use it much because:

1. Almost all "smart" products have their own app already, and functions much more effectively than the Almond in my opinion.
2. Almost all recent products are smart enough to connect to Alexa, Google Home or Apple Homekit, making it much more easier to control your stuff than the almond.

If you want a pretty decent router, this is a good purchase. If you just need a hub, I would go for something else.*

*Unless you can find the almond peanuts (smart plugs) for cheap, because then you can literally change non smart products into smart products which is pretty useful and it's a seamless connection to the almond router

nuttun wrote: ↑ 1. Almost all "smart" products have their own app already, and functions much more effectively than the Almond in my opinion.
2. Almost all recent products are smart enough to connect to Alexa, Google Home or Apple Homekit, making it much more easier to control your stuff than the almond.

Thanks for the info. My issue is that all my smart home devices work fine with Alexa but my Schlage Connect needs a z-wave hub. I will wait for a SmartThings or Wink 2 sale for future proofing. Seems like development for the Almond+ has stalled some.

I do like some of the router functions you mentioned. If this were even cheaper I'd consider it. No rush so I can wait.

Costco has this one https://www.costco.ca/Securifi-Almond-2 ... 20003.html

lehmanr wrote: ↑ Costco has this one https://www.costco.ca/Securifi-Almond-2 ... 20003.html

Inferior to the Almond+:

• does not have z-wave (which I need)
• N300 as opposed to AC1750

I bought this Dec 16 2016 ...lightening deal $200...was $249.

I like it very much..easy setup. It meets my needs but perhaps not others. This is a great price today. I feel gypted in a way by such a price reduction.

thenewalkapone wrote: ↑ I bought this Dec 16 2016 ...lightening deal $200...was $249.

I like it very much..easy setup. It meets my needs but perhaps not others. This is a great price today. I feel gypted in a way by such a price reduction.

I read somewhere they were hinting at adding mesh capabilities to these (like the Almond 3's have) but I'm not sure if they halted development. Suggesting it cuz if they have you could get another for better coverage,

BlueLightSpecial wrote: ↑ Any thoughts on how it performs as a hub? Do you own one?

I own this hub through the Kickstarter campaign.
It sucks as a hub. The hub really only works with specific tested devices. If you want to add an untested device, there's a good chance it won't work. The automation is also very basic. You can only use the app in local mode to add/change rules. It also doesn't keep a log of checkins, only device mode changes. This makes it difficult to know if your device is actually working or not. Overall, it's a do not buy. There's minimal support and the chipset manufacturer has been sold, so there's not going to be any new upgrades to the OpenWRT module other than basic updates.

thenewalkapone wrote: ↑ I bought this Dec 16 2016 ...lightening deal $200...was $249.

I like it very much..easy setup. It meets my needs but perhaps not others. This is a great price today. I feel gypted in a way by such a price reduction.

It's been over a year. That's a lifetime for tech. This router is also around 3 years old, ancient for tech. Did you get a refund for the price reduction for your car? It's devalued quite significantly since you've purchased it.

rf134a wrote: ↑ I own this hub through the Kickstarter campaign.
It sucks as a hub. The hub really only works with specific tested devices. If you want to add an untested device, there's a good chance it won't work. The automation is also very basic. You can only use the app in local mode to add/change rules. It also doesn't keep a log of checkins, only device mode changes. This makes it difficult to know if your device is actually working or not. Overall, it's a do not buy. There's minimal support and the chipset manufacturer has been sold, so there's not going to be any new upgrades to the OpenWRT module other than basic updates.


It's been over a year. That's a lifetime for tech. This router is also around 3 years old, ancient for tech. Did you get a refund for the price reduction for your car? It's devalued quite significantly since you've purchased it.

I never asked for a price reduction. . According to the post the item is still listed for $200 at the sellers site. If you can get me a car that has been devalued as much ..using your example please let me know.

I know it's been over a month, and the deal is long dead but I thought I'd give an update since I've had a chance to play with it.
On the router side I am using it as a range extender. Works well - not much more I can really say about that (besides programming with the touch screen is kinda slick)
On the hub side, I've added 4 random zwave devices without any problems - a switch, a light bulb, a dry contact relay, and a door lock. Inclusion was easy peasy. Programming simple scenes works well. It works with ifttt, so I can ask my google home mini to turn off the lights or whatever.
It also doesn't look too bad on my wall I buried the dc cable in the wall, and hung it by my thermostat and put in on clock/temp mode.
The price fluctuates quite a bit. I would not hesitate to recommend if the price drops below 120.