somfymyLink RTS Hub - Control Motorized Blinds, Shades, Curtains & Awnings with Alexa & Google Assistant - Quick Setup, 16-Channel Control, Wake Up to Sunshine, Wi-Fi Connection - #1811403

These worked great for my Somfy Blinds. It can be used with the app on your phone or is compatible your Alexa device. I previously tried the Somfy Tahoma hub. It did not work and I had to return it. So I was skeptical about this device. However, it connected well and was fairly easy to set up. I’m able to use voice control with Alexa as long as at the end of my command I say with “my link”. Example “Alexa shut the blinds with my link.”

The app is buggy as hell. No timeouts, so if it can't find something it will just hang forever...rebooted my phone several times during setup. after many reboots and restarts I was finally able to get the remote set up in the app. But it didn't work. I eventually noticed the wifi light was blinking, and restarted the device. Once it restarted, connected i tried again...but it was already offline again.after a few more restarts I was able to get "device info" to connect long enough to give me some info, and I noticed it said "wifi signal poor"...ok, there's like a dozen other IOT devices wifi connected in the same room, but whatever...I moved it to a few inches from the router, then it reported "wifi signal good"...I guess "good" is as good as it gets. but it didn't matter, it went offline again in a few seconds.It did manage to open my awning once...over 4 days of screwing with it, it opened once.The device I received seems obviously to be defective, so I'll be returning it...only to find out i have to pay return shipping. So rather than risk putting good money after bad and trying another, I'll just continue to use my remote. it's a little disappointing because I really wanted to smart-up my awning, but even if it worked properly the app is slow and buggy.edit:Ok, I broke down and ordered a replacement even after saying I wouldn't. The new unit had the exact same problems. App hangs, firmware updates failed, device constantly going offline.And I discovered a new annoyance, there's no way to remove an old My Link unit from the app. so even though the old one was offline and gone, it was apparently going to be in the app forever showing "unable to connect". And yes, I uninstalled the app and re-installed...old configuration remained. was not able to get the second My Link to ever operate the awning.

I almost didn’t buy this product because of the bad reviews about how hard it is to setup, once it is setup wrong you can’t in do it, and it not working with multiple rooms.I didn’t set it up perfectly the first time. I was extra careful and cautious because of the reviews but I still missed one of the shades in setup (just pressed the wrong button for the fifth one carelessly). I was easily able to go back into Edit it.The app is intuitive and easy to use. Took me maybe 20-30 minutes in total to setup 5 shades.I have 5 shades on two stories in 3 different rooms. Once it was setup I did have to try different locations for the unit to ensure it reached all my shades. Initial position got one floor but not both. I was able to just unplug it and move to a new plug in location and test it out. I did this several times with no issues.During setup I pressed the button on the back of the remote for my shades several times. I did not ruin the programming preset on the shades.I am grateful I took the recommendation of the contractor who installed the shades over listening to the bad reviews here.

I had some reservations after reading all of the negative reviews. Most of the most recent reviews seemed to be more positive so I took a chance. Happy to say that most of the kinks have been worked out and the product works as advertised.Pros:1. Fairly standard setup if you have setup a smart device before. If you have not, then your mileage may vary.2. Fairly small firm factor. You can put it in a fairly inconspicuous place where there is an electrical outlet. It plugs in directly to any standard electrical outlet.3. For me the distance between the shades and the MyLink is about 20 feet. It is not direct line of site and works fine.4. Integrates with Amazon Alexa.Cons:1. Expensive for what it is.2. Could be a lot easier to configure. I had to futz with it for about 30 minutes to get it working. Involved moving it to different locations until I found one that worked, but once I did it was pretty straightforward from there. I have a mesh network and it works fine.3. It does work with Alexa, but it is more work than it should be to get it connected and to recognize the specific phrase you want to use. I will try to update review with steps to get this done.4. Depending on the remote controller you have the directions may or may not be the same as in the written or online instructions on the Somfy web site. MyLink works with various of their remotes, but the details are slightly different depending on the remote you have. Checkout YouTube if you are having problems and make sure the video applies to your remote. I have an older single channel remote which is different than the one in the instructions. However, I got it working fine.4. The app could use some serious work. It controls the shades fine, but the user interface leaves a lot to be desired. If configured properly you can control your shades remotely or on a schedule.Short form, I am happy with my MyLink and it is working fine. Should be easier to configure and definitely cheaper, but if you want handsfree voice-control over your Somfy-powered motors the MyLink accomplishes the task.