Did You Know These Critical Drawbacks of Smart Home IR Remote Hubs?

IR hubs seemed so convenient at first—but I quickly found unexpected frustrations hiding in plain sight.

Hello! I’m a solo dweller with a growing interest in smart home devices. One of the first devices I tried was an IR remote control hub. The idea of controlling all my remotes—TV, air conditioner, fan—with a single device was too tempting to resist. But after trying it out, I found that this seemingly simple gadget had more complications than expected. Today, I’ll share my honest experience with the drawbacks of using an IR hub. If you’re considering buying one, don’t miss this!

Table of Contents

• Device Compatibility Issues
• Line-of-Sight and Placement Constraints
• App Instability and Connectivity Failures
• Heavy Dependence on Cloud Services
• Automation Limitations
• Security and Privacy Concerns

Device Compatibility Issues

What I looked forward to most was consolidating all remotes into one. But when I tried setting it up, my TV was supported—yet my living room air conditioner wasn’t even in the database. IR signal formats vary by brand, and some devices—especially older or international models—just don’t work well or at all.

Automation Challenges in Real Use

IR hubs can’t confirm whether a device is actually turned on or off. To make automations reliable, you may need to buy extra sensors—like a light sensor for lamps or a door sensor on the air conditioner flap—to verify state. This adds cost and complexity.

Line-of-Sight and Placement Constraints

IR signals don’t go through walls or furniture. The hub must have a clear line of sight to each device. Goodbye aesthetic interior! If your A/C is hidden behind a curtain or couch, response time slows or fails altogether.

Device	Effective Range	Obstruction Impact
TV	~5–6 meters	Doesn’t work if blocked
Air Conditioner	~4 meters	No response if behind curtain

App Instability and Connectivity Failures

• App often freezes or lags
• Wi-Fi settings frequently drop
• Cloud server connection fails unexpectedly

Control relies on a smartphone app, which isn’t always reliable. Especially frustrating when trying to control devices remotely and receiving a server timeout message. Even turning on a device can become a hit-or-miss experience.

Heavy Dependence on Cloud Services

Most IR hubs today run on cloud servers. That means no internet, no control—sometimes not even locally. If the server is under maintenance, you're out of luck. It’s ironically one of the least "smart" moments in the smart home experience.

One-Click Execution – A Small Win

One bright spot: Tuya-based IR hubs support one-click multi-command macros. For example, instead of just powering on the air conditioner (which might default to fan or dry mode), it can also switch to cooling mode and set the temperature. While Wi-Fi air conditioners don’t need this, for older models this bundled signal can help compensate for IR limitations.

RF Signal Re-Transmission Limitations

RF signals have their own issues. Many countries restrict allowable frequencies, and due to long-range signal encryption like rolling codes, retransmission often isn’t possible. Learning RF codes can also fail entirely, making real-world usage tricky.

Automation Limitations

IR-based automations seem great—like turning on the air conditioner at 7 PM—but aren’t always reliable. Delays occur, and sometimes commands simply fail. Errors are more frequent when combined with external sensors.

Automation Type	Reliability	Main Issues
Time-based	Moderate	Delays or command failures
Sensor-based	Low	Sensitivity and trigger inconsistencies

Security and Privacy Concerns

• Some low-cost hubs ship with no password protection
• Cloud server hacks are possible
• Controversy over collecting location and usage data

In a connected world, security is critical. Some cheap IR hubs are shipped without basic safeguards, making them vulnerable to Wi-Fi breaches. A friend of mine discovered someone turned on their A/C remotely—scary stuff.

FAQ

Q: Can IR hubs control all appliances?
A: No. IR codes differ by brand and model, so some devices may be hard or impossible to control.

Q: Where should I place the hub?
A: Somewhere with a clear line of sight to the devices—no obstructions like walls or curtains.

Q: My app keeps freezing. What should I do?
A: Stability varies by brand. Keep firmware and app updated. For server outages, there’s little you can do but wait.

Q: How accurate is automation?
A: Commands may be delayed or fail. IR automations are sensitive to physical and cloud-related issues.

Q: Can it work offline?
A: Some models support local control, but most rely on internet/cloud and won’t work offline.

Q: Is the IR hub secure?
A: It depends. Choose models with password protection and brands that provide regular security updates.

Conclusion

Smart home IR remote hubs are definitely exciting tech—but many hidden issues lie beneath the surface. I was thrilled at first, but quickly faced practical limitations. While they do offer benefits, you should be aware of the real downsides too. If you’re thinking of installing one, I hope this guide helps you make a more informed choice. Wishing you a smarter, safer smart home experience! 😊