BroadLink Wi-Fi Smart Remote Hub with Sensor Cable, IR RF All in One Automation Learning Universal Remote Control, With a Mini Smart Plug, Compatible with Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT （RM4proS+SP4M)

I dont usually write negative reviews, in fact, this is my first. But when faced with such a truly awful product as this, I feel it my duty to warn my fellow humans what frustrations await them when you purchase a Broadlink RM4 Pro. To be fair, I dont know if this device will control IR or RF products or even sync with Alexa, Google Assistant, or IFTTT, as promised. I actually CAN’T know that because I couldnt get past the installation. For a device marketed as a bridge for the smart home market, this device is anything but smart. In fact, its designers had so little disregard for their customers that they thought it acceptable to exclusively REQUIRE 2.4ghz WiFi in a device sold in 2020. That in itself would not be so bad, there are plenty of older, dumber, simpler devices that use this frequency but Broadlink appears to have gone out of their way to ensure 5ghz dual band systems absolutely, positively, cannot be compatible with their product. As evidenced on their support site, which actually recommends that first you disable the 5ghz band for as long as you use their product. Disregarding how unacceptable it is to recommend one stop using a superior technology that was finalized over 11 years ago, the site further recommends that if you cannot disable the band, then you should try to walk far away and see if it’ll connect to the 2.4 band then, or install a temporary router or hotspot with the same SSID/PW. If those methods fail, you should simply get another router. Easy peasy. I actually tried the first two recommendations because I really didn’t want to have to through the trouble of returning… also because I’m an idiot. So after walking down the street with phone, Broadlink, and USB battery bank in hand on 101* day with no results, I setup the mobile hotspot on “phone B”. The issue then arose that, because again it is the year two thousand and twenty, my hotspot was inundated with connection requests from 80+ devices throughout the house wondering where their precious network went. So after shutting off power to the house (yes, really) and manually killing multiple tablets, a couple of UPSs, and a smattering of cell phones, I was finally within the hotspot’s capacity to connect. Only nothing happened. The same stupid app giving the same stupid message. “Could not connect”. 5 days and uncountable hours later, I’m done. I’m sending it back and posting this review. If you have a router made in the last 5 years or have more than 10 devices connected to your network, run away. This device will not work. It is a device marketed to smart home hobbyists, but built for people who have 1 PC hardwired to Facebook for the “news”. I know this review was initially to serve as a warning, but at this point I just don’t care anymore. This was my therapy. If nobody reads this, fine. At least I have bled the poisonous Broadlink experience from my system. Thanks for the refund, Amazon.

This device is great to automate devices in your home using Homekit (with the Homebridge plugin). The BroadLink app is still needed to initially connect the device. For me BroadLinks support was great, I recently had to contact support when I couldnt find the app in the Apple App store, they quickly responded and fixed the issue.

Update: It was not an IR remote. I think I got a defective one because everything is working fine, but it wont learn my remote buttons. Its on the wifi, the app has all the features, its connected to Alexa, but when I go to learn buttons it wont do it. The indicator flashes, everything does what the instructions say, and nothing.... its as if it cant recieve remote signals. Meanwhile my appliance is going nuts because Im hitting the remote so many times (So my remote definitely works) .... disappointed with this product...

I bought the IR/RF PRO unit to add functionality to my Google Home, specifically to control a Honeywell tower fan, a Sony Stereo, and my (RF 433Mhz controlled) kitchen blinds. The Broadlink app is good and worked well in some areas. First, if you dont have 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and only 5GHz Wi-Fi, this device will NOT work. The device needs 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi to connect. I had both in my home, so set it up on that. Two Wi-Fi modes to connect, but it connected. Once connected to Wi-Fi, with app installed, you add devices. App had groupings. I selected fans. They you can either learn IR buttons manually, or use preset codes from many available brands. I found Honeywell, none of 2 presets were compatible. So, easily added Power On (,Power Off), Speed, and Sweep (Oscillate) to pre designated buttons by learning from my remote. They all worked with the app. Sony Stereo, success with one of the Sony presets, but only On/Off, Mute, and Volume Up/Down. Couldnt change stereo modes, or tune channels. So, with JUST the App and fan control okay, stereo limited, but worked. The RF controller for my blinds didnt work at all. I called Broadlink tech support and they said it wasnt compatible with what I had, despite me having the 433MHz RF remote for my blinds to learn from. Specically they said, BroadLink devices do not support motorized or rolling codes. With rolling codes, the remote and the receiver each generate code in a specific order. Every time the remote is used, it generates a new code that is encrypted. BroadLink devices do not offer support to encrypted appliances. I then added the Broadlink device to Google Home. That worked easily. It detected my fan and Stereo, then I assigned them to my Living Room in hopes all functions would work. NOPE! The only Fan control provided was for on/off but no control of fan speed, or fan sweep/oscillate. The Stereo(/Amplifier) didnt load at all, even after unlinking/relinking Broadlink device, and reseting everything as recommended by Broadlink. Summary; stand alone app okay to control IR devices (but limited function), poor integration and loss of device control with Google Home, and RF functionality (for me) wasnt compatible with my blinds, and not sure whose blinds would be.

It works perfectly for an IR Blaster that is connected to Home Assistant. My recommendation is to not have it connected to the internet.

Update: now that I’ve had for about a week, here’s my update. Lost a star, because broadlink hub has to be directly in front of the receiver for it to work and looks ridiculous; needs IR blasters. Response time to turn volume up and down is terrible. 2 stars because I can control with Alexa. Honestly, $50 more and get the Harmony hub and place anywhere around the receiver. Even if Harmony can’t reach receiver, I can use IR blaster. I did program to use fireplace remote, but again the broadlink hub has to be directly in front of the fireplace. I got the broadlink so I can use IR and RF, but so far I can’t get get any RF to work. Was able to connect my Denon receiver without any problems using IR. Did relearn some of the buttons on the BroadLink app to match my remote. Will not connect to my RF remote ceiling fan. Doesn’t help that I don’t know what the RF is to my remote. I’ve searched everywhere I can think of.

Very easy to setup and program. Works very well with my motorized shades.

Doesn’t work with google home! DO NOT BUY. 2023 review w shades. Connects but NO CONTROLS . As title says. I can add the Allen roth shades in the app and it works fine IN THE APP. Soon as I link it to google google home shows ZERO controls. Just says it’s connected. Piece of crap junk.

This device does a good job controlling each of our three motorized roller shades. You can also set up a group so it controls all your shades at the same time. Our motorized shade has a customizable mid position feature which is triggered when holding down the stop button on the remote; unfortunately I could not figure out how this Wi-Fi device is activated as a hold button.

Update: 1. (2021-04-20) After multiple identical attempts, finally our Yamaha AVR connected. It’s basic features now work. Other more advanced will require our other components to work. 2. (2021-04-20) After multiple identical attempts, our LG TV still won’t connect properly. Manually teaching the remote doesn’t work at all (see attached images). RM4 recognizes the remote’s button push but simply refuses to learn. No amount of “try again” fixes this. 3. (2021-04-21) Have been able to connect our Oppo blu-ray player using a submission in the community section. Still no luck with the TV; along with the AVR, its the essential piece to add. We ordered a Harmony Companion as a backstop because were on the cusp of giving up on this. As a result, well be tightening our belt to offset the $100 difference. Original: (2021-04-19) 1. Why we bought this: create scenes that would allow our Yamaha V6A AVR, LG 50UN7300 TV, oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player, and Apple AirPlay 2 switch more seamlessly (this Yamaha AVR is notoriously screwy on that front). In our living room, we’ve been using a Harmony hub for years. Now that Logitech is shuttering that business, we are seeking an alternative for this other room. I desperately hoped RM4 would do the trick. So far, not so much: 2. The process so far: setup was a little wonky but not bad. Only smart device on our large network it discovered is a single Roku. Went to add the above-mentioned brands. The interface gives four common options that should be able to control the device without teaching button-by-button. None of these options worked for any of the above devices. I programmed the LG and Yamaha button-by-button. It’s an intuitive process, which is great. The LG buttons worked during the setup process but not once I left setup to actually use it, which is bad. The Yamaha wouldn’t even learn the buttons. Also bad. I also saw no indication (yet) how I might be able to teach it HDMI switching. 3. I called tech support 24/day, M-F. Took three tries. Rep was nice but line was unclear. I had to repeat the above situation multiple times. I’m told I should get a response “from engineering” within a week. I have had enough experience with “engineering” not to hold out hope because it will eat into the return window. I will try calling again later to see if I have better luck. A brand new device shouldn’t need a weeklong ticket on day one. If it is a user error (which it could be!) then I need phone support, not for a department to fix a problem. I can’t know on my end and the communication, while polite and well-meaning, was not, shall we say, “frustration-free.” I have no reason to think the unit is defective. The setup for devices is idiot-proof so having gone through it several times, well, I might be an idiot because I can’t get these to work at all. On the plus-side, if it DOES work then the form factor is great, the iOS interface is... a step above okay. The temperature/humidity sensor worked out-of-the-box. I can’t speak to Alexa integration beyond the fact it was easy to connect them. So, first impression is generally bad. In truth, it feels like 1-star but it’s too soon to know. I’m glad others are not having my experience and genuinely hope that I can edit this review to match their enthusiasm. If not then I suppose we have no choice but to spend triple the money on a Logitech that is now at the end of its run, which is a shame on many fronts.