It all depends on whether you need to monitor your sensors remotely and/or want to back up or share your data with others through the SensorPush Cloud.
Without a gateway
The sensors use Bluetooth LE to communicate, so on their own they are limited to Bluetooth range (e.g. around the house, like a Bluetooth speaker). That works well if you only need your data while you're near the sensor.
The sensors keep recording while you're away. Each sensor stores its readings for a while (over two weeks for the HT1, and around a month for the HT.w and HTP.xw), and the app picks up the stored readings automatically when you come back in range. Alerts reach you only while your phone is in range of the sensor.
With a gateway
If you would like to monitor SensorPush sensors remotely (e.g. away from the house), you need to use them with a SensorPush WiFi Gateway. Our current gateway is the G2 WiFi Gateway, which replaces the earlier G1 WiFi Gateway. If you already have a G1, it keeps working. Either gateway relays the data of any in-range SensorPush sensors to the internet over your WiFi network (the G1 can also use Ethernet). With a gateway you also get:
- Current conditions, history and alerts on your phone from anywhere.
- Email alerts, which can go to several email addresses.
- The web dashboard, for viewing your data on a computer.
- Your settings kept in sync across every phone logged into the account. If an alert setting is changed on one phone, it changes on the others too.
There's no monthly fee for the SensorPush Cloud. See Is there a monthly fee?
Still deciding? See Which SensorPush products do I need?