Dumping SmartThings/Hoobs for Hubitat/Homekit

I started with SmartThings, tried Hubitat older hub but never fully integrated it. Then added Hobbs so I could integrate with HomeKit. Worked ok but not fully satisfied.

I just ordered a new C7 hub and want to integrate so that as many of my 75 plus devices as possible work with HomeKit. I have 35 Osram lamps, jasco outlets, water valves and a Sengled hub with 8 bulbs, ring doorbell and 6 blink cameras.

How do I start over so mainly have hubitat and HomeKit?

I can't speak to HomeKit since the "extended beta" integration was just released two days ago and my HomePod doesn't arrive until later today :slight_smile: Others probably have more experience with it.

@rlithgow1 has a link to a series of recommendations for migrating. Unfortunately I failed to copy the link but I'm sure he will add it.

In the mean time a few tips.

Check for device compatibility. If you have devices that are not on the compatibility list that doesn't mean they won't work - it just means Hubitat hasn't confirmed whether they do or not. If you have devices not on this list they may work fine with generic drivers, they may work with a third-party driver, or they may not be compatible.

2nd update your C7 to the latest version AND zwave firmware. Especially the zwave firmware.

After that take a look at these links on setting up a solid zwave and zigbee mesh. Don't assume it will work the same way as ST.

https://docs.hubitat.com/index.php?title=How_to_Build_a_Solid_Zigbee_Mesh

https://docs.hubitat.com/index.php?title=How_to_Build_a_Solid_Z-Wave_Mesh

If you're used to using Webcore there's a version available on HE. I used it for a while but eventually tore off the bandaid and moved to RM.

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This is potentially problematic. Depending on the generation and model of the Osram zigbee bulbs.

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Because of requirements imposed by Apple on HomeKit-certified bridges, I believe your Ring doorbell and Blink cameras can’t be integrated via Hubitat’s HomeKit integration.

That may be true of your Sengled hub and its attached bulbs too. But if they’re zigbee bulbs, they can be paired directly to Hubitat. Please share additional details to clarify.

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Homebridge (or Hoobs in your case) is never going to pursue Certification. That means Homebridge will always support a different set of devices than a certified appliance, which is what Hubitat is pursuing.

It may be that for your current collection of devices, Homebridge is a better solution. It's almost trivial to add Homebridge support to Hubitat when you already have Hoobs running. Being new to Hubitat though means everything is strange and "just create a MakerAPI instance and tie that to Homebridge" is nothing but greek, I suspect. :smiley:

But really, once you get your Hubitat Hub and get a few devices added that need to be shared with Homebridge, come on back and we'll walk you through it.

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Do I need to delete all the devices from the various hubs they are currently installed on before moving them to HE.

You must Exclude the device before an Include. That's a cast in concrete requirement in my opinion.

WHERE you do the exclude isn't important, Hubitat is fine with doing it, then go right into clicking the Include button.

However, that will leave a ghost on your old hub. If you're working to shut it down, then that's fine, but your mesh on that hub will get bad pretty quickly. The solution is of course, do the exclude on the hub that 'owns' it now. At some point the old hub won't reach devices to be able to exclude them. At that point, you might as well just pull the power from it and do the excluding on Hubitat.

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@jimbjayhawk
Another point for the community developed Homebridge Option.

If you want to include other systems (e.g. Ring) to Homekit, you don't have to include them into Hubitat, but rather, in the Hombridge app, on your other computer that you run it, install the Ring plugin. It will then appear in your Homekit.

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