No, not at all, that is precisely the point, even if my router dies I would like all my Home Automation to continue working, including all automation that uses local networked devices, cabled and with static IPs too...
Look, obviously no one here is asking to replace DHCP with static IP only but allow us to do it if we want. The main selling point of Hubitat is "local", what does that really translates to? No dependency on any other system as much as possible...
How are your devices going to talk to each other without a network device to facilitate that? If you don't have a switch or a router, your devices can't talk. That's just how networking works.
And unless all your devices are going to be wired, you gotta have WiFi. Your expectation that HE would be able to work without any other systems is unrealistic. While I would like to have a static IP for the hub, that is so far down the list of things that I want them spending their time on that it doesn't even warrant discussion. There are much bigger fish to fry first.
Obviously there is going to be a switch, also power, and a house too... MTBF for a switch is several magnitutes higher than a home router. I don't use my router for WiFi either... And no, you don't have to have WiFi...
Do you think this is the most important thing that is out there right now? I said I agreed with you that I'd like to have a static IP.
And i said that unless all your devices are going to be wired you need wifi. Which is true.
Not at all, I never said that either, this is just a feature request as many other, Hubitat can decide if they want to do it an with what priority...
Not a bad option to have. Every bodies use case is not the same. Just because I don't need it doesn't mean somebody else won't.
My network is all separates, modem, router, access points, switches. Only mobile or wifi only devices connect to wifi everything else is hardwired.
My secure gateway/router handles DHCP is very easy to manage and I have a spare, so a quick swap and restore a backup. No reason for me to bother with setting static IPs at the devices.
If I was back to relying on an all in one Comcast supplied modem, router, access point, DHCP server I would want static ip in the devices
It seems like a good solution might be as follows:
Upon boot the hub tries to reach a DHCP server, if it fails it defaults to a known documented address or address pattern.
There should also be a configuration option to use a static IP.
I believe this is the way many small IP appliances work.
This supports getting the device initially configured when there is little or no network infrastructure (I believe we have a member on the forum that has been struggling with that). Then it provides the configuration option for a static IP.
I will say that I hope I never have to go back to static IP addresses but to each his own. I do reservations. I won't jinx myself by proclaiming how reliable it has been.
I have a rule, where possible, if it doesn’t move it gets a fixed IP address.
Only mobile devices use dhcp in my home apart from devices I can’t fix.
I too would prefer to have a fixed IP rather than a reservation assigned in my dhcp range but let’s be honest.. it’s not the end of the world if it’s only dhcp
Andy
In a situation where the power goes down and the hub comes back up before the router does, it goes into a hanging state while waiting for its IP address. If there's a choice to have a static IP address, then the hub can boot back up much faster without the dependence on the router. That is in my opinion very important. More so if you use buttons and switches that don't depend on IP connectivity.
Too many thoughts for a simple problem.
DHCP or Static IP, all depends on the needs, all depends on the topology of everyone network.
I prefer to have both options as in almost 99% of the networks devices.
Is interesting that one of the best features of HE is the ability to work offline but some of you, including the staff, are referring or worried about the router performance so.... Is HE designed for online use?
Why do I have to have an extra device to get just an IP?
Too complicated for a normal user? use DHCP by default.... but do not cut others from that important setting. Right now this is a nightmare for me because during a long blackout my HE start first than my dhcp.
It has no sense for me..... and my vote is to include it in the next update.
If you don't have a network, you can't access hubitat to set anything up. You can't access local dashboards either. You don't need an internet connection (WAN connection) but you do need a LAN connection.
Plus, how many people out there don't have a LAN device connected to their hub or two hubs connected together? I'm willing to bet zero. That's why the talk about a router.
Ryan I'm new on HE but I got several years dealing with programming, networks and computers.
So..of course I have a network but that's not the point here. HE do not have to depend on any other device to work.
One question: You cell phone have to belongs to a network? of course... but it let you decide if use DHCP or static IP, your router, you media player, your PC, your smart TV, all devices who uses internet or need to access a network give you that option.
Why HE do not?
One example: You have a house on the montains... a very pacefull place.... but you have not internet there.. so you cannot automate without a router or any other DHCP server.... it have sense for you?
Any laptop with an ethernet port (or usb to ethernet) can do a cross over cable and set up a Hubitat hub. I know, I have that mountain place that has no network, but I set up a very simple monitoring system using zigbee devices and z-wave alarm.
There is no need for a static IP.
The hub will boot with a private ip or you can use internet connection sharing from a PC or Mac, via cross over cable and directly access it.
A DHCP reservation for most is enough to solve most of the issues out there and is good practice.
Once the device is setup, it doesn't need an active local network connection, unless you obviously want to use any of the local network integrations, etc.
On top of it all, setting the wrong static IP would not be recoverable in the current state of the hub, so adding this isn't a simple thing. There would need to be a physical reset which would need to wipe all things from the hub and you would have to start over. This is just a user land mind waiting to happen.
To me, setting IP reservations in the router provides the best solution. There are devices in my house that I want to have a fixed IP address including the printer, the main computer I use, my IPcameras, and the Hubitat C4 and C5. I had to reset the C4 Hubitat, but since the router had the DHCP reservation, the Hubitat kept the same IP address. This really simplifies things for me. The IP cameras would be a real pain if they were to change IP addresses each time they rebooted. The same applies to each device for which I have either given it a fixed IP address manually in the device or used the router's DHCP reservations to do so.
Phones, tablets, etc. do not need a fixed IP address. DHCP is better for those, but if I want to print something from my phone, having the printer at a consistent IP address helps.
"On top of it all, setting the wrong static IP would not be recoverable in the current state of the hub, so adding this isn't a simple thing. There would need to be a physical reset which would need to wipe all things from the hub and you would have to start over. This is just a user land mind waiting to happen."
This is the best explanation to understand why staff do not want static IP on HE but let be straight: Is my option as user, and you are denying me this!
Patrick, for me this issue is getting a nightmare...
I got long blackouts here every 4 or 5 days and it makes me to unplug the power cable from HE in order to be able to access to HE dashboards or configuration.
There are plenty of ways to advise the user about the problem of use static IP but again...it should be my decision. If he has to reset finally then we have backups (or what are they for?)
Another way is to make HE try to get DHCP again after some time if its IP wasn't assign by dhcp previously... no idea if this can be done but I guess is not a problem to make a cycle until it gets dhcp.
Right now I'm getting DHCP from a server with Kerio Control (in case you dont know it it has DHCP, router, firewall, etc...), but it is a PC at takes more time than HE to start so.... HE is always lost at the starting point.
A big problem with an easy solution from you.
@aguileramekin You might try looking into Startup Delayer. It allows you to configure how long before something is allowed to startup. You can have a delay on the HE hub's IP address and pick a time longer than the modem startup.
Hi razorwing
"You can have a delay on the HE hub's IP address and pick a time longer than the modem startup."
I downloaded but I don't see how to delay HE. As my understanding this delay the processes in the PC it is installed.
Any clue?
That app appears to delay applications on the Windows computer it is installed on during the power up process rather than being able to delay another device which would realistically require a delayed outlet.
Whatever computer is connected to the modem can be timed to see how long it takes for the computer to boot and the modem to connect to the internet. Startup Delayer could then be delayed slightly longer and using the IP address and the command I have seen to reboot the hub from a URL could be executed to reset the hub to all the correct data. So basically the hub would be rebooted after the modem is up and running.
If I remember correctly startup delayer can do this unless they have changed it. I am going to go and look at it again to see.
EDIT: Well it looks like it will only do exe, bat and com files. So I guess unless you can do something with any of those extensions it looks as if startup delayer won't work. Sorry about that. I used it to delay HS so the conbee program I had could load first.
@bravenel Do you know how to write a bat file that would execute the URL to reboot a hub? thanks
Thank you anyway for the effort my friend.... I still thinking the best solution is to give HE the feature of Stitc IP like any other network device.
Download the Hubitat app
