How can I Migrate from C4 to C8?
Manually.
Take a backup of the C-4 to your PC. Feel free to power off the C-4 if you're migrating everything. Restore it to the new hub.. it gets tricky because everything is named the same. Go through the new hub's devices and for ZWave, add a letter to the DNI (edit).
Then individually, from the hub outward, powered devices first, Exclude the device, you will see a message "Unknown device excluded" THEN Include it. You'll name it something similar to before. I added X to the end.. it's a visual thing. Look in the old device, for the list of Used By and go swap each out for the new. Then delete the old device.
Rinse and Repeat.
For Zigbee, you'll have to get each into Pairing mode and put the hub into Add... it will drop right back to where it was before.
This is an overview, not a recipe 
The BIGGEST hurdle is finding the "clicky sequence" to get devices into Include. Triple click this, once up twice down, press and hold while.. Every manufacturer has their own unique take on the "dance".
I have this EXACT same process to step through when my C-8 arrives. I have a C-5 that is using an external ZWave stick, so it's not a qualified-to-migrate C-5. It is ZWave only though.
6 Likes
I'm wondering though if you could migrate at least the zigbee since that's onboard.
1 Like
C-3/C-4 had external zigbee/z-wave radios. The C-5 was the first hub with any internal radio.
4 Likes
I have a hub with hardware version C-4. What is the upgrade process if I order the C-8 hardware?
read the message 3 above yours
3 Likes
Two alternatives to this step to consider:
- Use the swap tool to move all references from the old device to the new one
- Copy the DNI out of the newly paired instance into the old one, then delete the newly paired one; the old instance "becomes" the same device that it was previously.
2 Likes
Thanks. At some point I'll be moving from a C-4 to a C-8. (Currently only Z-Wave devices - no Zigbee.) I'll be keeping an eye on this thread for more examples, steps, and "best practices".
There's a lot of C-4/C-5 to C-7 manual move advice around this community from when the C-7 was the hot new thing.
Take a backup of the C-5 and shut down the C-5 to prevent overlap of LAN collisions.
Restore the backup to the C-8 and get LAN things working. Then go through the ZWave devices' info pages and alter the DNI (ad an x or an _ to prevent overlapping/duplicate ZWave addressing.)
Then working from the hub outward, powered devices first, Exclude (using the C-8) and don't proceed til you get an "Unknown device excluded" message. Then Include it, giving it a name similar but not identical to it's old name. Then using Swap Devices (or manually) replace the old by the new and adjust names.
This is an overview, not a recipe.
1 Like
Just received my C8, now to move 84 devices. Must I power down the C4 to exclude and move the devices? The C4 is running many lights off of motion sensors and some lights/ceiling fans have no old-style manual control. Could I exclude the devices from the C4 and the C8, then re-include on the C8 (then do the rename/swap- backup already restored on C8)?
A general overview of a manual migration is to backup the old hub, save locally and power off the hub. On the C-8, restore the file just created. When it boots, take a look at the Apps and disable those Apps that will collide with the exact same app on the old hub. Then you can power up the old hub and it will work the same as it did, the new hub is not competing with it.
I think it's easy to do Zigbee using the technique of Removing the Zigbee device from the old, which puts most Zigbee devices into pairing immediately.. then quickly running Zigbee include on the C-8. The device will drop right into place. Any that don't magically go into pairing, use the "Pairing Dance" per the manufacturer and again, it will pair and drop back into place.
ZWave is more steps but does not involve the old hub at all. Prep the C-8 by visiting each ZWave device info page and a) alter the name slightly... I add "old" to the end. b) alter the DNI slightly...I add "x" to the end. The purpose of this is to prevent collision on the DNI. In my case, I have 30 ZWave devices to migrate, so I look at Settings: Z-Wave Details and for each device in which the Node column value is less than 31 (decimal) I alter the DNI. In my case there were only 4 device that had a DNI less than 30, so the DNI alteration isn't a big deal.
Identify the ZWave device you want to migrate. On the C-8 alone, start a ZWave Exclude. Start the device "Join Dance" and verify that "unknown device is excluded" appears. This is an important step. It 1) confirms you're doing the "dance" correctly and 2) confirms the device is in range of the C-8. Repeat until you see the exclude message. Immediately click the ZWave Include button and repeat the "Dance" and the new device should join quickly. I advise you to select NoSecurity if offered. Give the device it's original name.
Go to Settings: Swap Apps Device and select the old device on the left, new device on the right, click "Swap old device in all apps" button. Go to the device info page for the OLD device verify there are no Used By and remove it.
Repeat til done.
2 Likes
Is there no possibility to do a migration from C-4 by using a cloud backup, or to at least use the new "Migrate Zigbee Radio" option on the C-8?
I thought it was possibly because the Migration docs at How to Migrate to a New Hub | Hubitat Documentation states "Many of the steps below applies to all models, but this document is written with C-5 or C-7 to C-8 migration in mind specifically."
I thought at least the "Migrate Zigbee Radio" option would be possible, as that section doesn't say anything about it only working with C-5 or higher hubs.
I don't see how.. the data inside the Z-radios is not accessible. Nortek's (the grey/white USB stick) locks that down.
I'm 2 devices away from completing the manual migration of 2 C-5's to 2 C-8's. So I understand with great clarity the lack of a migration tool is painful.
2 Likes
Thanks, that's a pain. Hubitat should really update the migration docs then, because that isn't clear.
1 Like
I agree with you. and they need to pay more attention to posts here in this community and learn with these guys here.
Can you guys get Nortek to update the firmware in their dongles to unlock the dongle to allow access to the device info in order to make migration possible?
Likely not. It's more than that it's the way it's layed out on the stick as well. Essentially anyone with a C4 or a stick with the C5 (overseas z-wave) will have to re pair all their z-wave devices. There isn't any way around it.
This topic was automatically closed 365 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.
