How to add second hub?

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1

I've been reading posts about having a second hub. I need one for the other building in my property.

It seems I should use Hub Mesh, but the docs are sorely lacking in basic getting started steps. I had to stumble upon Hub Mesh in the Settings on my current hub, for example.

But I can't find my new hub on the network. I plugged it in, and the LED was blue for a while, then green. But it doesn't show up in my UniFi list of client devices anywhere, which is extremely puzzling.

On my existing hub, it says "There are no other active hubs on the local network" in the Hub Mesh settings.

How do I do the very first step: add a new hub to my network?

EDIT: Seems UniFi was showing me bad information, and actually showed the new hub as if it were my housemate's laptop!

I also managed to remember to go to the portal to find the new hub and everything seems to be set in that regard now.

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2

Okay, basic steps:

  1. Add the subsequent hub(s) the same way the first one was added: plug it in, visit portal.hubitat.com, find your new hub (and name it something useful).
  2. On all hubs, go to Settings, go to Hub Mesh, and enable Hub Mesh.
  3. Pair devices with the appropriate hub (I just went to each hub via the online account registration page, or by going directly to their IP addresses. My main hub is hubitat.local, but I don't know what the second hub’s Bonjour name is).
  4. In the secondary Hub’s Mesh settings, share the local devices with the mesh (I only share from the secondary hub).
  5. In the primary Hub’s Mesh settings, link to the remote device(s).
  6. Now those devices are available on the main hub as if they were paired locally, and can participate in rules and dashboards, etc.
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@rmann Just be aware, if your hubs are on different subnets, you will need hubconnect instead of hub mesh..

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4

The second hub will be “hubitat-2.local”.

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5

I figured it'd be something like that. Is there a way to change the Bonjour name? Does overriding the DNS client name change it?

6

Here is a simple trick... Make sure your router is using DHCP reservations for the hubs.

open the file c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts (no extension)

On any blank line

xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx hubitatname-1
xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx hubitatname-2

(replace xxx with your ip address)

This way you can ping the name and the ip will always match....

I mean it's a simple thing. Even if they are on different subnets

7

Do you have an RPi or anything else that runs Linux on your network? Simplest way is to run Avahi and configure it to assign mDNS (Bonjour) names.

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8

Perhaps I'm dumber than I thought. I have a C4 which runs fine. Some months ago an email from Hubitat convinced me that I needed a new C7. I finally got around to trying to set up that hub as a second hub to which I would eventually migrate everything to. I plug the new C7 into another lan port in another room, wait until the light turns green, then try to "find my hub" or "setup your hub" per your basic steps above. All attempts only find the existing C4 hub (see screenshot). Even if I unplug the C4 and try it, I get the same result. I've tried reserving a static IP address with my Asus router, but the C7 never appears there as a device, even when plugged in and the green light is on. I've tried manually assigning it by searching for the C7's mac address, but that doesn't work either. What am I missing here?

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Press the reset button on the bottom of the hub with a paperclip. Download advanced port scanner and scan your entire network. You should find it. Also have you gone to find.hubitat.com ?

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Yes, I went to find.hubitat.com. Same result as find my hub. Reset which hub with the paperclip - the old C4 or the C7? And, if I reset the C4, won't it wipe out all my apps, devices, etc.? I've downloaded APS and will hook up the C7 again and try to scan for it. Thanks.

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C7, and no it doesn't wipe out anything. It resets your network settings so that it can pull an address from DHCP

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FWIW, the C4 has no reset button. Only C5 and above.

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OK, thanks, I'll give it a try.

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Never found the reset button on the bottom of the hub. But, eventually, I DID find that one end of the patch cord in my Leviton network panel which ran from the switch to the patch panel port was UNPLUGGED, rendering that ethernet port where the new C7 useless. DUH! Sorry to trouble you all. It's now installed, registered, and ready for me to screw things up even more!

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15

Out of all the round holes, it's a square one :slight_smile: Glad everything is working. Make sure you update the platform then update the z-wave radio (settings>>z-wave details and button will be in top row)

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16

Way too logical. Why not "hubitat-a different one.local" - that would make things way more intesting. :slight_smile:

@rmann - just one tiny reminder - develop a strategy for sharing devices between hubs, and for where you write automations. Reason is that if you are not consistent you can accidentally create competing automations on both hubs for the same devices, which results in funny (but not the fun version of funny) behaviors. Ask me how I know... :wink:

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_circularrun

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18

I simply named mine Hubitat C5 and Hubitat C7 so I could easily distinguish them.

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Same, mine are 1 and 2. I was so proud that I got the numbers in the right order. :wink:

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I have a C-5 and now i am about to setup a C-7, if I may ask a more basic question, should I create a new account for the C-7? Or can they be registered in the same account? My plan is to stop adding things to the C-5 and start adding new items to C-7 and I think I am going to use hub mesh. thanks in advance