Hi.
No rush on this -just an interesting problem to solve.
After bragging about how cool HE is and the options for automation and control that it gives, my brother wants to implement in a home business he has. The property includes a main house ( easy enough to configure with a hub and devices) as well as a detached garage about 500 feet from the house and 3 rental cottages about 2000 feet from the house. While not installed yet - it is easy enough to run a CAT5 to the garage. There is no dedicated cable to the cottages from the main house but each cottage has internet through a point to point transmitter - receiver ( from the main house) that he had installed, It works well and in addition to internet - he has a camera system installed that goes across that point to point system.
I've already started to find devices on ebay for him ( looking for Iris devices that i know works with HE) for the main house and plan is to go connect it all in the fall for him....but i was wondering what is the best way to get coverages on the cottages and garage ( door sensors), locks, motion sensors...etc. Clearly too far for any hope of zwave, zigbee or even wifi from the main HE base at the main house.
Ideally this would be best if managed on a single log in for HE.
Is there a way to link multiple hubs to cover this distance and not have to have multiple stand alone hubs and separate log ins?
Not planning on solving overnight....but it does seem to be an interesting set up question.
I don't think you're going to get away without having multiple hubs. But you can have the same login for all of them. You can also use HubConnect to control them all from the main hub. The nice part about having multiple hubs is that if you give renters access in the cottages, they won't have access to the other two properties, just their own.
I have 3 hubs each of them in a different place. I use the Iogear wifi to ethernet device to transmit and receive from each hub. Once each hub has an Iogear connected to it you can access all of them through a browser using their respective IP addresses.
Here is the Iogear. You can easily connect the Iogear to your router using a simple WPS connection from the Iogear to the router. Works great.
Razorwing, that sounds interesting although I'm having trouble wrapping my head around that solution. I'm about to have two hubs and two locations. I'm not a super geek but have some basic knowledge. I've migrated about a dozen items from Wink to hubitat but now I need to setup hubitat in a vacation property.
Ken
This device simply connects to your router via WPS. You put the router in WPS mode so that it is searching, usually a button on the front of the router, and then there is a button on the Iogear adapter that you press and it connects. As far as the HE hub you connect the ethernet cable from the connector on the Iogear adapter to the connector on the hub. In the router you have to look in the DHCP Reservation list and look for the IP address of the hub that matches the mac address of the hub. Open a browser and type in that IP address and you are connected and can control your hub.
I have 4 of these on 4 different hubs and I see no lag time at all and never had any problems with the Iogear.
Can someone give me ve me a basic understanding of why I need any additional hardware in order to run two hubitat hubs in two locations. I don't understand why I even need additional stuff. Break it down for a dummy like me. I'm ready to set up the second hub now but needed clarification on why I need something extra. What happens if I just set it up as normal? Is the problem that once I get back to main home I won't be able to access the new(2nd) hub?
You might not... but I think you've answered your own question...
You'll have no trouble 'remote controlling' the home via Dashboards. But if you missed a device and need to select it in the Dashboard app then you'll need Admin access. Admin access to add/change/delete Rules, change a Driver for a device, etc. are Local, as you know. To get Admin access, trivially, you need an always on 'computer'. Might be the Wireless Router your Internet provides, could be you swap theirs with another. Could be a Raspbery Pi, stacked next to a Hubitat. Maybe you have a computer acting as a Media Center there, always running.
There are so many ways to get VPN access into that home, you just have to pick ONE that meets your needs.
does this solution work if the two hubs are in two different cities?? Can I access the hub with the Iogear connection even though I'm in a different city? Sorry if I'm a little slow.
As the others have said you would have to have a router and computer at each location. 1) The hub can be connected directly through a short ethernet cable if you want them in the same room. 2) If the hub needs to be in a place where an ethernet cable or connection is not available then the Iogear fixes that problem. You place the hub anywhere there is power in the center of the house and connect the Iogear by WPS to the router in another room.
3) Accessing the hub would be done through a VPN software. I use Teamviewer myself. There are several VPN's to choose from. Keep in mind that the Router in another house must be connected to some sort of computer or laptop which also contains a copy of the same VPN software. You would then be able to access the router through the VPN and internet to the computer.
I know. WHAT!!
Your Home:
Computer/VPN ----- Router ----- Internet
Other House:
Internet ----- Router ------ VPN/Computer ----- Browser ----- Hub IP Address ----- view and control hub
