No need to get rid of ALL the hubs?

[TuffDadSF]

Hello,

Just got my Hubitat for Christmas and am making the switch from Wink 2.

I have tons of questions but the first one would be: I'm obviously getting rid of the Wink as soon as I get everything ported over but I would still use my other hubs like Hue, Logitech, and the like, yes?

I also have some cloud based devices that use apps like Nest, Ring, Smart Life, and My Leviton. Would I just get Hubitat to link to those and they'd work? I am also deep in Amazon Echo for all voice controls.

It looks like there wouldn't be a 100% cloud free solution for me (which is OK) but I am wondering if that is a given - as in most users will have a mix?

Thanks and I'll be asking more as I dig in more.

[ameno_r]

Keep them, Even if they are used as repeaters,

Wink Hub 2 as zwave repeater/secondary controller

I've checked the forums here and online and I want to leave some information here for people in my very specific situation. I just moved from Wink to Hubitat. However, I quickly found that the Z-wave radio on the Hubitat is far inferior to that of the Wink Hub 2. One solution would be to simply get a micro-usb OTG cable and get a Z-wave stick and call it a day. Instead, I thought, why not make use of the superior Z-wave radios on the hub that I already have? Luckily, there is a way to do ju…

[Ryan780]

@ameno_r

Keep them, Even if they are used as repeaters,

For clarification, the hubs you mention, Hue and Logitech, will not be able to act as repeaters for the Hub. Hue creates it's own zigbee network and Logitech doesn't have a zigbee or z-wave radio.

Personally, I would not join the Wink to the Hubitat z-wave network just to act as a secondary repeater. It introduces a level of complexity and possible issues that is more expensive than any benefit a single repeater can provide.

[billmeek]

One thing that Hubitat doesn't do is provide a method to update other devices. I moved from SmartThings and kept the hub (in a storage closet) just in case I ever need to update one of my old devices.

[Ryan780]

I don't know if Wink does the same though.

[aaiyar]

@Ryan780

if Wink does the same though.

It does for selected zigbee devices. In a manner that the end user cannot control.

[marktheknife]

@TuffDadSF

I would still use my other hubs like Hue, Logitech, and the like, yes?

Most people use their Hue bridge to maintain its own network of bulbs and connect to hubitat via the LAN-based integration that’s built into the hub. But it’s also possible to pair hue bulbs directly to hubitat (with some notable caveats).

By Logitech you probably mean the Harmony hub? Since that allows for IR control of home entertainment and other devices, you’d probably want to keep that. There is a community-developed driver that provides limited integration with Harmony.

@TuffDadSF

I also have some cloud based devices that use apps like Nest, Ring, Smart Life, and My Leviton.

You’d need to check whether there is a community-developed solution to integrate with each specific cloud service.

@TuffDadSF

It looks like there wouldn't be a 100% cloud free solution for me (which is OK) but I am wondering if that is a given - as in most users will have a mix?

It all depends how you want to use hubitat, but I think most people make use of the cloud in some way. Hubitat dashboards can be accessed through the cloud (but don’t have to be) and any geolocation solution for presence-based automations will require an active internet connection.

[TuffDadSF]

Thanks for the great reply! And yes, I meant Harmony hub.

I'll start looking for those community made drivers.

[SmartHomePrimer]

There was a recent thread around the subject of multiple hub and bridges. I didn’t list mine, but my numbers are up there with the rest of them.

Home automation today is just this mixed bag that you get more out of if you’re not bent on trying to run it all from a single box in my opinion.

I like the flexibility and options I get from multiple hubs, bridges, and open source applications running on a computer that contribute to the strength of the overall setup. It’s taken a lot of research, conversations, and just plain trial and error to get it all stable and resilient. I owe much of my success to this community and the SmartThings community. But there’s no question in my mind that I never would have so easily reached the level my systems operate at together without the Hubitat Elevation running the show. That I can say with absolute confidence. @bravenel ‘s Rule Machine and Hubitat have made this hobby of mine so much more fun and satisfying than it was before. I’m always looking forward to a new project, because now I can be much more certain of succeeding.

[woodsy]

Here Here !
I second that opinion.
HE's strength is the ability to adapt.
(and bend to our will)
(often thru the HE community collective knowledge)
ummm, nuff said.

@SmartHomePrimer

I like the flexibility and options I get from multiple hubs, bridges, and open source applications running on a computer that contribute to the strength of the overall setup. It’s taken a lot of research, conversations, and just plain trial and error to get it all stable and resilient. I owe much of my success to this community and the SmartThings community. But there’s no question in my mind that I never would have so easily reached the level my systems operate at together without the Hubitat Elevation running the show. That I can say with absolute confidence. @bravenel ‘s Rule Machine and Hubitat have made this hobby of mine so much more fun and satisfying than it was before. I’m always looking forward to a new project, because now I can be much more certain of succeeding.