Question on running multiple hubs. C7 x 2

user359 · January 2, 2023, 2:29pm

So I have a hubitat c7 in my house running fine. I have repeaters getting Z-Wave and zigbee out to my garage and all that is well.

However, I have an instance where I need to go about 600 ft to a driveway gate and have z-wave/ zigbee down there for all momentary (inching) relay, a contact sensor and a couple tilt sensors. I've tried stringing along multiple repeaters using both protocols with no luck.

I have line power and am about to have Poe Ethernet down at this location. If I were to add a second hub down at the gate and have it connected via LAN through a couple of switches would this still work as a mesh even though the two C7s can't wirelessly connect via ZigBee/Z-Wave?

So I'd have my house/garage "network" on a C7 and my gate "network" on a separate C7 with no wireless link between the two. Just hardwired Ethernet. Would they still share devices and automations?

Could a have a switch from network 1 control an end device on network 2?

Appreciate the help. I'm about to use a Shelly 1 wifi relay running off an outdoor WAP to control the gate but there's more tinkering I'd like to do down there.

I have another thread about distances and what to try so I have plenty info on that kind of stuff there. The community helped me arrive at the Shelly via WAP solution. Don't need more suggestions to run fiber or anything else like that.

thebearmay · January 2, 2023, 2:33pm

If both locations are on the same subnet you could use HubMesh to make this work.

sburke781 · January 2, 2023, 2:34pm

Purely on the question of two hubs linked via Ethernet, that will work fine, you can share devices quite easily using Hub Mesh. It is like they are connected to the same hub

My only suggestion would be to get confirmation on the official support for using PoE.

thebearmay · January 2, 2023, 2:36pm

Run it into a POE Splitter and should be fine.

user359 · January 2, 2023, 2:38pm

I have 120v main down there so powering it is no issue.

I'm assuming the Poe Ethernet won't harm the hub.

thebearmay · January 2, 2023, 2:42pm

If it’s smart POE it shouldn’t, but a splitter would ensure that it doesn’t, and for $10-$15 why not.

anon47916022 · January 3, 2023, 5:02am

Active PoE will not harm the hub. Passive PoE will most certainly fry it.

brad5 · January 3, 2023, 9:39pm

I assume this refers to the 100m theoretical limit of an Ethernet cable and that somehow you've already solved for that?

user359 · January 3, 2023, 10:55pm

So yesterday I ran a bunch of ethernet to eventually get to a POE WAP to provide Wi-Fi for a Shelly 1 that I was told would integrate into hubitat.

I basically need a set of dry contacts down there to trigger the gate but also have it integrated into hubitat so I can have a button on my dashboards.

Today I spent a few hours setting up everything and I cannot get the Shelly 1 to integrate with HE. Via the Shelly app it works perfect. I haven't set up as a switch but with an automatic off timer for 1 second so it basically fires a dry contacts for second and then shuts them off. Just what I need to trigger the gate.

I'm pretty frustrated at this point as I can't get the Shelly 1 to fire via hubitat. If anybody has any ideas, please feel free. I'll post some screenshots of the setup. This is why I was trying to avoid this whole Wi-Fi bullshit and get Z-Wave or take me down there.

So with all that time and money I guess I have Wi-Fi everywhere. My next thing is to try to get another hub down there if I can't get this working.