The case for merging multiple hubs

Within the last few days I have setup and configured 2 HE hubs. I need 2 due to range/distance issues. I know there is an app that will basically make them appear to me as a single system (at least that is my understanding) but, as of right now, I don't have a pressing need to do that. Give me some reasons I should connect them please.

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I wouldn't call the process "merging" of hubs, but rather the "linking" of hubs together. Using something like HubConnect will allow devices from a satellite hub to be mirrored as virtual devices on the main hub. This will allow you to create Dashboards and Automations that are a mix of the devices from both hubs, essentially making them appear a a single hub. Without doing this, there is no way an automation can use a 'contact sensor' from the satellite hub to trigger an 'alarm siren' on the main hub, for example.

I personally have two productions hubs, and one development hub. None of these are linked together. I have chosen to keep my auxiliary production hub running automations that are independent of my main hub. This is purely by choice and design. I just haven't had the need to connect the two together. Both hubs are able to send me notifications as they both have the same Pushover Devices defined, using the exact same Pushover API Keys. My main hub handles all Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Lutron Caseta devices. My auxiliary hub handles more custom code that utilize LAN devices. I expect one day to either try to consolidate everything back to one production hub if possible, or to tie them together using HubConnect. But for now, they are happily humming along independently of one another.

@ogiewon is correct, again :smiley:

There's no requirement to have multiple hubs connected in any way. Your Hub and mine are 100% independent and there's no Loss as a result. I have an 'Upstairs Hub' and a 'Downstairs Hub' and I really could treat them as two homes. I could pretend they are 100 miles apart and just never try to connect them in any way. It might mean I had to purchase an additional device or two.. like the stair way.. I have 3 motion sensors and I'd probably have to buy two more to duplicate them on each hub. The problem with that is the two motion sensor MIGHT (depending on brand/features) cost more than a Hub does.

So.. the bottom line is, you have to have a problem that gets solved by connecting hubs. For me, it is in connecting integrations that make it very hard to have two accounts.. like Echo/Alexa. Or to have a dashboard that works internally and externally as if it were one.

If you can get away with having them independent, that 's great, but if being independent means piling on a lot of apps that eat resources, your z-device responsiveness is going to suffer. For me that was the ultimate factor. I want my z-devices (ZWave and/or Zigbee) to be incredibly fast. I do that by having next to nothing on those hubs. Lutron and RM are all I readily permit onto the Z-device hubs.

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