I've checked the community an it seems people do use VPN's with Hubitat, For the first time since installing Hubitat, I turned on the VPN and Hubitat hub was unresponsive, I'm guessing do to different IP address. I turn off the VPN and Hubitat SEEMED to function correctly that was until I issued verbal commands to Alexa with no results. I thought it was just one light unresponsive, but it ended up everything. I then reboot Hubitat and everything started logging and all works fine now. Is there a way to use a VPN ( I use Surfeasy) without knocking out the hub? Thanks!
You are using Surfeasy to access your hub at home?
Surfeasy is a VPN service which means the server is somewhere else.
Most people on this forum setup a VPN server at home to get access to Hubitat when away so we don't have to open Hubitat port to the internet.
Surfeasy is an IP obfuscation VPN not a site VPN server which is what you would need to access your Hubitat hub remotely. Your router would be the place to look to see if it supports hosting a VPN server (Asus makes this fairly easy on their routers) which can be connected to from the OpenVPN app available on iOS or Android.
You guys can run rings around this OLD timer hahaha, but I still keep plugging at it and thank this great community for all its help.
I just use Surfeasy when I'm online "Supposedly" to protect me, not to run Hubitat. I did notice, however, after I went online, turn on Surfeasy , and tried to connect to the Hubitat interface using my original Hubitat IP address that 1) I couldn't connect (naturally because the IP address changed) and 2) it seemed after that, Hubitat lost connection with my devices. So my question is, IF I go online just to surf and DON"T try to connect to the Hubitat interface, will Surfeasy VPN still cause an issue with Hubitat.
Thanks again!
Is Surfeasy a VPN client running on your router? Or just on your computer that you're browsing the internet with?
If the former, it could mess up Hubitat depending on how Surfeasy is configured and behaves.
If the latter, then only your computer running the Surfeasy client would be impacted.
I have never used Surfeasy, so not idea how it is designed.
Its not a VPN client on my TP-Link router.Its just on my computer that I can turn off and on from its Chrome extension. Once I switch it on, all traffic is routed through Surfeasy and , If I want, can change my location to anywhere in the States or around the world. I too thought that since its just running on my computer and not my router it would have no affect on Hubitat. Maybe it was a coincidence, Hubitat has been rock solid and right after I turned on Surfeasy and tried to access Hubitat on my browser, my devices stopped talking to the hub and a reboot fixed everything
Usually, these types of VPN services establish a "tunnel" to their server somewhere in the internet. All traffic that is being generated from your computer will be directed to these servers. What this means is that while you are on the VPN, you will not be able to access anything on your local network, including Hubitat. This is by design that way.
Dan, does that mean even though I don't try to access hubitat that this vpn will block the hubitat hub from communicating and cause issues with the hub and my devices.
No, that should have no impact on hubitat talking to any of the devices.
