So, I’m a very long time Vera user and in need of something better for a very long time.
Current Setup:
Vera Plus (Main Controller)
3 Vera Lite (Secondary/Bridged) Controllers.
70 or more Zwave devices across the network.
Devices I want to control outside ZWave devices:
Yamaha AV Receiver
Harmony Hubs (2)
Vista 20p Alarm Panel
Alexa
Google Home
Honeywell Thermostats
MyQ Garage
Accurate Notifications a MUST!!!
I like the ability to expand the Vera to create a larger network. However, the anoying delays, endless “hub is not responding” when trying to use with Alexa along with very buggy software takes all the fun out of home automation.
My question is this… would my Zwave experience improve if I made the switch to ST? Can I do multiple locations on the same network? The main controller can be large, no problem. Two of the detached building locations have hubs in a dry box so smaller remote secondary hubs would be a must.
I’ve seen plenty of discussions on this topic but they all appear to be older posts. With the latest hub out, hoping for some better, updated, information.
The only thing that has changed in this regard is that with the newest version of the hub, the V3, it is now technically possible to have two hubs in the same location, but they don’t work the way that vera hubs do, each hub owns its own devices and they don’t get shared. It’s just easier to use the app because you don’t have to keep switching from one location to another. And on top of that, there are some technical problems that can arise, so they actually recommend that you don’t do this:
Note: It is not recommended to add a SmartThings Hub to a Location with an existing Hub.
(The Wi-Fi mesh version of the hub does have “sub hubs” but they don’t work the way a vera multi hub setup does. You can reach from the primary to a sub hub with Wi-Fi, but that does not extend your Z wave or Zigbee networks. Also, all of the hubs are exactly the same physical size, it’s just that one gets assigned to be the WiFi primary.)
There’s a how to article in the community – created wiki on automating an outbuilding which discusses the various possibilities:
So you may be able to end up with the automations that you want in each individual outbuilding, but it won’t necessarily be easy and the path will not be the same as what you had with vera.
Thanks for all the input. Looks like I’m still barking up the wrong tree for my needs. Amazing to me, after all these years, home automation is still in such disarray and lacking robust features and reliability. The market is there like never before. Thanks again and best regards.