Cellular backup?

Devices & Integrations
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Two questions unrelated but I don’t want to clog the forum with multiple posts that could likely be answered easy.

  1. Is there any official or third party cellular dialer/network backup I can plug directly in the smarththings hub or otherwise to keep a connection on it as I use it for my alarm system and all someone would need to do it cut my cable connection which would kill my internet to my router which is is currently connected on? I have battery backup UPS system it is plugged into and I think it has batteries of its own but what about internet backup for it.

  2. Also less important but last night I got an update on my Samsung Galaxy S8 phone that said “SMARTTHINGS” but it was to control my TV and other devices. Its seems like it is integrated to Bixby as it has cards like Bixby but not for sure. All I know is I had it open and the official Smartthings app open on my phone at the same time so pretty sure they are different.

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You can’t do this with your ST hub, but there are WiFi routers that support dual WANs that can switch from your regular ISP’s modem plugged into the router’s WAN Ethernet port to a USB cellular modem when it detects that your primary internet connection is down.

Edit: actually I’m assuming you don’t have the newer ST/ADT hub, which does have a cellular backup connection built-in. That connection can only work for ADT alarm alerts, the ST side of the device is totally dependent on your router for internet connectivity like the other versions of the ST hub.

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The forums become a very useful archives for information, so we actually prefer that you put multiple questions into separate posts.

For example, your question about the app really belongs in the mobile section of the forum, but I can’t put it there because you included the question about the backup.

So in the future, please limit posts to one topic and that way they become part of the archives and help other people in the future. Thanks!

As far as cellular backup, The original smartthings hub is not really suited for primary security because of the continuity issues. That’s why they added the ADT model line. ( it’s not just the issue on the homeowner side requiring Internet – – if the smartthings cloud itself goes out, which does happen multiple times a year, then your security system wouldn’t work either. You can’t even arm or disarm it in that circumstance. Again, the ADT model line works very differently.)

There are a number of different options that people use with the original hub. You can see most of them by looking at the quick browse lists in the community – created wiki and look on the project reports list for “power.” :sunglasses:

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Quick_Browse_the_Community-Created_SmartApps_Forum_Section

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Have you found a cellular backup solution as yet? If not, then I may have something to offer, I am part of a smart home startup based on SmartThings platform and we are testing cellular back up for SmartThings and different smart home hubs. If you are interested, then please PM me and we can discuss more.

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I had an idea. Is there a SINGLE solution for:

  1. If someone cut the cable outside my house that would disable the internet connection and not send me any notifications or stream my cameras. Is there cellular backup that will SEAMLESSLY* pick up the internet connection if my cable internet was cut(I would want it to have an Ethernet jack so I could plug in my wifi router and computer)?

  2. If someone cuts the power to my house will I get a notification via Smartthings hub that it is running off auxiliary backup? I already have my smarrthings hub connected to an UPS battery backup but that is useless in sending notifications that power went out as the hub does not know power really went out because it is running of the UPS battery backup.

If there was a single unit that would do all this (monitor power source and status AND seamlessly switch to cellular backup for my router) that would be AMAZING!!! Or even if I have to buy several products and do some custom modding that would be fine too.

Does anyone know solutions?

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I looked multiple ideas, I ended doing my own:

I have all my internet devices with UPS battery backups, this includes my security cameras, Smartthings, cable modem, wifi router. Probably I will get a Tesla power wall in the future lol, I have about 10 UPS battery backups.

For the power loss notification, I have the Aeotec energy meter, I setup a piston in webcore to monitor the voltage in my home, if it is less than 90v the battery backups will be using battery so webcore will send me a custom notification to my cell phone. This will be corrected in the future, I have plans to get a automated power generator with its transfer switch. I have a generator but I must connect it. Not the best if someone cuts your power too, but I will have time to see over my cameras before everything dies.

For the cellular backup, the correct term is failover, you want 2 internet providers, in my case I have cable, and the cable is hanging from the pole so it’s very easy to cut it and leave the whole house without security, so I got a multi wan switch, it came with load balancing and failover, you choose, so I used the failover, fortunately my employer pays me a wifi hotspot that I never use, 5GB of free internet, anyway I work at home and I use my cable internet, so I got one of those tiny vonets wifi bridges(I will replace it later with a router with sim card) and configured it to my hotspot, configured the switch so the main internet is cable and failover to the hotspot. It works fantastic, I can control everything. I will receive every notification. It will not consume the 5GB of the hotspot because it will only switch to the hotspot if the cable internet fails. Also the switch has multiple LAN ports, so you can configure it just to get Smartthings and your security cameras DVR/HVR on the failover internet, and everything else with be without internet, I mean, if you just have a prepaid 1GB hotspot, still will work, and the data usage will be less.

Hope this helps, please leave your comments. I’m interested in your opinion.

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Very great info thank you! I was thinking about that in general I forgot about a physical router with a SIM card which would be a wonderful idea!

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Routers that ship with dual WAN capabilities tend to be expensive business class routers, usually with no Wi-Fi AP built in, which means adding a third party wireless AP. Routers with built in cellular capabilities, the same, but with a wireless AP built in.

There are two very cost effective methods using consumer grade options:

  1. A PF-Sense router with a good 3rd party wireless router set to AP only mode, with an unlocked USB cellular device and a prepaid SIM. Altogether around $300 for a great setup for any home or small office.

  2. Any 3rd party router that supports DD-WRT, a little time on the DD-WRT wiki page using their walkthrough to add in the scripts, and the same unlocked cellular device and SIM. Around $200 total.

You could also substitute any spare cell phone that supports tethering, rather than a new USB dongle.

Using a prepaid SIM would keep the costs low and eliminate the monthly data plans for data you aren’t likely to use much.

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Hey Ashutosh,

I am looking for a solution as well. How can we discuss about your solution to do this?

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Please PM me and we can discuss the details.

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can you send me some info on your system?

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Will send you a PM shortly .

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Hi Ash:

I am also interested in hearing about your solution.

MS

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You can get muilti WAN routers like @Ninjamonkey1982 stated. As a matter of fact, I saw this today Globalscale Technologies, Inc. V7 64 Bit Single Board Computer Network Switch, ESPRESSOBIN+ board with $79.00 & free Shipping. (This is an affiliate link) Install open-wrt, and get a USB 4G modem for failover, blacklist all but, whitelist smartthings for 4G and, ta’da.

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Hello i will like to get detais on the system

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Has anyone found a stable solution yet?