Why is there only one SmartApp that can run locally? For that matter, why can’t everything run locally?
I fail to see the logic behind the requirement for everything to be processed in the cloud. If it’s a hardware limitation, then why not offer some controller software that can be installed on a local PC?
Because SmartThings was architected as a cloud-centric system (for many reasons, including, quite likely, the desire to keep costs low for initial launch). Remember – this was a very small Kickstarter crowed-funded product and company.
As per various announcements over the past 1.25 years, the attempt to squeeze a hybrid-architecture onto the existing platform ran into more problems than expected; that’s why we’ve ended up with Hub V2 with “limited” abilities.
SmartThings is most certainly reworking their platform (both cloud and hub) to better facilitate local processing. But you can find a few dozen threads where it’s pretty clear that the cloud will always play a major role regardless and the reasons for and against are discussed at length.
The current recommendation: Patience. The product will improve.
I would buy a v3 if it comes with full local processing support but i think i might just fall into another marketing scam… My v2 hub is basically gathering dust now.
Hi Xtropy,
Do you happen to know if there is any working handler for Netvox ZigBee devices?
I have just purchased a UK Hub v2 and tried to pair some zigbee devices that I have from netvox and it does not work… any help would be welcome…
Created a new topic for you, in order to avoid hijacking this one, which is about devices that run locally.
All… thanks for all info on here related to local devices. As someone who has programmed their home with many smart automations and now has no Internet acces due to a recent windstorm, I was initially shocked to find out that all of my motion activated automations no longer worked even thought the V2 Hub had power. To clarify for all of us who just don’t have time to dig into this… I recently migrated my motion centers from smartthings to Aeon due to the “reset” problem where the zigbee motion sensors appear to stop working until you reset the motion sensor, So it looks like I fixed the reset problem but now apparently have the “won’t work locally” problem because the driver is not one that is listed in the first entry to this thread. So, to clarify:
1. If I go into the IDE and edit my sensor type from "Aeon Multisensor 6" to "Smartsense Motion Sensor" or "Smartsense Motion" than my motion triggered routines in the smartlighting app should work fine ? I know I'll be missing some of the more sophisticated sensor capabilities in the Aeon Multisensor, but I really don't use those anyway.
2. Is there a mechanism to select certain drivers and download them to the hub manually so your devices can operate locally ? Maybe even replace one of the current local drivers with code from the Aeon Multisensor 6 code ?
Thanks.
You have to make sure that the DTH is for a device using the same protocol (zigbee, Z wave, Wi-Fi, etc.) as the device that you are assigning to it. Otherwise it won’t work at all.
All of the SmartThings branded sensors are zigbee, and the aeotec are zwave, so unfortunately that won’t work. You need to find a local Z wave sensor DTH instead.
That said, as the first post in this thread says, most of the Aeotec Devices do have local DTHs. (Aeon Labs is the company, Aeotec is the model line)
Aeon Home Energy Meter
Aeon Home Energy Meter + C3
Aeon Illuminator Module
Aeon Key Fob
Aeon Minimote
Aeon Multisensor
Aeon Multisensor Gen5
Aeon Outlet
Aeon Siren
As far as what runs locally, only DTHs that the company has decided to distribute with the firmware that is given to all customers. At the present time there is no way to load your own code in to run locally or to use any custom code or for that matter any DTHs that the company did not select for universal distribution. They’ve said they’d like to change that at some point, but no timeline.
Since this thread is just an FAQ to list the various device types that do run locally, please take any further follow on discussion about how local processing works or what future features we might like to see to the following thread instead.
Due to railroad construction work my fibre connection has been working intermittently at best over the last couple of months.
All usual signs of non responding hub, but one interesting find: IKEAs Trådfri LED lights are working locally using the standard dimmeable zigbee DH.
EDIT: Correct. (pre-edit information I gave is incorrect)
None of my custom DTH run local.
I would guess it’s probably the SmartApp not the the DTH. I recommend that you exclusively use Lighting Automation smartapp for those motion automation. Lighting Automation SmartApp runs locally.
That just ain’t true; unless there has been a major change in the SmartThings Platform architecture that wasn’t announced!
That’s because there is no mechanism in the Platform at this time to post a custom DTH to the Hub.
Every DTH has to be manually reviewed by SmartThings and incorporated into their firmware in order to execute on the Hub.
That is what I thought, but not what people are saying above.
Haha! nothing changed, just looked. I have to take all of this back. Sorry for the trouble guys. I had devices there I was certain having custom DTH but they are all stock DTH. Now I have to edit few posts so not to mislead others. Sorry
By the way I just realized the source of my confusion. The locallist in my case has 6 pages (at the navigation crumb) so I easily concluded virtually all my devices are there. It’s a bug, and in reality all 6 pages are showing the same devices.
Man, I was thinking about this today, and I knew that a lot of stuff was going to be cloud based (and I get why…), but good grief… I’ve got something like 75-80 ‘active’ devices of which 2 have local handlers… The apps? Keep in mind I’m using WebCore for most things nowadays, but without counting, I’d say I have easily the same number or more in apps… none of which are local…
What would be spiffy is if one could “download” smartthings’ platform/ide - or more to the point, install their cloud, locally. Would be easy enough to re-direct the hub’s traffic elsewhere… I don’t really have a whole lot of gripes about the phone app, but seriously, I’d dedicate a stack of raspberry pi’s or something to my own cloud just to have everything local. How bout it ST? Can we get a copy? 
On a semi-semi-more realistic note, I’d settle for local device handlers and a local mqtt gateway… or just the local mqtt gateway, I don’t really need custom handlers… (with one or two exceptions), but shoot, if you could offload all that jazz, all the hub has to do is tell stuff to do things, no logic involved (on the hub). <<>sigh>
All true, but then it wouldn’t be SmartThings. If you want all local operation, there are a number of other platforms to consider as alternatives. And if you’re getting to the level of considering raspberry pi or something like that just look at some of the freeware options. They’re out there. But you don’t buy them in a box at Best Buy.
Yeah, I’ve actually gone through several hubs and alternatives - started with Wink, which I rooted and had some fun with that, but was constantly having problems with wifi. I even considered figuring out a uart <-> ethernet bridge, but was one of those things - who’s going to be able to help with that? Who’s going to want to… I don’t even want to! lol I actually have several raspberry pi’s running, openhabian, hassbian, and pidome and I occasionally play around with them, see if anything interesting has changed - even got myself a zigbee ‘dev kit’ from Texas Instruments, which I finally was able to get working on open hab… sort of… still very messy… have to flash some firmware using their “CC Debugger”, and the software will run on whatever, but the drivers only work in win 7 (maybe 8, def not 10) and there’s almost no documentation unless you want the low level stuff that Ti obviously intended it to be for… also doesn’t have a case around it…
I got my hands on a Vera hub recently - whatever the one below the “secure” one is - and wanted so badly to love it cause it supported everything I wanted… then I saw the UI… I nearly threw up it was so bad. Hooooly cow… my ‘hello world’ program for the C class I took ages ago looked better. And it only did 1 thing! I was/am so disappointed by that one. there’s people that swear by it, but they must have a high level of patience and tolerance (and love for bad color schemes…)
Considered the Wink 2, but its just not… I dunno… sophisticated? Its a little too easy… to the point when you’re trying to make “rules” for things that you’re looking for the ‘advanced’ button… And with WebCore? At this point, local control is my only real gripe. Well, a wall mount would be nice… I settled for sticking screws through the bottom, but still. 
Ah well… Maybe V3 will have enough horse power to actually allow for some of what I (we?) want… A guy can dream!
You’re missing the point: Samsung SmartThings isn’t in business to sell Hubs.
They exist to capture and monetize that “traffic” you hope to “direct elsewhere”.