Hub Dead in 10 hours and intial experience B-

Devices & Integrations
#1

Picked up a smartthings hub v2 yesterday set it up and all seemed to be working. Woke up this morning expecting the hub to have disarmed the house and started the radio in the kitchenā€¦ nothing.

Checked the app, hub offline since 1.14am, checked the hub no lights, re-powered no difference, removed batteries, no differenceā€¦ junkā€¦ yup

So I bought this thing based on reviews but now I dig around in this community it looks like the reality is not as good as the reviews. I see others have had hub failures as well.

Also unless I am completely missing something where can I group things like lights into a single control, where can I mix different automatons to say turn on the TV and dim the lights? why is the app so clunky? why cant I reorder my things?

So now I am faced with the decision, take it back and get my money back or have it replaced and try againā€¦ so I need some help from the community here based on experience is this thing worth persevering with or should I run for the hills?

#2

Iā€™d say this completely hinges on the question:

How much time are you willing to invest?

Smartthings is by far not an ideal platform. It can be super frustrating from time to time, and some things are against logic. However, i still stand with the statement that its still the best smarthome platform currently available.

The freedom to connect basically any device, and write your own smartapps makes it super versatile. However, if you have no clue how to do it, and / or do not want spend time to make it work, this is not a platform for you.

As far as your requirements go:

  1. Iā€™d recommend looking into the CoRE App for the grouping and rules that you want to have.
  2. You will get used to the app. Its not perfectly user friendly, but once you understand the logic you will be able to easily find what your searching.
  3. You can use other Smartapps to controll your devices from a browser or tablet or phone. Try our Smarttiles App.

TL:DR:
You want flexibility and like tinkering with stuff: Keep Smartthings.
You want something easy that just works?: Think of returning it

1 Like
#3

what about the fact the hardware failed within the first 10 hours of use, is this a suggestion of normal experience with smartthings or very unusual?

#4

I would have to say very unusual - Iā€™ve had mine for 12 months now and not had one fault with the hardwareā€¦ Just the random software updates causing it to go offline until restarted.

#5

Iā€™d agree with what others have stated - very unusual. My v1 and v2 hubs have been very reliable pieces of hardware.

Almost all issues with ST originate in the cloud architecture, not the local hardware.

#6

Mystery solved, tested the ST supplied power adaptor with a volt meter, no output voltage, so the hub must have run until the battery backup died.

Taking the power adaptor to the store to try and get it replaced.

5 Likes
#7

Unusual! I have two hubs in two locations running for roughly a year. No hardware problemsā€¦

#8

PM me and Iā€™ll overnight you a working power supply

edit: if youā€™re in the continental US

#9

No Iā€™m not but I got my local vendor to swap it.

1 Like
#10

Sounds like you just got a bad power supply. :disappointed_relieved: It happens, but not very often.

As far as grouping lights, etc., SmartThings is very powerful, but not very intuitive.

Thereā€™s a how to in the community ā€“ created wiki on grouping lights:

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Group_Lights_Together

The following should also help:

#11

Glad to hear that you were able to get it sorted out!