NEW Automatic Hub Backup feature for SmartThings Hubs!

Announcements
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As our Hub Everywhere strategy continues to grow and an increasing number of customers are building their smart homes using SmartThings hubs, the need for customers to be assured that their smart home infrastructure will always be functional is more important than ever.

To help with this, we are excited to announce the release of our new automatic functionality for the existing Hub Backup feature, along with an improved Hub Manager interface. The Hub Manager interface, which organizes and administers all hubs from one centralized location, now has advanced functionality to control the automation of Hub Backup. Automation of Hub Backup enables secondary hubs to automatically act as backup hubs if the primary hub goes offline, all without needing any user intervention.

Automatic functionality for Hub Backup began a gradual rollout to users with supported hub models on November 13, 2024. Automatic Hub Backup requires Android app version 1.8.21.x or higher, iOS app version 1.7.21.x or higher, and hub firmware of 0.53.x or higher.

More information on these new features, supported hub models, and a very detailed guide on how to use them, can be found in our latest blogpost. Additionally, be sure to visit our FAQs for some additional guidance.

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Based on the FAQs, am I correct in understanding that the SmartThings Hub 2015 (Hub v2) is excluded from the auto backup feature?

It’s surprising Aeotec hasn’t released a hub with significantly more RAM, especially since memory is so affordable and would make a big difference for backing up multiple hubs.

I purchased the Aeotec hub intending to use the Hub Replace feature, as I was concerned that my older v2 hub might be at risk due to its age. However, I couldn’t complete the replacement because of the Aeotec hub’s limited memory. Now, my devices are split between the SmartThings 2015 v2 hub and the Aeotec hub, and I’ve considered purchasing an additional Aeotec hub for backup in case either hub fails.

Since the v2 hub likely isn’t eligible for auto backup in a hub group, what’s the best path forward? Should I purchase a second Aeotec hub and enable “Auto Hub Backup” for it? If so, it seems this would only cover data on the Aeotec hub. Would it be better to purchase and hold a Aeotec hub as a backup hub that could be used to restore data from the cloud for either the v2 or the Aeotec hub, assuming one of them fails?

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I agree. We need a new V2 hub. Zigbee, Z-wave and matter all in one.

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Do you mean V4? More RAM, better processor, updated radio modules, Bluetooth for presence sensing and of course Linux Kernel 6.x and Thread 1.4.

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In my case it will be a problem, I have a V3 and Dongle on the TV, but the Dongle does not have z-wave, that is, it will not solve the problem completely.

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I’ve been wishing this for a while now. Call it smart things pro hub, with upgraded internals including more ram and Zwave 800, and maybe an IR blaster as well.

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It is hard making decisions when you don’t know things like:

  • Will the V2 ever be supported in Hub Groups? I can’t really see it happening myself but it would certainly be useful to know. If I could have a V2 in a Hub Group I would want it in one, but do I allow for that possibility?
  • Related to that … Will more than one Hub Group ever be supported in a Location? A single Hub Group using V3/Aeotec isn’t going to cut it for those with more substantial installations so which way do they go? One or more standalone hubs alongside a Hub Group, or multiple Locations to allow for Hub Groups?
  • Will the dongles ever be supported in Hub Groups? I can’t really see it because Samsung probably consider all the TVs and appliances using them as obsolete already. Doesn’t affect me, but there seem to be a lot about.
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Out of curiosity, what price would you be prepared to pay for such a thing?

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And so it begins. This is the first time, I think, that the Hub V2 has been excluded from something that is only software. :face_holding_back_tears:

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Prepare for an End of Life announcement one of these days. As I have two Hub v2 devices–that have served me well since 2016–I’m already looking at alternatives, should this happen. SmartThings has been an interesting ride and I’ve enjoyed (almost) every minute of it. But the apparent move away from Z-Wave is particularly disturbing to me…

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200 us dollars max. Must be comparable to Aqaras G3 and Hubitats C6 Pro.

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I think the fact the v2 doesn’t support thread may have something to do it. V2 is fine and I don’t see any reason why they continue to support it for the rest.

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Yes please we really need a new upgraded hib with more ram and storage for more drivers. Zwave 800, zigbee 3, thread, matter, and bring back the ability for backup battery like v2 had.
P.s, also allow local hub communication… it makes no sense that i cant connect to my hub with the app when im on the same network. Even a gui to the i.p address like routers have.

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Agree that end-of-life for the v2 is probably imminent. Nine years is an eternity in consumer electronics.

Sticking hubs in all sorts of devices and appliances isn’t a good replacement for a standalone hub, imo. Same reason I avoided the combined Wi-Fi mesh/SmartThings hub models. The more disparate functions you have in a device, the more likelihood one bit will fail, be abandoned, or become obsolete.

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Absolutely! And it has served us well.

Particularly Z-Wave 800, as far as I am concerned since both of our homes have Z-Wave devices exclusively. If Matter were more of a sure thing it might buffer this–but remember, with two homes in distant locations I cannot be a sandbox just for fun because we monitor the home we are away from and it must just work! :face_with_diagonal_mouth:

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Well it would need about a year’s notice so they need to get a move on. It would also need an 80% off deal on Aeotec hubs as a sweetener.

I should have had the end of life dates for the various hubs as another item on my list of things we need to know now. Oh, and will the Station ever be more widely available?

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No z wave? No thanks.

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So for a backup, we need a second hub? I bought my V2 Hub nearly a decade ago with the promise we would be able to do our own USB backups. Why cant we do a USB backup as it would be very easy to implement?

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Ahem, please don’t wish away support for my V2 hub. It has a faster processor and more memory than the V3 (and I have 2 spare V2s).
Great, if they come out with a V4 that is better than the V3 but does that mean they have to drop support for the V2? I think it is commendable that the V2 has a long life.

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The terminology is a little confusing. “Hub Backup” is when you have a hub group and the primary goes offline and a secondary takes over. “Hub Replace” is where hub snapshots are stored to the cloud and that snapshot can be used for a new hub.

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