I have just purchased a Connect Home hub (I only have one). I would love to be able to wirelessly connect the new hub to my existing wireless house router (not from Samsung, from my cable company). That is, as a wireless bridge or repeater, don’t care which. That way, I could locate the Connect Home anywhere. I am sure the box has all the required hardware, and most of the needed software. Is this possible? It would be a great feature. Thanks
Using the same WiFi SSID? No, you can’t do that. The Connect home base has to be wired to the modem. Then the other connect homes act as extenders creating one big wifi mesh. You could connect the connect home with a Powerline extender, but then it would still have a different SSID than your primary router.
The hardware is certainly there.
But I believe the only way to administer those devices is through the mobile app, and it just doesn’t expose those options. Yes, it’s an incredibly basic feature, but my understanding is they really limit you on the software side (I don’t have one myself, just a v1 hub).
Using the PowerLine extenders is an interesting idea. I don’t care if the same SSID is propagated. However, that would mean more hardware and more stuff to go wrong. I have a small NetGear Extender that I use. It extends the wireless network, and provides an Ethernet connection. (As could the Connect Home!) Works well.
Yes, the software in the Connect Home is fairly basic. I am hoping for updates! The new App is even more basic; it does not even have the full functionality of the classic App. Progress? Maybe they have been focusing on the mesh side of things.
Using power line adapter may be a problem during blackout. I have all my network equipment on UPS which would maintain the WiFi and internet connection during blackout until the batteries are drained. This way, I can keep my security sensors, siren, flood sensor, and garage door controller working. It is better to use a mesh network or WiFi extender on UPS to extend coverage. I have gone through several generations of power line adapters in the last 5 years or so and I am retiring them.
you can convert connect home to bridge thru connect app only (not classic app)
But if he’s planning on using the Samsung Connect home mesh wifi that means that each of the small wifi hubs would need to be on a UPS to keep the network up like your propose. I have my router on a UPS too and that’s one of the reasons I don’t like this whole “mesh” trend.
Yes, and I have the main bridge and one of the additional mesh on UPS. The last one is placed on the second floor at a spot without a UPS nearby. During blackout, I still have signal, though slightly weaker at certain area, throughout the house. With power line adapter, you cannot plug it in UPS or even a surge protector. Also, whenever the air conditioner is running in the room, I can hardly stream a video when I was using a power line adapter even it is the so called gigabit model. It is not very reliable even when there is power.
Again, the mesh WiFi does not require an UPS. You just have that option to keep it running in a blackout. Power line simply has no such option.
Looks like Smartthings hub version 3 is able to connect using WiFi, and not just Ethernet. So, problem solved, get a new version 3 hub. (Of course, it does not function as a WiFi router)
If wifi connection of the hub is all you need, just get a wifi extender and use it as an access point for the hub. No need to get the 2018 hub and go through the trouble in migrating all the devices and smart apps.
Yes, I have a small Netgear extender. Greats very well. But I was hoping the Connect Home hub could do it, but I was wrong. But, it’s good news that the new version 3 hub does. I might get one; I really don’t like the Connect Home box.
The Connect Home can serve the same function if you have more than one and running them in mesh.