I’m experimenting with Google’s new OnHub router. Downside to it, is it has one LAN port. Yes, one port.
My ordered-but-not-yet arrived Samsung Smartthings hub requires a port, but so does another smart home hub I’ll be using.
I’m planning on using a full duplex gigabit ethernet switch to provide the extra ports I need. Connect it to OnHub, and then the smart home hubs, like Smartthings to it.
Anyone see any reason why this won’t work?
You picked the right tool for the job.
Yep, sounds like you chose the correct one! Let us know how the OnHub is.
And Buddy, please let us know it hooks up to any of the Nest products like the dropcams, nest cams, nest protect, thermostat etc. Will appreciate that!
The single port on the onHub is on purpose. Google wants you to put the thing front and center – both for better coverage and so that people ask you about it – rather than hide it somewhere because it has 30 wires coming out of it.
With that said, your setup should work just fine.
I have the new OnHub router and it has awesome wifi range/coverage.
Previously in my house I had my main Asus RT-66U router in the Nerd Cave (basement area) and an additional Amped AP300 with external powered antenna in the attic. I tried having one or the other on the middle floor with little success in whole house coverage. So I settled on the need for both and two SSID’s.
The OnHub covers my whole house from the Nerd Cave or the main floor.
I’ve got a pretty complex wired network with a 32 port switch, a 16 port switch and several smaller switches. Also I have static IPs and many Port Forwards for cameras, RDPs, and Raspberry Pi’s.
Everything works fine with the OnHub after a frustrating effort setting up Static IPs and Port Forwards…except the OnHub does not support NAT Loopback! So inside your network you must use the device’s IP address. Very frustrating for cameras.
I have contacted Google OnHub support and they added my NAT Loopback request to the feature request. We will see if they eventually enable it.
Overall, the increased Wifi range/coverage is worth it for me. Do not believe the ArsTechnica review stating the bandwidth is much slower. They must have had a lemon or a network issue. My download speeds are exactly as I would expect.
Cheers,
Scott
Good to hear.
I like it. I have noticed an extended range, no issues at all with streaming on two TVs at the same time (1080, no less). I particularly love being able to check out my network on my Android tablet. I do have some issues with my Charter connection on hot, sunny days, and with the OnHub, I can check my network’s connectivity without having to directly access the modem.
You can’t do some router tweaking, but I really disliked router tweaking. And I like the auto switching channels, and frequency. One SSID, which works throughout the house.
I’m also intrigued about what Google is doing on the smart home front. It has support for Weave and ZigBee/Thread, so very curious where it is going.
It doesn’t hook up to my Nest or Dropcam, Not yet. This functionality hasn’t rolled out yet.
I think that’s what a lot of people are saying… don’t buy an onHub for what it can do today (after all you get a serviceable router / switch from your internet service provider already), but instead buy it for what it can do in the future.
With that said, Google is one of the most futuristic companies out there, always thinking about how they can further encroach themselves into your life for the next decade, and even they have had issues with the home automation front. I was in the audience when Hugo pitched Android @ Home back in 2011, and if you think further back there was PowerMeter back in 2009, and Project Tungsten (parts of which eventually became the ill fated Nexus Q media hub).
Google will throw darts at the crazy wall all day and they have enough money to come up with something like onHub, perfectly functional but only partly fleshed out, then abandon it midstream and never mention it again.
Hopefully that’s not the case, but you never know.
Thanks for letting us know!
@Shelley_Powers does Google have a forum for the OnHub router? I would like to join and keep an eye on its progress. I’m very interested in the ZigBee side of things!!
XDA Developers has a new forum, not very active yet. XDA Developer forum
Looks like a Google employee also has a Google+ community Google+ Community
I expect Google to create a developer’s issues list when it opens OnHub up for third party development. Not yet, though.
Other than that, most community talk has actually happened here, in SmartThings.
We’re taking a bit of a gamble going with a first gen Google product. Especially when Google talks about the next gen being developed by ASUS. But it’s not often I can afford to get in on the ground floor of one of Google’s new toys, and $200 is relatively affordable for those of us who love geeky, IoT gadgets.
Hopefully, they’ll turn on Weave and ZigBee/Thread, soon, so we can have even more fun. For now, though, I really like it as an Android managed router.
Humm France in November for there all member meeting. Man I wish I could justify going!!
Just an update, but the OnHub specs have dropped ZigBee and only show Thread now. What this means is anyone’s guess, because it’s still not turned on yet.
Which would work in conjunction with SmartThings: OnHub for Thread, SmartThings for ZigBee and Z-Wave.
Humm. Maybe this is a good thing. It’s time for things to stabilize in Home Automation and if they have to drop support for other protocols to make it rock solid then I’m all for it. After all they have done some great work on Thread and I have high hopes it will be to ZigBee and Z-Wave what Ethernet was to Token Ring!! We need to pick a transport layer and move on!!
@urman any thoughts? Come on I know you have them…
Just an update: Google is releasing it’s second version of OnHub, this one from ASUS. The device looks even stranger now.
But we early adopters aren’t being forgotten. Supposedly we get a software update. No Zigbee/Thread, though.
Does work really well with SmartThings. But I had hoped to be able to try my hand on integrating the OnHub/Nest products in with ST, at some point. Other than use IFTTT.
Shelley - How do you have your OnHub configured with existing ISP router? It seems Smartthings Hub won’t connect to LAN port on OnHub when OnHub is acting as router.
Trenton, the OnHub is the router. I’m using it as primary router, and not using another router. It’s directly connected to my cable modem.
(There is a way to set up OnHub as secondary (not NAT) using Bridge Mode, but that’s unrelated to topic)
I had no problems connecting SmartThings to OnHub. I did have to use a ethernet switch, because the OnHub only has a single port, and I have multiple devices to connect. But ST has no problem with OnHub.
Bump, bump it’s been a while since last post. Any OnHub owners willing to share their experience?