tgauchat
(ActionTiles.com co-founder Terry @ActionTiles; GitHub: @cosmicpuppy)
61
In conformance with SmartThings architecture for SmartApps, ActionTiles references Things by their SmartThings Location ID + Device ID … not their device names.
Both of those change when you migrate to a new Hub (or even to a “reset Location” on the same exact Hub). Unfortunately, this will detach your original Things from Tiles and make your Panels invalid.
Like many people, we are hoping SmartThings provides a migration tool for Things and SmartApps from one Hub/Location to a replacement. But in case they don’t, we are keeping this inconvenience in mind to improve future database design.
Last night struggled getting Samsung WiFi mesh to work with AirPort Extreme. Phone call to Plume sort of helped. I fiddled and suddenly mesh worked with AirPort Extreme. Had mesh hub plugged into Extreme and old v2 hub plugged into mesh hub.
This worked for a couple of hours last night, but died this morning. Spent time on the phone with Samsung support, unfortunately, no luck.
It’s been working for a few hours now.
Went into IDE and created a second location
Plugged old hub directly into Airport. (Actually it always has been)
Plugged new hub directly into Airport.
Pushed reset button on new hub and with combination of Plume and New SmartThings app discovered hub and associated it new location. The new hub, all by itself, discovered most, if not all, Things. I named the new network with the same network name and password as the Airport network. Then I went into Airport administration and turned off wireless of the Airport.
Pushed the reset button on second mesh sub-hub and discovered. Pushed reset button on third mesh sub-hub and discovered. I believe reset button restores factory settings.
Now I’ll stay away from the New SmartThings app until Samsung tells me to switch, then take two(?) full days to migrate to new hub and new app.
Happily, all of my wireless devices (printers, TVs, phones, tablets, etc) joined the mesh without being prodded to join.
I was told both the new hub and old hub needed NO cables, but I couldn’t figure out how to make that work.
I too have an outbuilding which is too far away for a wifi connection. So I ran a LAN cable out there and put in a network switch and a wireless access point (WAP) to get wifi and I too have a second hub for my outbuilding SmartThings devices but need two location interfaces on the app as you can’t have two hubs acting as one on the same account.
Now it seems that the 3 pack SmartThings wifi might solve all my problems. If I plug my main wifi hub (1) into my modem / router in the main house, place sub hub (2) elsewhere and plug my sub hub(3) into my LAN cable in the outbuilding will I effectively have one wifi network and one SmartThings network? That is to say, do the wifi hubs recognise each other if plugged into the LAN or do they only communicate with each other via wifi (where in my case the distance is too far)? Thanks
So, I guess I can use one of the three wifi hubs connected to my LAN in the outbuilding just for the sake of one integrated wifi system and keep my existing v2 hub independent of the ST wifi on its existing second account? Each ST system will not see the other. Will the ST wifi hub in the outbuilding at least work as s wireless access point if connected to the LAN?
This seems to be the only thread discussing the new Smartthings wifi, so I will put some new comments here. Have installed this in a two story condo. The hope was that I could use the new ST Wifi to eliminate two devices from my setup - the wifi router and my original ST hub. So far, the answer has been “no,” although I haven’t lost hope.
In spite of hours on the phone with Comcast and Samsung, it doesn’t seem that the new ST Wifi device can take the internet from a pure “modem” (in this case a brand new Netgear CM500), and act as the only “router” for the setup. Interestingly, the old Apple Airport can take the signal from the CM500 modem and work perfectly, but the ST Wifi says “can’t connect to the internet” and tries to get me to do static IP or PPPoE (which is never going to happen with a Comcast home connection). The ST Wifi, however, works just fine if I plug it into the old Apple Airport. Still have open ticket with escalation team at Samsung. Hard to believe I’m the first person to have this issue. Anyone else?
On the “hub” front, the new ST Wifi requires the new ST app. I can’t for the life of me figure out how to get the new app to “exclude” all my devices that are currently attached to the old (original) hub. There really isn’t an area in the new app to do this. So can’t get rid of my old ST hub either.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. But mainly wanted some of this info out there for others to see. Thanks to all for the help with my past questions.
I’m surprised you haven’t called Plume tech support. For me it took dealing with Samsung support, Plume support and Plume software and ST new app.
My goal was different, keep the AirPort Extreme to prevent what I expected to be a password nightmare changing 20 devices. Plus Samsung has not given me the go ahead to start using the new app.
The AirPort Extreme is plugged into the mediacom modem and wireless is turned off in the AirPort. It does DHCP only. The new Samsung hub is plugged into the AirPort, the old Samsung hub is plugged into the new hub.
The new hub, without my intervention, discovered all ST devices. So I try not using the new app. Old hub, old app works fine. I’m hoping when Samsung gives the word, I unplug old hub and start using new app and new hub.
Not much help I know, perhaps someone will have your answers.
What’s the maximum number of hubs in the Home Connect and what’s the max for Smartthings Wifi? That would affect my decision as well.
EDIT:
Just found out from the manuals.
ST Wifi: “You can connect up to 31 additional Wi-Fi hubs”
Connect Home: “You can connect up to four additional Wi-Fi hubs.”
So if I replace my google wifi with this system, I currently have 2 nodes in the house and one in the barn. All are connected with ethernet backhaul, #1would this samsung system support ethernet backhaul? (ive heard yes and no) and #2 would I have zigbee/zwave capability in my barn?
There’s some pretty good discounts on the connect home and pro now. For those who have these products - do you recommend them? Not sure I understand what you get in the new product for the added buck.
Does the connect have this Plume thing too and is it worth it?
Update of Updates Feb 5, 2019
Samsung support helped me use Plume to gain full functionality of the Smartthings Wifi as a router plugged directly into a Comcast/Xfinity modem (not modem/router). This involved using Plume setting to toggle the router/auto network setting as well as power cycling the modem. Now I have the ST Wifi plugged into just a modem, and Plume/ST controls the entire network including devices connected to a switch plugged into the ST Wifi “out.” The Plume app appears to have a ton of functionality which I am now exploring.
Update I did get the Stelpros to work with a “scene.” The bug is you cannot use the “mode (Eco or Comfort)” or the scene reports it cannot run. So overall now happy with Stelpros which have worked solidly for a couple of months now.
My Original Impressions (see updates throughout this post)
Just to keep the thread rolling, here are more impressions about 2nd generation wifi and new ST app for iOS:
After many hours of trying, and many hours with Comcast/Smartthings via calls and internet support, it is clear to me that this new mesh network device cannot act as a router without convincing your internet provider to make changes to port settings for your modem (which will be additional work on your part). My experience so far is that the only way to have it work is plugged into another router. Crazy, and no one at support really has any clue what I am talking about. (Solved - see updates).
New ST app has lots of bugs. “Scenes” don’t work so far with Stelpro Thermostats. Very disappointing. (Solved - see updates)
*** UPDATE *** Will temper this comment that if I had been starting from zero instead of moving from old ST hub it might have been more user friendly. Now that I have the thermostats working with the new wifi hub and app and have scenes turning them up and down, I am pretty happy. My negative feedback was also driven by the inability to get a Kwikset 914 ZW lock to join the new hub. Even after a factory reset I cannot get hub to see it. So summary is that with a new hub or wifi plus hub, starting with all new devices that have never been in a ZW network before, you might have an easy time making this work. (Still can’t get the Kwikset lock to work with the new ST app, but I think it is probably the lock, not ST.)
