Just wondering what the point of battery backup on the ST hub is. If power is out and the hub is the only thing powered you still cant use it right?
It allows you to move it closer to devices for the pairing process. Items like locks and switches are kind of fixed in place and can’t be paired closely and moved further away that easily.
The batteries let you unplug it from power and move it around as needed, as long as you’ve got network where you need to be.
Depends on if you have your internet equipment on UPS and what devices you are controlling.
Battery powered door lock? maybe?
LOL, its not a possibility to move your network equipment around though. Thanks for the info. Pretty good thought on there part.
I dont think that will work unless the ST hub has an internet connection.
Yeah, as I said, you’d need to have your internet equipment on a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply - Basically a battery pack)
If you have the right equipment it is.
You can either keep a longer network cable with the hub tucked away in service loops, ready to go when you pull the hub out or you could get a USB-powered wireless bridge and power it from a portable battery pack (like you’d use for recharging your phone)
That’s what I do.
I have a UPS with my modem, router, and switch on it for battery backup.
Sounds like my setup. Pretty useful for wifi only tablets and laptops.
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it allows for local rules to execute without power or internet connection. Very few rules actually run locally, Smart Home Monitor and Smart Lighting. They will only run locally if you use default device handlers (no custom). Most zwave devices are powered by batteries and create their own mesh network.
You can see locally installed smartApps in the ide
https://graph.api.smartthings.com/localInstalledSmartApp/list
Yeah, but if you had that available for the internet equipment wouldnt you just plug the hub up too?
Now THAT makes sense. Thanks @desertblade
You could, but UPS have limited number of backed up outlets. If devices can run on their own batteries, it is an extra outlet available for another device.
The batteries on ST don’t last long. I accidently unplugged ST and they crapped out after about 4 hours. Probably longer than many UPS.
yes only usefull to carry the hub around with a long 100 foot cat 5 cable… only had to do that once…
for backup and remote rebooting better to remote the batteries (I do) put in a ups with a wifi switch (no on the hub) between the ups and the hub,
I pulled my batteries out because I sometimes need to reboot the hub remotely. I have it hooked up to a wemo switch that I can (sometimes) use to turn off/on the hub. Of course the wemo switch often goes offline so I cant get to either. I overcome both these problems by plugging the wemo into a z-wave outlet. Of course once I turn this outlet off I am really screwed. My backup in this case is to call my neighbour Mr Mate. For 1 beer Otto Mate will gladly come to my house and manually reboot the hub. Of course he cant get in because I cant remeber the damn code for my doorlock… 
In the “near” future when SHM actually works. You will still have 4 hours of wireless battery operated local processing alarm system (sensors/sirens) if your power/internet were cut off. Don’t hold your breath though…
SHM works just fine. I trigger it weekly.
I just moved all my devices to locally installed ones (mostly removing 3rd party motion sensors) and testing it out to see if it reduces false alarms.
You are a lucky few. I switched back to smart alarm because of SHM setting off in wrong mode. No entry/exit delay is a killer as well. Hopefully they will get it working again.
I agree on the delay, that would have given me time to disarm before the siren would go off.