Hubitat Elevation Home Automation Hub (Model C-7) Compatible with Alexa, HomeKit, Google Home, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Lutron

Good: Reasonably easy to set up. Reaches everywhere in my house without meshed devices.Bad: Very erratic operation. I have a very simple setup at present: one Z-wave-plus dimmer controlled by one Zigbee button via the "simple automation rules" app. Worked perfectly for the first week, then degraded to where it currently works correctly about one in five attempts, and that only after up to a five-second delay. Log is recording every button press and every successful control attempt, and the lights respond instantly to commands via the web interface, so I conclude it's a software issue. No diagnostics routines that I can find other than logs. Hub also takes an unreasonably long time to reboot.Ugly: Not nearly as customizable as the ads make it out to be. I had hopes of being able to attach a Python or Lua script directly to a given device event. Instead, we have Groovy, which is OK as far as it goes, but organized into "apps" that have no organizational relationship to the devices they're managing. Also, it looks like the scripting itself is not customizable (no custom or add-on libraries) and, from the messages I've read on the community website, the company has a rather arrogant position to the effect that it's going to remain this way. Whatever. If the built-in apps actually worked, this wouldn't bother me as much as it does.(IMPORTANT NOTE: I haven't fully explored the apps area as of this writing, and I could be completely wrong about all of this. If so, I will update this review and include a humble apology to the company. But I don't think I am.)Bottom line: This device has tremendous potential, filling a need that few if any other companies are addressing. As of now, however, that potential is some distance from being realized. I will note that all of the available apps seem to be under active development, so this could change quickly. At least for now though, this thing is no more reliable than the X10 gear it replaced. Three stars, mostly because the hardware seems good and the company looks to be actively enhancing the software. Will update if/when the situation here changes.UPDATE, about a year and a half and several software updates later:My biggest problem with this device appears to have been resolved - it's been months since this thing has failed to respond to a switch command, or delayed the response more than a second or so. The lag is still longer than I'd prefer - a second is a LONG time with modern CPUs; I was expecting a quarter that or less - but acceptable.Unfortunately, my second biggest problem remains unresolved. It is still unreasonably difficult to program the hub for more than simple trigger/action operations. I recently set up an away-from-home rule set that switches the now-four Z-wave-enabled lights in the house on and off to mimic the typical light usage while I'm at home: office lights on during the day and maybe an hour or two at night, living room lamp on from sunset to 11ish, that kind of thing, ideally with some random variation so they wouldn't go on/off at the same times every day. It took me over an hour of clicking and drop-down selecting and entering and updating - and, entirely too often, editing or removing rules that somehow didn't end up the way I wanted them - to get even close to what I'd had in mind. (And my initial test shows that it may still not be working "right".) What bugs me about this whole process is that I could define this rule set in about a half-dozen lines of Python or JavaScript code, total elapsed time about five minutes. I very much wish that the hub offered an "expert" mode that would let you simply enter a javascript or python...or, hell, java or ruby or even BASIC, script, save it and have it execute without having to go through the throes of putting together a custom "app" in Groovy for each individual function you want. I want this badly enough that I'm considering investing in a multi-protocol transceiver and a small Atom motherboard, rolling my own HA hub with Home Assistant on Linux, and abandoning the Hubitat altogether.Sum of topic: The Elevation box has improved quite a bit in the past 18-odd months, but it's still nowhere near the open, ultra-flexible home automation platform Hubitat makes it out to be. It's usable, but that's all. Sticking with the three stars.UPDATE, another year and a half and several more software updates later: My core opinion of this device remains *mostly* unchanged. Hubitat has done quite a bit to improve the user interface, but in my opinion it is still unreasonably difficult to set up anything resembling complex actions among multiple devices. There are, however, three saving graces that has caused me to bump my rating to about 4 1/2 stars, rounded up to five because I just realized that, despite its shortcomings, I'm still using this thing after five years:First, they are still supporting this thing after five years. That's refreshing in an industry that doesn't like to spend money on supporting older hardware, and rarely hesitates to leave you hanging when they decide it's no longer profitable. The updates are periodic and have almost always been worthwhile. Compared to when I bought this, it's faster, more reliable, easier to set up - relatively speaking; it was almost unusable at first - and supports more devices and protocols.Second, they added an app that provides a decent API. This lets you control the box from other computers on your home network with reasonably simple commands supported by almost any PC that can plug into a network. This lets me work around the Elevation's scripting shortcomings with Python and shell scripts running on my home server. I'm an IT professional so I may well be biased in this regard, but for me, setting up activities involving multiple conditions and actions affecting multiple devices is a LOT easier in Python than on Hubitat's platform. I still wish I could do Python directly on the box, but this is good enough. (Actually, looking at Home Assistant integration is on my to-do list. It looks possible, and would be the proverbial game-changer if it works well.)Third, the price has come down somewhat. Not a lot, but combined with the API this changes the buy-build equation a great deal. As a home automation hub, it's still mediocre. As a sophisticated, multi-protocol, networkable HA device controller, it's a bargain.So after five years I've finally come to appreciate this thing. I'm even considering looking at the C-8 Pro to take advantage of the newer protocols my newer HA devices support. Good job, Hubitat.

I had a Wink 1 and a Wink 2. Really liked them. Did not need any extra features. Wink is going out of business. I have 18 zigbee lights (Sylvania Osram and Cree), an Ecobee Thermostat, a Z-Wave switch, and some Ecolink door sensors. If you have used the Wink Hubs you can use these. Most annoying Wink feature? When the power goes out and everything comes back up, the Hub would not work without a reboot AFTER the router came up. So if I was away, and the power went out, and I looked at my IP cameras to see that 18 lights are burning at 100%, my hub would not work and I could not turn them off remotely. No good.The Hubitat WORKS after a power outage. Power comes on, modem and router come up, and hubitat works. As it should be. I don't have to reset things. If the power comes back on while I am in bed, I can just keep my eyes closed for a few minutes, then mumble "Alexa, turn on bedtime lights" and all the lights set themselves correctly. SOOOOOO much better then getting up at 3 am and rebooting routers and hubs. Ugh. Bye Wink.AndTHE LACK OF A PHONE APP DOES NOT MATTER. Once set up, Alexa or Google Assistant (GA) are your phone apps. Everything on the Hubitat can be synced to GA and/or Alexa. I control my lights remotely using Alexa whenever necessary. No Worries! You don't need an extra phone app. It is just not a concern.Setup? Not that bad. There is a bit of a learning curve with the browser-based interface. But for most simple smart home setups with some lights, a few plugs, and maybe a lock, it is pretty easy. Just do this:Don't even worry about "apps" in the interface. Not yet. Just "Add devices" from the "Devices" tab. Follow manufactures instructions to put devices into pairing mode and carry your laptop around the house from device to device. (To reset Osram bulbs: On, count to three, Off, count to three, On, count to three, Off, count to three...Do this FIVE times and then leave on and wait 5 seconds and the light will flash (pairing mode). For Cree, do this, counting time: On, Off, 1, 2, On, Off, 1, 2, On, Off, 1, 2, then On. On the THIRD on, the light will flash (pairing mode)).Once all of your devices are paired (up to an hour or two, no matter WHAT hub you get), go to the Apps tab and add the Alexa and/or Google Assistant app. You will have to tell the Alexa/GA apps WHAT devices to control (there is a "Select All" option). Then go to your phone, open the correct app (Alexa or GA) and Discover Devices. Then use Alexa or GA on your phone to set up groups (living room lights) and routines (bed time lights). It is not NEARLY as hard as reviews would lead you to believe. It is tedious to switch hubs. No getting around that. But this is a good hub. Works well. Seems bullet proof. Runs locally on your LAN. Does not go through external servers to work (Wink does/did). Note: Using Alexa or GA to control your home DOES require passing through external Internet servers as these devices only work if they pass through their respective servers. But, if the Internet is down but you have power, you can use your laptop to control your smart home. Otherwise...the hub essentially DOES require the Internet because you are using Internet devices to interact with it.The other app you need to install is the Dashboard app. But you DON'T NEED IT. AT ALL. You can stop your Hubitat setup as soon as your devices are discovered and your smart home apps are activated. The Dashboard gives you a fancy browser-based interface with all of your devices neatly lined up, with icons, so you can click on them to turn them on/off/dim (YOU have to set it up). But you don't really need to do this. Only if you want to poke around with your smart home on your computer. For the average Alexa end-user, just add devices, add Alexa, add All Devices to Alexa, then use Alexa to discover devices. Then Group devices, then set up Routines. Begin telling Alexa to control your home. Done. When you run into a road-block, use YouTube to get help. (Like if a device shows "on" in devices tab, but Alexa has turned it off, you can click "configure" and then "save" and it will likely fix the issue. Got that from YouTube.)It is pretty easy, but I did spend a about 4-6 hours setting everything up, including learning curve, watching a couple of youtube videos, and resetting all of my bulbs and routines. Not that bad. I am REALLY glad I switched. So much more responsive and everything works after a power outage. Just all around better than the Wink.The Rule Machine app is useful. It is basically an ITTT interface. I set up my front porch light as follows "turn light on, 30 mins before sunset. Turn light off, 30 mins after sunrise." I had to do it twice to figure out the interface and what to click on. Took a youtube video and about 15 minutes the first time. But now I have an automated front porch light. Pretty cool. But not necessary. You don't need the Rule Machine app. Or the Dashboard app. Just extras if you want to use them.If you have already set up your whole house using the Wink app, Alexa and you have set up routines, you can do this. If you have no idea what I am talking about....it might be a rough time for you.HIGHLY RECOMMEND (2019...these things change).