Secondary Controller

[RiccardoCanetta 13]

Hi,

I'm looking for documentation on "Connecting HC2 gateways" feature. My idea would be to add a second HC2 in a hidden place, in case the main one breaks or is stolen by a burglar... if I buy a second HC2 and configure it here, can it work as primary in case the main one disappears? especially during the winter it would be a disaster to be without heating even just for a few days, and then having to reconfigure everything...

Thanks

Riccardo

[1152 33]

Hi,

...especially during the winter it would be a disaster to be without heating even just for a few days, and then having to reconfigure everything...

Thanks

Riccardo

Agree, see my post in link for this an other concerns...

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[j.nowacki 5]

rcanetta, if I understand your idea correctly you want to have a hidden unit that will control all Z-wave network and another one as a primary controller. But why not use only one unit stored in a safe place?

[chatting 1]

Don't try to put two HC2/HCL in one place. They will interfere with each other and making nodes having very short receiving distance.

I used to be a happy owner of HC2 having over 160+ switches in my 10000 sq feet house. Everything started up very well and one day everything went down. Only those switches close to the HC2 can work. All signal could not related nodes to nodes. Then I guessed it the transmitter sector of the HC2 malfunction. But Fibaro support said it's okay and returned me a new one with all the settings in it. Upon arrival, I found that still only those direct connected nodes could be controlled. Anything starting from the second tier couldn't be accessed by the unit.

I then thought of using different unit for different floor. So I bought some more HCL and HC2. When I started to set up the second system in the house, but I found the new system has a even shorter distance. The nodes could only be connected within 10 feet only. Some even could only be connected within one foot. I then try removing the new system to a place where there was no Z wave system there for testing. Everything is working fine in the environment having only one Z wave system there. It's very clear that there were interference between the two systems. But still my old 160 nodes couldn't be controlled and I may need to remove all switches from the wall exclude/include everything one more time!! It took me nearly 8 months to build the system...

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In another occasion, I used Vera Lite to control the air conditioner (infra red remote). When I add a Fibaro switch to the Vera Z Wave network with intent to increase the related signal to the battery powered infra red remote in the Vera system, the nodes at the outer tier of the Fibaro system in the same house turned into dead node and couldn't be waken up. It returned to normal when I remove that Vera nodes from the system. Again obviously, it's interference.

[j.nowacki 5]

chatting, did you use functionality of connecting gateways in configuration panel? Remember that in such case nodes in range of 2nd unit must be added in that very controller, not the primary one, the primal controller only gathers information about nodes from connected gateways.

[Guest merylion]

Coming back to original subject.

I was telling this many times.

There MUST be reliability on the system.

It is not acceptable that in case of mulfunction of HC2 you have to wait 3 weeks

to get new HC2 back and in the meantime live in the darkness!!!.

In worst case scenario if HC2 will completely fail there is chance that my 12 months of work will dissapear!!!

Of course I made backup of scenes as text file but even that it will take weeks before getting system back to normal after receiving new blank HC2.

EVERY automation system is possible to backup and restore from backup file on new controller.

I can understand Fibaro's worries about security and possibility to make copy of HC2

But why not to allow to make physicall copy of recovery pendrive and allow to retrieve it on new HC2???!!!!

Only whoever have physical access to HC2 can do it and I do not see any risk with that.

I have a feeling that I am living on ticking bomb and when it will explode I will be in really deep *!!!

I am working on drilling rigs offshore and even here where we have highest security procedures it is unbelievable that it is not possible to restore control system within short time.

I really do not understand security policy in Fibaro explaining that only this way of blocking backups makes you sure that noone will copy you HC2 and could control your home from outside. I am sure Fibaro knows that it is possible to sniff Z-Wave traffic and send commands to you home devices in much easier way than breaking into your home and stealing copy of you configuration file. Also for little bit more advanced users getting a root access to Fibaro and gaining full control of it is a piece of cake. So there is several much easier and faster way to damage your system that blocking of easy backing up of system which only gets Fibaro users angry and pissed of. Everyday I am really afraid of a day when HC2 will fail.

Best Regards

Marcin

[1152 33]

Riccardo, you may find some supplementary information in this link: (first part of it)

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[chatting 1]

merylion, +1 from me..

[ Added: 2014-08-05, 19:45 ]

nowacki,

I couldn't even make the second controller working properly in the environment with primary controller. So pointless for me to merge the two virtually. Still I'm in the darkness now finding the solution to sort out what's the problem with my system which cannot related signal starting from the second tier onwards, by myself. I have emailed your support with no answer in the past seven days after receiving my new HC2 with copied data in it.

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[Swordpirat 1]

my customer kill hc2 with a rainstorm...no bk only brutal copy of scene....i take 2 day to resume all network mesh and...i must reset all device and disassembly 1/2 home!!!!

i'm disappointed. fibaro MUST MUST MUST think something for bk/restore, or a fibaro cloud with setup data.

[akatar 208]

or, create a backup device fibaro!

i own 2 hc2 devices, but when the master or slave breaks down i can not use the otherone.

with a backup device i can restore the complete setup

[Swordpirat 1]

Fibaro Have you plan desaster recovery mode in v4.??

[RiccardoCanetta 13]

rcanetta, if I understand your idea correctly you want to have a hidden unit that will control all Z-wave network and another one as a primary controller. But why not use only one unit stored in a safe place?

Hi my idea is to have redundancy: in case primary box fails or is stolen, I would have a second box ready to operate in minutes. As I mentioned, especially during the winter it may not be feasible to stay without heating even just for a few days... not to mention the work to reconfigure everything in case the box is stolen (and no, I cannot operate it from a secure place because there would be no connectivity to sensors around the house, I tried already)

Are you planning to add this high availability support in the next release, i.e. the possibility to add a second HC2 which copies all the config from the primary one?

Thanks

Riccardo

[j.nowacki 5]

As mentioned in other topic, this is not possible to make such backup in current version of FIBARO system without compromising security of users' data. However we are still working on more comfortable ways to use our system, and possibility of performing movable backup is high on our list. But security is our number one priority and hence we will introduce such functionality only when we will be 100% sure that it won't hurt anybody.

[chatting 1]

Swordpirat,

I'm with you. But Fibaro did help me to fix my unit. But still I cannot fix the problem which I guess too many switches and software crash. So I started to disassemble my house to exclude/include everything again.

[Swordpirat 1]

Swordpirat,

I'm with you. But Fibaro did help me to fix my unit. But still I cannot fix the problem which I guess too many switches and software crash. So I started to disassemble my house to exclude/include everything again.

Fibaro is a powerfull system, in all device (ALL) backup is possible, all exclude fibaro.

I understand policy of fibaro for security,there is a lo of system for security...cloud, password, etc.... but if i work with fibaro and realize a medium house with this system (30/40) device, if i must return for hc2 failure i must guarantee fast recovery.....and self recovery over another hardware.

[Guest Lode]

So HC2 recoverystick cannot be used with another controller ?

[Ucciogenerale 2]

I fully agree with you, it is evident that in case of HW failure a BACKUP MUST BE AVAILABLE.

My opinion is that this has been highlighted many times but evidently it is not a priority in the development list.

Ucciogenerale

[Guest lochnesz]

+1

[MWDK 1]

So HC2 recoverystick cannot be used with another controller ?

I got same question here.

Anyone?

[akatar 208]

as far as i know: NO

the recovery is linked (paired) to the Original hc

at fibaro they can change that

[Guest lochnesz]

Can FIBARO please comment on this?

Can the data on the recovery usb drive be used to make a restore on another HC2?

I would guess that it must work, how would you replace a broken HC2 if you can't restore your configuration on it? It is also interesting if you can have a "cold standby" secondary HC2 with identical configuration to start if the primary fails.

Another question to FIBARO: When will HC2 clustering be available?