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Hard reset instructionsfor Wink Hub 2
If your Hub 2 router is not working as it should, dropping connections or notbeingresponsive, you should first do a reset of the router to see if the problems persist. Otherscenarios where you might want to reset your router is if you've forgotten the password ormisconfigured it and can't get access anymore.
Your can reset your Wink Hub 2 in the following way(s):
Your can reset your Wink Hub 2 in the following way(s):
The 30-30-30 reset
There are no specific instructions for this model yet, but you can always do the 30-30-30resetas follows:- When router is powered on, press the reset button and hold for 30 seconds. (Use a paperclipor something sharp)
- While holding the reset button pressed, unplug the power of the router and hold theresetbutton for 30 seconds
- While still holding the reset button down, turn on the power to the unit again and holdforanother 30 seconds.
This process usually works for resetting any router to it's factory setting.If that doesn't work be sure to check out thequestions and answers incase someone else has had similar problems resetting their router.
Note: It is worth reading more abouthow to reset routers with the 30 30 30 reset and what the risks andconsiderationsare when resetting your router this way, instead of just rebooting it.
Note: It is worth reading more abouthow to reset routers with the 30 30 30 reset and what the risks andconsiderationsare when resetting your router this way, instead of just rebooting it.
$99.00
- ProsEasy to install. Supports numerous wireless protocols. User-friendly app. Wired Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi support. Works with Alexa and IFTTT.
- ConsNo battery backup. No USB ports.
- Bottom LineThe Wink Hub 2 is a versatile home automation hub that works with virtually every wireless protocol out there and supports dual-band Wi-Fi. Installation and device pairing is quick and easy, and it works with Alexa voice commands and IFTTT recipes.
When we reviewed the original Wink Connected Home Hub back in 2014, we were impressed with its versatility and affordable price, but not so impressed with its lack of 5GHz Wi-Fi and buggy pairing process with new devices. Since then, Wink has been sold and the $99 Wink Hub 2 is here. The new hub not only offers more memory, better network support, and a sleeker design than its predecessor, it adds Bluetooth support, enhanced security, and a simplified guided setup and pairing procedure. Moreover, it supports more wireless protocols than any hub we've tested, making it our new Editors' Choice for home automation hubs.
- $99.00
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Design and Features
The Wink Hub 2's slender, tapered design is decidedly more appealing than the original's. It has a matte white finish, measures 7.25 by 1.25 by 7.25 inches (HWD), and stands upright. A thin LED strip on the top front edge lets you know what's going on; it blinks blue while pairing, white while rebooting, and solid blue when everything is connected and working properly.
The Wink Hub 2's slender, tapered design is decidedly more appealing than the original's. It has a matte white finish, measures 7.25 by 1.25 by 7.25 inches (HWD), and stands upright. A thin LED strip on the top front edge lets you know what's going on; it blinks blue while pairing, white while rebooting, and solid blue when everything is connected and working properly.
Under the hood is circuitry for connecting to a boatload of wireless devices (more than any hub we've tested to date) and 512MB of memory (the original hub had 64MB). In addition to dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy wireless networking, the Wink Hub 2 supports Z-Wave, ZigBee, Lutron Clear Connect, and Kidde wireless protocols. Additionally, it is Thread enabled for whenever the new low-powered mesh protocol hits the mainstream. All of these radios mean you can use the hub to control a wealth of third-party devices including thermostats, security cameras, door locks, lighting systems, sensors, ceiling fans, garage door openers, window blinds, doorbells, and more. It also works with Amazon's Alexa voice commands and has its own If This Then That (IFTTT) channel. The Samsung SmartThings Hub, for comparison, only supports ZigBee, Z-Wave, and single-band Wi-Fi.
The rear of the hub has a power jack and an Ethernet port, but lacks the USB ports you get with the SmartThings Hub. It also lacks the battery backup you get with the SmartThings and the Lowe's Iris Smart Hub. But you do get dual-band Wi-Fi, which makes it easy to connect to the hub anywhere in your home without the need for a wired connection. It's a convenient feature that neither the Iris or SmartThings hubs offer. Also new to the hub is Secure Boot, a hardware-based security feature that makes sure only Wink software can run on the hub, making it difficult for hackers to compromise your smart home devices.
The free Android and iOS Wink app is well organized and offers detailed instructions to help you pair components and monitor your connected devices. Its use of large icons makes it a bit more user-friendly than the SmartThings app. The home screen displays icons of product categories such as Thermostats, Sensors, Cameras, and Lights + Power. Tapping any category icon takes you to a screen with icons for each installed device in that category. Tap any device to check its status and access its settings, or in the case of a camera, launch a live video stream. The Sensors screen has icons for temperature, humidity, motion, and door-window sensors and their current status (temperature, motion detected, door open, etc.).
At the bottom of the home screen are icons for Products, Shortcuts, Robots, and Activity. Shortcuts offer a one-touch way to make something happen; for example, I created a Heat shortcut to change the Ecobee3 heat set point to 68 degrees, and a Lights Out shortcut that turns off all connected lights. Once you create a shortcut it gets its own icon on the Shortcut screen.
Robots provide an easy way to make installed devices work together. Similar to an IFTTT recipe, you pick a device, an event, and an action. For example, I created a robot that turns on the Nest Cam when a door sensor is triggered. I also created a robot that turns off a specific light when I leave home. This particular robot uses geofencing to determine my location before turning off the light. You can have robots run all the time, or you can schedule start and end times for specific days of the week. The Activity icon takes you to a screen that displays a history of events such as motion detection, lights turned on and off, doors opened, and cameras recording video. The Products icon takes you back to the home screen.
Installation and Performance
You can install the hub wirelessly, but Wink suggests using a wired connection for simplicity. Once configured you can then relocate the hub anywhere in your house and connect it to your router's 2.4GHz or 5GHz band. To start, I downloaded the app and created an account. I tapped the plus button on the opening page and selected Hubs from the product list. I chose Wink Hub 2 and followed the onscreen instructions to connect the hub to my router using the included Ethernet cable and plugged in the power adapter. I hit Next and waited 30 seconds for the hub to be discovered. I clicked Add To Wink to add the hub to my account, which took all of four seconds. After a three-minute update I was ready to begin adding components.
You can install the hub wirelessly, but Wink suggests using a wired connection for simplicity. Once configured you can then relocate the hub anywhere in your house and connect it to your router's 2.4GHz or 5GHz band. To start, I downloaded the app and created an account. I tapped the plus button on the opening page and selected Hubs from the product list. I chose Wink Hub 2 and followed the onscreen instructions to connect the hub to my router using the included Ethernet cable and plugged in the power adapter. I hit Next and waited 30 seconds for the hub to be discovered. I clicked Add To Wink to add the hub to my account, which took all of four seconds. After a three-minute update I was ready to begin adding components.
I tapped Add a Product on the home page and selected Power from the list of categories. I was pairing a Leviton Z-Wave Plug-in Appliance Module (smart plug), which I selected from the list of power devices. I had the option of watching a short video tutorial, but skipped to the next step which had me plug the smart plug into an outlet. I hit Next and followed the instructions to wait for the hub's LED to blink blue, then pressed the pairing button on the plug. Within seconds the smart plug was paired with the hub. Each step came with detailed pictures that showed me exactly what to do. The app displayed a short Welcome To Lights + Power tutorial, then opened the Lights page where my plug was listed as an installed device.
I repeated the pairing process with a motion detector and two door-windows sensors that make up the GoControl Home Security Suite, and they too were paired instantly without any of the issues we experienced with the original hub. The app even provided an installation guide for mounting and calibrating the door sensors. Likewise, I paired a Cree ZigBee light bulb in less than 10 seconds.
Adding the Ecobee3 thermostat was also quick and easy. I went to the Heating & Cooling category and selected the Ecobee3 from the list. I tapped I Have An Account and entered my Ecobee email address and password, which authorizes Wink to access my Ecobee account. I hit Accept and with four seconds the thermostat was paired with the hub.
As we saw with the original hub, the Wink app may not offer the full set of controls that you get with a device's dedicated app, but I was able to do the important things like set the temperature, turn the heat and fan on and off, and enable Home and Away modes. I was also able to create a schedule for these functions, but couldn't do things like configure vacation settings and setup reminders and alerts.
The Wink Hub 2 performed wonderfully in my tests. The door-window sensors were very responsive, as was the motion sensor and smart plug. Every installed device reacted instantly to my commands using the Wink app, and the Robot automations worked like a charm. My Lights Out Robot, which had the Cree light bulb turn off when I left the premises, worked without a hitch. So did my Camera Robot that had the Nest Cam turn on when a door sensor was triggered.
I had no trouble setting and turning on my Ecobee3 thermostat using the Wink app, and received accurate temperature and humidity readings in real-time. Live video from the Nest Cam was sharp, with none of the lag we saw with the SmartThings hub. Alexa voice commands were also executed instantly, as was my IFTTT recipe to have the smart plug turn on at the start of a NY Jets game.
Comparisons and Conclusions
If you're not quite ready to automate your home with a hub or simply don't have that many smart devices to justify getting one, consider using an Amazon Echo or the forthcoming Google Home to control your connected devices. Both support voice commands for popular products such as Philips Hue lighting and the Nest Thermostat, as well as smart switches, speakers, and streaming audio services. They're also great for getting quick information such as the latest news and sports scores and will even tell you what movies are playing locally and when. But they don't support quite as many different devices, and they don't offer the same granular level of control that a hub does.
If you're not quite ready to automate your home with a hub or simply don't have that many smart devices to justify getting one, consider using an Amazon Echo or the forthcoming Google Home to control your connected devices. Both support voice commands for popular products such as Philips Hue lighting and the Nest Thermostat, as well as smart switches, speakers, and streaming audio services. They're also great for getting quick information such as the latest news and sports scores and will even tell you what movies are playing locally and when. But they don't support quite as many different devices, and they don't offer the same granular level of control that a hub does.
With the Wink Hub 2 there's (almost) no limit to how many smart home devices you can control using a single mobile app. This new version of the hub resolves many of the issues that plagued the original, and adds some user-friendly features including detailed instructions and illustrations for pairing devices. The hub is very responsive and the mobile app is thoughtfully designed and easy to use. The Robots make it easy to have installed devices work with each other, and the hub had no trouble responding to my Alexa voice commands and IFTTT recipes. Granted, the Samsung SmartThings Hub also supports IFTTT and Alexa voice commands, and it has a battery backup, but the Wink Hub 2's ability to work with a wider range of wireless protocols, coupled with a friendlier interface and dual-band networking abilities, give it an edge. As such, the Wink Hub 2 replaces the SmartThings Hub as our Editors' Choice for home automation hubs.
Wink Hub 2
Bottom Line: The Wink Hub 2 is a versatile home automation hub that works with virtually every wireless protocol out there and supports dual-band Wi-Fi. Installation and device pairing is quick and easy, and it works with Alexa voice commands and IFTTT recipes.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by DisqusThe Wink Hub is yet another smarthome hub that aims to compete with the likes of SmartThings and Insteon in order to create a central device that all of your other smarthome devices can connect to. Here’s how to set it up.
What Is the Wink Hub?
Smarthome hubs act as a central device that connects to your router (thus giving it access to your network and the internet) and then your various other smarthome devices can connect to it, like sensors, smart bulbs, smart outlets, and smart light switches.
Wink Hub 2 Solid Blue Hub Not Found Lyrics
RELATED:What Are “ZigBee” and “Z-Wave” Smarthome Products?
Many of these smaller devices communicate using the Z-Wave and ZigBee wireless protocols, which is why a special smarthome hub is necessary in the first place—your router doesn’t support either protocol, so your phone has to communicate with something that sends out Z-Wave or ZigBee signals to your devices.
There are many smarthome hubs on the market, but Wink has one big difference from products like Samsung SmartThings or Insteon. Wink doesn’t make its own sensors, outlets, lights, and more. So whereas SmartThings and Insteon both make their own line of sensors and such to go along with their respective hubs, Wink only makes a hub. This isn’t a problem at all, though, as Wink simply relies on third-party manufacturers to make Z-Wave and ZigBee devices.
For instance, companies like GoControl, Cree, GE, Osram, Leviton, and Lutron all officially make products that can connect to the Wink Hub, and there are hundreds of other devices that can connect to the Wink Hub, even though they may not be officially supported, since Z-Wave and ZigBee are relatively open protocols.
Plus, the Wink Hub supports a ton of other smarthome platforms, even if they already have their own hub. For example, you can link your Philips Hue lights to the Wink app and control them from there (though you’ll still need the separate Hue hub to do so). Wink also supports Nest products, the Ecobee3 thermostat, the Ring Doorbell, Kwikset and Schlage smart locks, and even water heaters and garage door openers from Rheem and Chamberlain, respectively.
The Wink Hub is on its second generation, and the newer hub comes with better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as improved processing power. This guide will focus on setting up the second-generation Wink Hub (called the Wink Hub 2), but the instructions are nearly the same for either generation.
Setting Up the Hub
Start off by unpacking the Wink Hub, plug it into power, and connect it to your router using the included ethernet cable (plug it into any free ethernet port on the router). You can connect it to your router using Wi-Fi, but it’s best to use ethernet if at all possible.
It will automatically boot up and display a blinking white status light on the front.
Next, download the Wink app on your iOS or Android device.
Open up the app and either log in to an existing Wink account, or hit “Sign Up” to create one.
When you sign up, you’ll need to enter in your name, email address, and create a password.
Once you create your account or log in, you’ll be taken to the main screen of the app. Tap on the plus button that says “Add a Product”.
Since we’ll be connecting the Wink Hub to the app, you’ll select “Hubs” from the list.
Next, select “Wink Hub 2”. (If you have the older Wink Hub, select “Wink Hub”.)
Hit “Next” since we already plugged our Wink Hub in, although this is where you can connect your Wink Hub to your Wi-Fi by tapping on “Connect Using Wi-Fi Instead”.
The app will begin searching for your Wink Hub.
Once it confirms that there’s power and that it’s connected to your router, tap on “Add to Wink” at the bottom.
Give it a few moments for the app to add your Wink Hub.
After that, either allow or deny the Wink Hub to use your location, which is used to automate devices based on your home or away status. After that, give your Wink Hub a custom name if you’d like and then hit “Done”.
Your Wink Hub is now connected to your network, as well as the Wink app. Tap on “OK, Got It”.
The hub will now automatically install an update, which should only take a few minutes, but after it’s done, you’ll be able to begin using the hub and add devices to it, as well as link other smarthome devices to the hub and the Wink app.
How to Add Devices to the Hub
To begin adding Z-Wave or Zigbee-based devices to your Wink Hub, tap on “Add a Product”.
From the list of categories that you can choose from, select the one that corresponds to the device you’re adding. In my case, I’m adding an open/close sensor, so I’ll scroll down and tap on “Sensors”.
From there, choose the specific device that you’re adding. I’m adding an Ecolink sensor, but it’s not listed in the Wink app. However, I scroll all the way down and select “Z-Wave Sensor”. Fallout 4 stalker music mod minecraft.
You’ll then scroll through a series of instructions, which may be generic depending on the device you’re adding, but if Wink officially supports it, then it will list specific instructions for that device.
You’ll get to a screen where it will say “Connect Now” at the bottom. Tap on this and wait for the Wink Hub’s light to start blinking blue.
Once the hub is ready to pair with the sensor, pull the battery tab out of the sensor and wait for it to pair with the Wink Hub. When it does pair, the app will move onto the next screen where you’ll choose where the sensor is being placed in your home. Hit “Next”.
On the next screen, tap on “Done” or “Name Sensor” if you want to give it a custom name (like “front door” or “garage door”), which you will want to do so that way you know which door is opened and closed when you have multiple sensors set up.
After that, the sensor will appear in the app and you’ll be able to see its status and whether or not it’s open or closed.
![Wink Hub 2 Solid Blue Hub Not Found Wink Hub 2 Solid Blue Hub Not Found](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123719720/304337876.jpg)
How to Link Existing Smarthome Devices to the Wink App
If you simply want to link an existing smarthome device to the Wink app, you can do so from the same “Add a Product” menu. In this case, we’ll be linking an Ecobee3 smart thermostat to Wink, so we’ll start by selecting “Heating & Cooling”.
Tap on “Ecobee3 Thermostat”.
Hit “Next”.
Tap on “I Have an Account” if you already have your thermostat all set up (which you likely you do at this point).
Tap on “Connect Now”.
Enter in your credentials for your Ecobee account and then tap “Log In”.
Hit “Accept” at the bottom after you log in.
Tap on “Next”.
The thermostat will now appear in the Wink app where you’ll have nearly full control of its settings without having to separately open up the Ecobee3 app.
Obviously, you can connect a lot more than just sensors and thermostats to Wink, so if you have a house full of smarthome devices, be sure to add them to Wink in order to make a one-stop shop from which you can control all of your devices.
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The Wink Hub is yet another smarthome hub that aims to compete with the likes of SmartThings and Insteon in order to create a central device that all of your other smarthome devices can connect to. Here’s how to set it up.
What Is the Wink Hub?
Smarthome hubs act as a central device that connects to your router (thus giving it access to your network and the internet) and then your various other smarthome devices can connect to it, like sensors, smart bulbs, smart outlets, and smart light switches.
RELATED:What Are “ZigBee” and “Z-Wave” Smarthome Products?
Many of these smaller devices communicate using the Z-Wave and ZigBee wireless protocols, which is why a special smarthome hub is necessary in the first place—your router doesn’t support either protocol, so your phone has to communicate with something that sends out Z-Wave or ZigBee signals to your devices.
There are many smarthome hubs on the market, but Wink has one big difference from products like Samsung SmartThings or Insteon. Wink doesn’t make its own sensors, outlets, lights, and more. So whereas SmartThings and Insteon both make their own line of sensors and such to go along with their respective hubs, Wink only makes a hub. This isn’t a problem at all, though, as Wink simply relies on third-party manufacturers to make Z-Wave and ZigBee devices.
For instance, companies like GoControl, Cree, GE, Osram, Leviton, and Lutron all officially make products that can connect to the Wink Hub, and there are hundreds of other devices that can connect to the Wink Hub, even though they may not be officially supported, since Z-Wave and ZigBee are relatively open protocols.
Plus, the Wink Hub supports a ton of other smarthome platforms, even if they already have their own hub. For example, you can link your Philips Hue lights to the Wink app and control them from there (though you’ll still need the separate Hue hub to do so). Wink also supports Nest products, the Ecobee3 thermostat, the Ring Doorbell, Kwikset and Schlage smart locks, and even water heaters and garage door openers from Rheem and Chamberlain, respectively.
The Wink Hub is on its second generation, and the newer hub comes with better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as improved processing power. This guide will focus on setting up the second-generation Wink Hub (called the Wink Hub 2), but the instructions are nearly the same for either generation.
Setting Up the Hub
Start off by unpacking the Wink Hub, plug it into power, and connect it to your router using the included ethernet cable (plug it into any free ethernet port on the router). You can connect it to your router using Wi-Fi, but it’s best to use ethernet if at all possible.
It will automatically boot up and display a blinking white status light on the front.
Next, download the Wink app on your iOS or Android device.
Open up the app and either log in to an existing Wink account, or hit “Sign Up” to create one.
When you sign up, you’ll need to enter in your name, email address, and create a password.
Once you create your account or log in, you’ll be taken to the main screen of the app. Tap on the plus button that says “Add a Product”.
Since we’ll be connecting the Wink Hub to the app, you’ll select “Hubs” from the list.
Next, select “Wink Hub 2”. (If you have the older Wink Hub, select “Wink Hub”.)
Hit “Next” since we already plugged our Wink Hub in, although this is where you can connect your Wink Hub to your Wi-Fi by tapping on “Connect Using Wi-Fi Instead”.
The app will begin searching for your Wink Hub.
Once it confirms that there’s power and that it’s connected to your router, tap on “Add to Wink” at the bottom.
Give it a few moments for the app to add your Wink Hub.
After that, either allow or deny the Wink Hub to use your location, which is used to automate devices based on your home or away status. After that, give your Wink Hub a custom name if you’d like and then hit “Done”.
Your Wink Hub is now connected to your network, as well as the Wink app. Tap on “OK, Got It”.
The hub will now automatically install an update, which should only take a few minutes, but after it’s done, you’ll be able to begin using the hub and add devices to it, as well as link other smarthome devices to the hub and the Wink app.
How to Add Devices to the Hub
To begin adding Z-Wave or Zigbee-based devices to your Wink Hub, tap on “Add a Product”.
From the list of categories that you can choose from, select the one that corresponds to the device you’re adding. In my case, I’m adding an open/close sensor, so I’ll scroll down and tap on “Sensors”.
From there, choose the specific device that you’re adding. I’m adding an Ecolink sensor, but it’s not listed in the Wink app. However, I scroll all the way down and select “Z-Wave Sensor”.
You’ll then scroll through a series of instructions, which may be generic depending on the device you’re adding, but if Wink officially supports it, then it will list specific instructions for that device.
You’ll get to a screen where it will say “Connect Now” at the bottom. Tap on this and wait for the Wink Hub’s light to start blinking blue.
Once the hub is ready to pair with the sensor, pull the battery tab out of the sensor and wait for it to pair with the Wink Hub. When it does pair, the app will move onto the next screen where you’ll choose where the sensor is being placed in your home. Hit “Next”.
On the next screen, tap on “Done” or “Name Sensor” if you want to give it a custom name (like “front door” or “garage door”), which you will want to do so that way you know which door is opened and closed when you have multiple sensors set up.
After that, the sensor will appear in the app and you’ll be able to see its status and whether or not it’s open or closed.
How to Link Existing Smarthome Devices to the Wink App
If you simply want to link an existing smarthome device to the Wink app, you can do so from the same “Add a Product” menu. In this case, we’ll be linking an Ecobee3 smart thermostat to Wink, so we’ll start by selecting “Heating & Cooling”.
Tap on “Ecobee3 Thermostat”.
Hit “Next”.
Tap on “I Have an Account” if you already have your thermostat all set up (which you likely you do at this point).
Tap on “Connect Now”.
Enter in your credentials for your Ecobee account and then tap “Log In”.
Hit “Accept” at the bottom after you log in.
Tap on “Next”.
The thermostat will now appear in the Wink app where you’ll have nearly full control of its settings without having to separately open up the Ecobee3 app.
Obviously, you can connect a lot more than just sensors and thermostats to Wink, so if you have a house full of smarthome devices, be sure to add them to Wink in order to make a one-stop shop from which you can control all of your devices.
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Firmware updates are annoying, but they’re essential to a properly working (and secure) device. The Wink Hub is no exception, but if you’d rather not have to deal with updating the hub every time new firmware comes out, you can actually enable automatic updates.
RELATED:How to Set Up the Wink Hub (and Start Adding Devices)
This new feature is available in the Wink app for iPhone (sorry, Android users), and it’s quick and easy to enable if you want your Wink Hub to handle all the updates itself.
Start by opening up the Wink app and tapping on the menu icon up in the top-left corner of the screen.
Select “Hubs”.
Tap on the settings gear icon in the top-right corner.
Select your Wink Hub.
Scroll down a bit and tap on “Firmware Updates”.
Tap on the toggle switch next to “Enable Firmware Updates” if it’s not already turned on.
Below that you can choose when firmware updates are installed by turning off the toggle switch next “Allow Updates Anytime”.
From there, choose a start and end time to create a window when firmware updates will be installed within, preferably sometime in the middle of the night or while you’re at work, that way it’s not updating when you may want to use your Wink system. However, keep in mind that Wink warns that lights may automatically turn on after an update, even if they were off before. So if you use Wink lights in your bedroom, you might get blinded unexpectedly if you set updates to occur at night.
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