Congratulations on your purchase of the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub as the central connection and intelligent brain of your Smart Home. By connecting wirelessly to a wide range of compatible smart devices, like lights and sensors, it will allow you to use your home's lighting, heating and appliances more conveniently and efficiently. And, at the same time giving you greater levels of comfort and security.
Home Assistant, the most popular and widely used Open Source Smart Home software, boasting 1000's of users & community developers, is pre-installed and ready to go after just a few minutes of initial setup.
Weekly software updates give fresh features & integrations, along with a supervised installation meaning we can help with remote support where needed.
Add-ons, automations, 1000's of compatible products and native mobile apps for remote access (iPhone & Android)... all mirrored with a fully local installation, meaning no cloud reliance.
To ease your journey with your new Controller we've pulled together a list of common resources to assist you in this "Quick Start" guide.
Please note: This guide applies to the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub RELEASE version, it does not apply to the BETA early-access version.
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Help My Decide If the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub Is Right For Met
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RTFM
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Hardware Features
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Software Features
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Out-of-the-box Setup
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Accessing the Z-Wave JS UI User Interface
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Accessing the Zigbee2MQTT User Interface
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Restarting Home Assistant, Rebooting or Shutting Down
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Backup & Restore
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Factory Reset Home Assistant Configuration
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Advanced Functions
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Getting Help & Support
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Choosing Devices Wisely
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Why doesn't my Z-wave, Zigbee or WiFi Device work correctly with Home Assistant?
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Vesternet Recommendations
I've not bought it yet, help me decide if Vesternet HOMEIX Hub is for me!
If you're just starting out with Home Automation then we'd suggest taking a look at our Getting Started section to begin with.
Once you're up to speed with the general knowledge surrounding Smart Homes you might need some help with choosing a Smart Home Controller. This can be difficult as they all do similar things but in different ways. It means that it can be a very subjective decision because it depends on each individual user's needs and requirements. For more help and advice our Choosing A Smart Home Controller section will break down all the areas that you need to consider.
If you've settled on Vesternet HOMEIX Hub and just need a bit more piece of mind that you've made the right decision, then it's worth checking out the product Reviews and Q&A's as these will give you real-world customer experiences.
RTFM
Unless you're paying a professional, Smart Home installation is largely a self-help situation where you'll need to carry out some research and get hands-on with your chosen Controller and devices.
No matter how boring it may seem, the golden rule is to start with the manuals!
Reading available how-to guides as well as watching videos is also recommended as it's the quickest way to build your knowledge and improve your Home Automation skill-set.
Hardware Features
The Vesternet HOMEIX Hub is a powerful Single Board Computer (SBC) powered by a Quad Core Cortex A53 CPU and featuring 2GB RAM Memory and 32GB eMMC storage. On top of that, it has Zigbee 3.0 and Z-Wave 700 radio chips built in, making it a very capable platform for a Home Assistant based Smart Home!
Specifications
- Quad Core Cortex A53 CPU
- 2GB RAM Memory
- 32GB eMMC Storage
- Zigbee EFR32MG21 3.0 Radio
- Z-Wave ZGM130S 700 Series Radio
- USB-C Port (Power, USB-C 5V 3A Power Supply Included)
- USB-A 2.0 Port
- Micro SD Card Slot
- 10/100M Ethernet Network Port
- Wall Mounting Plate Included
Overview
There are a number of ports and buttons on the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub shown in the image below.
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LED Indicator Ring
These give a visual representation of the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub status:
RED - Power On & Booting (if power has just been applied) OR Safe To Shutdown (if shutdown command has been issued)
BLUE - Operating System Running
GREEN - Home Assistant Running
RED BLINKING FAST - Booting To Recovery Mode
GREEN BLINKING SLOW - Recovery Mode Ready -
Power Cycle (labeled "reset")
This will instantly cut and re-apply power internally initiating a hard power cycle. Use as a last resort only! -
SD Card
See Advanced Functions -
Recovery Boot (labeled with "power symbol")
See Advanced Functions -
Ethernet Network
Supports 10/100M Auto Negotiation -
USB A Port
See Advanced Functions -
USB C Port
For Power(USB-C 5V 3A Power Supply Included)
Software Features
From the factory we've loaded the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub with a default image that brings together the underlying Linux Operating System and appropriate software packages to support the onboard hardware. We've then installed and pre-configured the Open Source Home Assistant Supervised, Z-Wave JS UI and Zigbee2MQTT software stack so that it's all ready-to-go as soon as you power it up!
Home Assistant is an Open Source Smart Home platform that puts local control and privacy first. It integrates with over a thousand different devices and services out-of-the-box and features an advanced automation engine to make your home work for you. Home Assistant communicates with your devices locally, and will fallback to pulling in data from the cloud if there is no other option. No data is stored in the cloud, and everything is processed locally.
The popular Smart Home protocol Z-Wave is supported in Home Assistant using the Z-Wave JS integration. The Vesternet HOMEIX Hub utilises the Z-Wave JS UI Addon rather than the standard Z-Wave JS version as it offers a more feature-rich experience including a dedicated Z-Wave Control Panel UI and MQTT gateway.
For Zigbee Smart Home protocol support in Home Assistant, the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub leverages the Zigbee2MQTT Addon. This was chosen over the ZHA integration for a number of reasons, including offering support for more devices as will as including a dedicated Zigbee Control Panel UI and MQTT gateway.
Out-of-the-box Setup
Getting started with the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub is simple, all you need to do is:
- Connect the Ethernet port to your network (for example via your Internet router)
- Connect the USB-C port to the power supply and plug it in
- Turn on the power
- Wait for the LED to turn green (can take 2 -3 minutes on the initial boot up)
- Obtain the network IP address that the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub has been allocated by your Internet router (usually your Internet router will have a web UI to allow this to be viewed)
- Point your web browser to the Home Assistant UI at http://YOUR_HUB_IP_ADDRESS:8123
Once the Home Assisstant UI has loaded, you can follow the initial Home Assistant onboarding Wizard in order to create your user account, enter your location and configure your privacy preferences.
For further information see the Home Assistant onboarding documentation.
Accessing the Z-Wave JS UI User Interface
The Vesternet HOMEIX Hub utilises the Z-Wave JS UI Addon for Z-Wave device support and this has been pre-configured out-of-the-box to work with the on-board Z-Wave 700 Series radio chip.
Accessing the Z-Wave JS UI user interface is as simple as clicking on the shortcut in the Home Assistant menu bar on the left of the Home Assistant User Interface.
Further information on using the Z-Wave JS UI that covers Z-Wave device Inclusion and configuration can be found in the Z-Wave JS UI Documentation.
Accessing the Zigbee2MQTT User Interface
The Vesternet HOMEIX Hub utilises the Zigbee2MQTT UI Addon for Zigbee device support and this has been pre-configured out-of-the-box to work with the on-board Zigbee 3.0 radio chip.
Accessing the Zigbee2MQTT UI user interface is as simple as clicking on the shortcut in the Home Assistant menu bar on the left of the Home Assistant User Interface.
Further information on using the Zigbee2MQTT that covers Zigbee device Pairing and configuration can be found in the Zigbee2MQTT Documentation.
Restarting Home Assistant, Rebooting or Shutting Down
Home Assistant Supervised is based around the Docker containerisation system, meaning that each part of the Home Assistant platform is running in a "virtual" environment. This means that it's incredibly important to only restart Home Assistant, reboot or shut down the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub using the commands from within Home Assistant itself. Doing so ensures that the correct processes are followed when stopping the Docker containers and this helps to minimise any chances of data loss or corruption.
Physically hard power cycling the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub, restarting Home Assistant, rebooting or shutting down by some other method should be avoided unless it's the last resort!
Backup & Restore
Being able to backup your Smart Home Hub is an important part of managing your overall Home Automation system - it's amazing how some other Controllers don't offer a way to do this (we're looking at you Philips Hue)!
Fortunately the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub uses Home Assistant Supervised and this comes with a full Backup & Restore sytem built right in, allowing you to easily snapshot your Smart Home Hub settings and configuration with ease.
Taking A Backup
Taking a full configuration snapshot of Home Assistant is simple, head to Settings -> System -> Backup and click on "Create Backup". Give the backup a name and choose whether you want to create a "Full" or "Partial" backup.
If creating a partial backup you can choose what aspects of the configuration to snapshot, but most users would simply elect to do a full backup since you can choose what to restore later.
You can also choose to password protect your backup file if it contains sensitive information.
The backup usually takes a few minutes to run, but may take longer depending on how large your Home Assistant installation is.
Once completed, it should be remembered that the backup file is stored on your Vesternet HOMEIX Hub by default - remember to download it somewhere to keep it safe. A backup is useless if you don't have easy access to it, for example in the event of total hardware failure!
Restoring A Backup
As with taking a backup, restoring a backup is also simple!
Select the backup file that you wish to restore and then choose what you want to restore from it. If the backup was a partial backup, you can select each sub-part individually or all the sub-parts at the parent level. If the backup was a full backup then you can leave the default which is to restore everything, or click on "Partial backup" to expand the contents of the backup file in order to select the individual parts.
Finally, click "Restore" to actually restore the data. Home Assistant will ask you to confirm that you wish to proceed, giving you an option to cancel if you've changed your mind.
For further information see the Home Assistant Backup & Restore documentation.
It should be noted that while the Backup & Restore functionality in Home Assistant will snapshot Addons such as Z-Wave JS UI and Zigbee2MQTT, it might not take backups of data on any associated radio chip! This means that you might need to take extra steps to ensure that this data is backed up - see the respective Addon documentation for further details.
Factory Reset Home Assistant Configuration
To factory reset the Home Assistant configuration you can simply restore the "FACTORY_RESET" full backup that was created before your Vesternet HOMEIX Hub was shipped!
This utilises the built in Backup & Restore features of Home Assistant Supervised described above. It should remove any configuration changes that have been made to your Home Assistant installation since it was first powered on.
You can choose to restore the full backup or the partial backup, which allows selection of the various elements that were backed up previously.
Advanced Functions
In general day-to-day use, there should be no need for end-users to access and use the functions listed below.
That said, the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub has built on the principles of Open Source software and is essentially an entirely open system and the end-user can do what they want with it, obviously entirely at their own risk!
Accessing and using these functions is not supported by Vesternet and should issues arise with the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub after doing so, you will simply be asked to raise a return request so that the Vesternet HOMIEX Hub can be returned and flashed to factory defaults. Accessing and using these functions is deemed to be acceptance of these terms!
While providing support, instruction or help with these functions is beyond the scope of what Vesternet offers, some general pointers are detailed below.
SSH Console Access
The Vesternet HOMEIX Hub exposes a console via SSH over the standard port (22). Access is via the username "root" and the password "root".
Of course, since this is an open system you are free to change these as required, move access to a different port or increase security by moving to certificate based login and disabling passwords entirely.
Adding USB or SD Card Storage
As mentioned previously, a standard micro SD card slot and USB A 2.0 port are available on the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub and these can be used to add additional storage, perhaps for backup purposes.
Upon insertion, the Linux kernel should automatically recognise the USB or SD storage device but it will not be mounted by default. You'll need to check the kernel logs to see what's been discovered and mount it accordingly.
Additional steps will be required should you also wish to expose the storage to Home Assistant.
Adding USB Hardware
One of the key benefits of Home Assistant is that it works with thousands of Smart Home devices from hundreds of manufactures across many different technologies.
While the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub covers two of the key technologies using its built in radio chips for Z-Wave 700 series and Zigbee 3.0, others such as Bluetooth, 433MHz, 868MHz or Thread will likely require additional hardware.
To add USB Hardware to the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub you'll need to install the appropriate software and supporting packages to the Linux Operating System and configure the hardware so that it is exposed to the Home Assistant installation.
Backup & Restore Root File System Image
While the built in backup & restore functionality of the Home Assistant Supervised installation work very well, a root file system "image" takes a snapshot of the entire root file system. This has additional benefits, such as including any changes that you've made to the underlying Linux Operating System.
To do this with the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub you'll need to first reboot it into a special "recovery" system - this is a read-only basic Linux installation running from a separate storage partition. Once there you can access the console via SSH in order to either create or restore a root file system image.
Ensure that either an EXT4 or exFAT formatted USB or SD card storage has been inserted into the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub, with at least 64GB of free space available!
Reboot To Recovery System
There are two ways to enter the recovery system:
- Triple click the "Recovery Boot" button on the rear of the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub (this is the one labelled with a power symbol).
- From the console via SSH, type in "/usr/bin/homeix_recovery.sh" and hit Enter:
root@HomeAssistant:~# /usr/bin/homeix_recovery.sh 1+0 records in 1+0 records out 1024 bytes (1.0 kB, 1.0 KiB) copied, 0.00269069 s, 381 kB/s
The Vesternet HOMEIX Hub will then reboot into the recovery system.
Please note that this can take several minutes! While booting into the recovery system the LED will blink RED fast, then turn solid RED and once the recovery system is ready the LED will blink GREEN slowly.
Taking An Image Of The Root File System
There are several convenience utility scripts that have been provided in order to automate this process.
- /usr/bin/backup_to_sd.sh - this utility will mount the first partition on an sd card (/dev/mmcblk0p1) on mount point /mnt, create a copy of the root file system from /dev/mmcblk2p7 into /mnt/rootfs.img using a 10M block size and finally unmount /mnt allowing you to remove the sd card safely and use the rootfs.img file as a point in time backup image of your Vesternet HOMEIX Hub.
start here !
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#/usr/bin/backup_to_sd.sh **************************************** use of this utility is at your own risk! **************************************** this utility will mount the first partition on an sd card (/dev/mmcblk0p1) on mount point /mnt it will then create a copy of the root file system from /dev/mmcblk2p7 into /mnt/rootfs.img using a 10M block size finally, it will unmount /mnt allowing you to remove the sd card safely and use the rootfs.img file as a point in time backup image of your HOMEIX hub please ensure an sd card with at least 32GB of free space is inserted and formatted with either EXT4 or FAT! proceed (Y) or quit (N)? Y mounting /dev/mmcblk0p1 to /mnt! /mnt mounted successfully! proceed (Y) with root fs image from /dev/mmcblk2p7 to /mnt/rootfs.img? Y imaging root fs, please be patient! 2963+1 records in 2963+1 records out root file system image /mnt/rootfs.img completed, checking image, please wait! e2fsck 1.45.6 (20-Mar-2020) Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes Pass 2: Checking directory structure Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity Pass 4: Checking reference counts Pass 5: Checking group summary information /mnt/rootfs.img: 500747/1900544 files (0.2% non-contiguous), 2811848/7587835 blocks resizing image, please wait! resize2fs 1.46.2 (28-Feb-2021) Resizing the filesystem on /mnt/rootfs.img to 2814989 (4k) blocks. Begin pass 2 (max = 324602) Relocating blocks XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Begin pass 3 (max = 232) Scanning inode table XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Begin pass 4 (max = 58760) Updating inode references XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The filesystem on /mnt/rootfs.img is now 2814989 (4k) blocks long. adding 2G of free space to the image, please wait! image size is 11G, new image size will be 13G resize2fs 1.46.2 (28-Feb-2021) Resizing the filesystem on /mnt/rootfs.img to 3407872 (4k) blocks. The filesystem on /mnt/rootfs.img is now 3407872 (4k) blocks long. root file system image /mnt/rootfs.img resized, checking image, please wait! e2fsck 1.45.6 (20-Mar-2020) Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes Pass 2: Checking directory structure Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity Pass 4: Checking reference counts Pass 5: Checking group summary information /mnt/rootfs.img: 500747/851968 files (0.3% non-contiguous), 2745052/3407872 blocks root file system image /mnt/rootfs.img completed, unmounting /mnt press any key to quit!
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/usr/bin/backup_to_usb.sh - this utility will mount the first partition on a usb flash drive (/dev/sda1) on mount point /mnt, create a copy of the root file system from /dev/mmcblk2p7 into /mnt/rootfs.img using a 10M block size and finally unmount /mnt allowing you to remove the usb flash drive safely and use the rootfs.img file as a point in time backup image of your Vesternet HOMEIX Hub.
#/usr/bin/backup_to_usb.sh **************************************** use of this utility is at your own risk! **************************************** this utility will mount the first partition on a usb flash drive (/dev/sda1) on mount point /mnt it will then create a copy of the root file system from /dev/mmcblk2p7 into /mnt/rootfs.img using a 10M block size finally, it will unmount /mnt allowing you to remove the usb flash drive safely and use the rootfs.img file as a point in time backup image of your HOMEIX hub please ensure a usb flash drive with at least 64GB of free space is inserted and formatted with either EXT4 or exFAT! proceed (Y) or quit (N)? Y mounting /dev/sda1 to /mnt! /mnt mounted successfully! proceed (Y) with root fs image from /dev/mmcblk2p7 to /mnt/rootfs.img? Y imaging root fs, please be patient! 2963+1 records in 2963+1 records out root file system image /mnt/rootfs.img completed, checking image, please wait! e2fsck 1.45.6 (20-Mar-2020) Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes Pass 2: Checking directory structure Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity Pass 4: Checking reference counts Pass 5: Checking group summary information /mnt/rootfs.img: 500751/1900544 files (0.2% non-contiguous), 2817637/7587835 blocks resizing image, please wait! resize2fs 1.46.2 (28-Feb-2021) Resizing the filesystem on /mnt/rootfs.img to 2820767 (4k) blocks. Begin pass 2 (max = 320159) Relocating blocks XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Begin pass 3 (max = 232) Scanning inode table XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Begin pass 4 (max = 58763) Updating inode references XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The filesystem on /mnt/rootfs.img is now 2820767 (4k) blocks long. adding 2G of free space to the image, please wait! image size is 11G, new image size will be 13G resize2fs 1.46.2 (28-Feb-2021) Resizing the filesystem on /mnt/rootfs.img to 3407872 (4k) blocks. The filesystem on /mnt/rootfs.img is now 3407872 (4k) blocks long. root file system image /mnt/rootfs.img resized, checking image, please wait! e2fsck 1.45.6 (20-Mar-2020) Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes Pass 2: Checking directory structure Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity Pass 4: Checking reference counts Pass 5: Checking group summary information /mnt/rootfs.img: 500751/851968 files (0.2% non-contiguous), 2750843/3407872 blocks root file system image /mnt/rootfs.img completed, unmounting /mnt press any key to quit!
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/usr/bin/backup_to_ssh.sh - this utility will create a copy of the root file system from /dev/mmcblk2p7 over SSH to a remote directory /remote_directory/rootfs.img using a 10M block size. Ensure that the commands e2fsck and resize2fs are present on the remote system. Once complete, you can use the rootfs.img file as a point in time backup image of your Vesternet HOMEIX Hub.
# backup_to_ssh.sh remote_host_ip_address remote_host_ssh_port remote_host_user remote_host_password remote_host_directory **************************************** use of this utility is at your own risk! **************************************** this utility will create a copy of the root file system from /dev/mmcblk2p7 over SSH to a remote directory /remote_directory/rootfs.img using a 10M block size please ensure that the commands e2fsck and resize2fs are present on the remote system! once complete, you can use the rootfs.img file as a point in time backup image of your HOMEIX hub there's very little error checking here, so please ensure that the hostname / ip address, SSH port, user name and remote directory are correct usage: backup_to_ssh.sh hostname port user password remote_directory example: backup_to_ssh.sh 192.168.1.150 2222 ubuntu ubuntu /backup your input: backup_to_ssh.sh 192.168.1.150 2222 ubuntu ubuntu /backup host: 192.168.1.150 port: 2222 user: ubuntu password: ubuntu remote_directory: /backup proceed (Y) or quit (N)? Y checking connection connection seems OK! proceed (Y) with root file system image from /dev/mmcblk2p7 to /backup/rootfs.img? Y imaging root file system, please be patient! 2963+1 records in 2964+0 records out 0+748115 records in 0+748115 records out 31079792640 bytes (31 GB, 29 GiB) copied, 4556.55 s, 6.8 MB/s root file system image /backup/rootfs.img completed, checking image, please wait! /backup/rootfs.img: 500751/851968 files (0.2% non-contiguous), 2750843/3407872 blocks resizing image, please wait! resize2fs 1.44.1 (24-Mar-2018) Resizing the filesystem on /backup/rootfs.img to 2812432 (4k) blocks. Begin pass 2 (max = 6976) Relocating blocks XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Begin pass 3 (max = 104) Scanning inode table XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The filesystem on /backup/rootfs.img is now 2812432 (4k) blocks long. adding 2G of free space to the image, please wait! image size is 13G, new image size will be 15G resize2fs 1.44.1 (24-Mar-2018) Resizing the filesystem on /backup/rootfs.img to 3932160 (4k) blocks. The filesystem on /backup/rootfs.img is now 3932160 (4k) blocks long. root file system image /backup/rootfs.img resized, checking image, please wait! /backup/rootfs.img: 500751/983040 files (0.2% non-contiguous), 2759067/3932160 blocks root file system image /backup/rootfs.img completed press any key to quit!
Restoring An Image Of The Root File System
There are several convenience utility scripts that have been provided in order to automate this process.
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/usr/bin/restore_from_sd.sh - this utility will mount the first partition on an sd card (/dev/mmcblk0p1) on mount point /mnt, look for the file /mnt/rootfs.img and image it to the root file system on /dev/mmcblk2p7 using a 10M block size and finally unmount /mnt allowing you to remove the sd card safely.
# restore_from_sd.sh **************************************** use of this utility is at your own risk! **************************************** this utility will mount the first partition on an sd card (/dev/mmcblk0p1) on mount point /mnt it will then look for the file /mnt/rootfs.img and image it to the root file system on /dev/mmcblk2p7 using a 10M block size finally, it will unmount /mnt allowing you to remove the sd card safely please ensure an sd card with a valid HOMEIX rootfs.img exists - there is ZERO error checking, whatever the rootfs.img contains WILL BE WRITTEN to the root file system! proceed (Y) or quit (N)? Y mounting /dev/mmcblk0p1 to /mnt! /mnt mounted successfully! proceed (Y) with root file systen image from /mnt/rootfs.img to /dev/mmcblk2p7? Y imaging root file system, please be patient! root file system image from /mnt/rootfs.img to /dev/mmcblk2p7 completed, unmounting /mnt checking root file system on /dev/mmcblk2p7 root file system on /dev/mmcblk2p7 seems ok, you may now reboot! press any key to quit!
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/usr/bin/restore_from_usb.sh - this utility will mount the first partition a usb flash drive (/dev/sda1) on mount point /mnt, look for the file /mnt/rootfs.img and image it to the root file system on /dev/mmcblk2p7 using a 10M block size and finally unmount /mnt allowing you to remove the usb flash drive safely.
# restore_from_usb.sh **************************************** use of this utility is at your own risk! **************************************** this utility will mount the first partition on a usb flash drive (/dev/sda1) on mount point /mnt it will then look for the file /mnt/rootfs.img and image it to the root file system on /dev/mmcblk2p7 using a 10M block size finally, it will unmount /mnt allowing you to remove the usb flash drive safely please ensure a usb flash drive with a valid HOMEIX rootfs.img exists - there is ZERO error checking, whatever the rootfs.img contains WILL BE WRITTEN to the root file system! proceed (Y) or quit (N)? Y mounting /dev/sda1 to /mnt! /mnt mounted successfully! proceed (Y) with root file systen image from /mnt/rootfs.img to /dev/mmcblk2p7? Y imaging root file system, please be patient! root file system image from /mnt/rootfs.img to /dev/mmcblk2p7 completed, unmounting /mnt checking root file system on /dev/mmcblk2p7 root file system on /dev/mmcblk2p7 seems ok, you may now reboot! press any key to quit!
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/usr/bin/restore_from_ssh.sh - this utility will look for the file /remote_directory/rootfs.img on a remote host using SSH and image it to the root file system on /dev/mmcblk2p7 using a 10M block size.
# restore_from_ssh.sh remote_host_ip_address remote_host_ssh_port remote_host_user remote_host_password remote_host_directory **************************************** use of this utility is at your own risk! **************************************** this utility look for the file /remote_directory/rootfs.img on a remote host using SSH and image it to the root file system on /dev/mmcblk2p7 using a 10M block size there's very little error checking here, so please ensure that the hostname / ip address, SSH port, user name and remote directory are correct please also ensure that a valid HOMEIX rootfs.img exists in the remote directory - there is ZERO error checking, whatever the rootfs.img contains WILL BE WRITTEN to the root file system! usage: restore_from_ssh.sh hostname port user password remote_directory example: restore_from_ssh.sh 192.168.1.150 2222 ubuntu ubuntu /backup your input: restore_from_ssh.sh 192.168.1.150 2222 ubuntu ubuntu /backup host: 192.168.1.150 port: 2222 user: ubuntu password: ubuntu remote_directory: /backup proceed (Y) or quit (N)? Y checking connection connection seems OK! proceed (Y) with root file systen image from /backup/rootfs.img to /dev/mmcblk2p7? Y imaging root file system, please be patient! 1536+0 records in 1536+0 records out 16106127360 bytes (16 GB, 15 GiB) copied, 2054.22 s, 7.8 MB/s 0+459816 records in 0+459816 records out root file system image from /backup/rootfs.img to /dev/mmcblk2p7 completed checking root file system on /dev/mmcblk2p7 root file system on /dev/mmcblk2p7 seems ok, you may now reboot! press any key to quit!
While imaging is taking place, the LED on the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub will provide visual feedback as follows:
- BLUE - starting
- BLUE BLINKING SLOWLY - creating / restoring image
- GREEN - success, ready to reboot
- RED - an error occurred
Please note that while best efforts have been made to ensure that these scripts run without issue, Vesternet is not responsible for any problems that may be caused by their usage!
Flashing To Factory Defaults
At this time, the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub will need to be returned so that it can be flashed back to the factory default image. While this may change in the future, there is currently no end-user method to complete this process.
Please note that doing this will remove all Home Assistant configuration as well as any Z-Wave and Zigbee device configuration that may be stored in the radio chips. You'll need to ensure that you have appropriate backups of that data so that you can restore it at a later date!
Updating To The Latest Version
From time to time the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub will leave the factory with a new default image. Generally speaking this will only contain small updates to the underlying Linux Operating System, along with the latest versions of Home Assistant and its associated Addons.
Since updates to Home Assistant and its associated Addons are automatically handled within the Home Assistant Supervised installation itself, and the end-user is free to update the underlying Linux Operating System themselves, there's generally no need for an existing Vesternet HOMEIX Hub to be "updated" with a new default image.
Of course, shoud the end-user wish for this to be carried out anyway, they can return the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub so that it can be flashed to factory defaults. While this may change in the future, there is currently no end-user method to complete this process.
Please note that doing this will remove all Home Assistant configuration as well as any Z-Wave and Zigbee device configuration that may be stored in the radio chips. You'll need to ensure that you have appropriate backups of that data so that you can restore it at a later date!
Getting Help & Support
The Vesternet HOMEIX Hub consists of three distinct parts, the hardware, the operating system and the software. Each of these has different routes to get help and support and we'll detail these in the sections below.
If you're then still unsure where best to direct your request for help, contact Vesternet and we can point you in an appropriate direction.
Vesternet HOMEIX Hub Hardware
In developing the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub, we sought to solve one of the biggest issues with new users that wanted to begin their journey with the Home Assistant Smart Home software - getting a plug-and-play solution.
Based on customer feedback, this was a huge barrier, involving wasting countless hours researching seperate hardware and software components in order to build a stable platform. Even then, getting everything installed and operating correctly can prove to be a minefield of incompatibility issues and that's before you get to opening the Home Assistant web UI and adding your first Smart Home device!
The Vesternet HOMEIX Hub therefore combines a powerful SBC, Zigbee 3.0 and Z-Wave 700 radio chips, along with a ready-to-go Linux Operating System and Home Assistant Supervised installation. It is as plug-and-play as you can get, less than 5 minutes from powering up and you can be pairing your first Zigbee or Z-Wave device!
The underlying hardware of the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub is manufactured by Dusun IoT.
Support for any issues with the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub hardware itself is available from Vesternet via our usual communication channels, Dusun IoT do not provide end-user support themselves.
Vesternet HOMEIX Hub Operating System
The Vesternet HOMEIX Hub Operating System consists of a basic Debian 11 Linux installation, built using the Dusun IoT SDK and following the recommendations on installing Home Assistant Supervised. This means that while all of the Home Assistant related parts are fully "managed", the underlying Operating System is managed by the end-user.
In general day-to-day use, there should be no need for the end-user to concern themselves with this, in many respects the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub can be thought of as a "black box" solution like any other commercial hub such as Hubitat, SmartThings or Vera, where their underlying Operating System is frozen at the point when the hub was released.
Of course, since the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub is a completely open device, the end-user is free to access the Operating System, update it, make changes to it, etc, etc, obviously entirely at their own risk!
It should be remembered that doing so is not supported by Vesternet and should issues arise with the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub after making any changes to the underlying Operating System, you will simply be asked to raise a return request so that the Vesternet HOMIEX Hub can be returned and flashed to factory defaults. Making any changes to the underlying Operating System is deemed to be acceptance of these terms!
Support for the Debian Linux Operating System is forum based, the following links may assist with help and further research if required.
Vesternet HOMEIX Hub Software
Since the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub is running the Open Source Home Assistant Supervised, Z-Wave JS UI and Zigbee2MQTT software stack, generally speaking their respective forums and communities are in the best position to help if something isn't quite working correctly in these areas.
As mentioned previously, it should be remembered that Smart Home installation is mostly self-help, so the develop teams of the software aren't really the right places to ask general "how can I do ....?" type questions. Some developers might offer such assistance but don't be surprised if you don't get a response!
Without doubt, communities, forums and groups are the best places to get help with Open Source software. There's nothing greater than the "Wisdom Of Crowds" and most Open Source software will have one or more locations where other users hang out. Some communities are incredibly active too, with many hundreds of new messages every day.
Remember to use any search facility prior to posting a new question or request for help - the chances are that somebody else has already experienced your particular problem or asked the same question previously! Also look out for any real-time live chat facilities as these are perfect for getting instant help with a pressing issue.
Do remember that most of these resources aren't "official" ways to get support and are manned by volunteers or simply frequented by other users, so be respectful and understanding that somebody has gone out of their way giving their personal time to help.
If you believe that your particular issue is caused by a bug with the Open Source software and it's something that can be reproduced consistently, then that's certainly worthy of making contact with the developers themselves!
In the first instance though, you should check the existing Issues lists to see if anybody else there has reported the problem. Adding additional information to an existing matching issue is always appreciated more than creating a duplicate.
Choosing Devices Wisely
One of the most confusing tasks when setting up a Smart Home can be determining which devices work together.
Depending on which products are being compared, this question can be answered in several different ways. It may be that the devices are Compatible with each other at a protocol level, or that they are Interoperable with each other via some other method.
The words Compatible and Interoperable often get misunderstood or used incorrectly - they may sound like they mean the same thing, but there are some subtle differences.
If you haven't done so already, make sure to read our "Understanding Compatibility" guide to improve your knowledge, then follow our top tips to help ensure that any potential device purchasess will work together for the best user experience:
Pick Vesternet Hardware Devices
Vesternet Hardware Devices offer many advantages over products from other manufacturers, including hassle free returns, 3 year warranty, lifetime controller compatibility, technical support and dedicated user guides.
These devices have been carefully curated and we support them in the Aeotec SmartThings, Hubitat Elevation and Vesternet HOMEIX Hub Smart Home Controllers.
We've also ensured that all our Hardware Devices are available in both Zigbee and Z-Wave versions, meaning that you can mix-and-match across both technologies while maintaining a consistent hardware style.
View Controller Compatibility Collections
Controller Compatibility Collections simply bring together products that are Compatible and Interoperable as per the definitions covered in our "Understanding Compatibility" guide. They make it simple to view all products that should work with a Controller from your chosen manufacturer.
Use Search Filters to pick the right products
We add and constantly improve the Search Filters on the Vesternet web site. Make use of them to drill down in the search results or product categories to find that perfect product to suit your requirements. There's also a Search Filter for compatibility itself and this shows products that are either Compatibile or Interoperable as per the definitions we've covered previously.
Check the Official Sites
Manufacturers are now doing more than ever to ensure that their products are tested and proven to work with products from other manufacturers, so their official site should be a useful resource to check.
Home Assistant
Z-Wave JS
Zigbee2MQTT
Join Communities
Online forums and communities are the perfect place to glean insights into which products work well together. You'll often find much fairer "warts and all" reports from other users under the banner of anonymity!
Home Assistant
Z-Wave JS
Zigbee2MQTT
Why doesn't my Z-wave, Zigbee or WiFi Device work correctly with Home Assistant?
It's very rare for a brand-new out-of-the-box device to be faulty, so in the vast majority of cases where a device isn't working correctly it's caused by incorrect installation or perhaps not quite following the manual correctly when setting the device up. So it's always worth double checking any manuals before assuming there's a fault.
In some cases products don't work fully or correctly together, even though they should do - this does not mean that the products are faulty! These types of issue are usually referred to as "compatibility" problems.
Usually compatibility issues are resolved quickly by the manufacturers concerned providing details of how to get the products working together, or by releasing a firmware update to fix the problem.
Your first port of call for troubleshooting should be any communities, groups or forums as mentioned above - these can help with most problems and you might find that the fix is simple to implement and you'll be back up and running in no time at all.
If you believe that there's a compatibility issue then it's worth reaching out to the respective development team that manages the Home Assistant Addon that provides support for that particular technology. This ensures that they are aware of the problem and they might be able to offer a fix or workaround immediately, or at least pass the information on internally so that it can be fixed in a future update to their software. For example, for a Z-Wave device you would make contact with the Z-Wave JS developers and for a Zigbee device you would make contact with the Zigbee2MQTT developers.
If it's suspected that the device is faulty then we would suggest checking with the product manufacturer in the first instance as they are the best placed to assist, after all they will know their product inside out and should be able to confirm if it's a genuine hardware fault or not.
Vesternet Recommendations
Once you're up and running with your Vesternet HOMEIX Hub you'll likely want to look at installing additional integrations and features. It can be difficult to know where to start with these as there are hundreds, if not thousands, of different things to choose from!
Below you'll find a selection of our recommendations, these are well worth taking a look at but of course it's your choice whether to install them or not. Remember the golden rules of building a Smart Home and take your time.
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HomeKit Bridge
The HomeKit integration allows you to make your Home Assistant entities available in Apple HomeKit, so they can be controlled from Apple’s Home app and Siri; even if those devices do not natively support HomeKit. -
Node-RED
Flow-based programming for the Internet of Things. Node-RED is a programming tool for wiring together hardware devices, APIs and online services in new and interesting ways. It provides a browser-based editor that makes it easy to wire together flows using the wide range of nodes in the palette that can be deployed to its runtime in a single click. -
ESPHome
ESPHome is a system to control your ESP8266/ESP32 and RP2040 by simple yet powerful configuration files and control them remotely through Home Automation systems. -
Philips Hue
While Philips Hue devices can be used directly with the Vesternet HOMEIX Hub due to its built in Zigbee support, if you already have a Philips Hue Bridge in place and working well, the Philips Hue integration will allow Home Assistant to control and monitor the lights and sensors connected to it. -
Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
With Home Assistant Cloud, you can connect your Home Assistant instance in a few simple clicks to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. With Home Assistant Cloud, you don’t have to deal with dynamic DNS, SSL certificates, or opening ports on your router. Just log in via the user interface and a secure connection with the cloud will be established.
