Wink HUB 2 - Over View

[Teken]

I thought this tech article would be of interest to those looking for another HUB or those considering integrating with the ISY Series Controller.

 

What interested me about this article is the fact the new company took some time to implement a roll back security feature for the secure boot. Its safe to say given so many *Cloud Hosted* devices are so prevalent these days - this should be the norm and not the exception.

 

The hardware was obviously updated to be more powerful - The new company appears to me at least wants this Wink HUB 2 to be taken seriously. At the $99.XX price point I believe even the serious die hard could take a gamble and try to integrate with other controllers like the ISY.

 

Of special note was the support for *Thread* in this little HUB . . .

 

I believe this is the perfect example of waiting for hardware and companies to finally get serious about HA. 

 

Lastly, this *Robots* which is supposed to be similar to IFTTT? Has anyone used or tried this and have personal experience to offer?!?!

 

In closing this HUB supports almost every protocol except Belkins WeMo. Sadly Insteon is not listed at all in the supported HA protocols which isn't a huge surprise these days. But it would have been a huge advancement in terms of market share and penetration if it was.

 

Insight . . .

 

 

After being sold by bankrupt parent company Quirky last year, it's good to see that Wink is still alive and kicking. The Wink Hub 2 ($99) is the next generation of the company's original home automation hub. Like its predecessor, it connects multiple third-party smart home gadgets in one place, so you can adjust, control, and monitor them via one app, rather than a bunch of different ones. Improvements to the Wink Hub 2 include a faster processor and more memory than the original, an Ethernet port and 5GHz Wi-Fi, and expanded device support. There's also a convenient hub-to-hub transfer option so you don't lose your old settings.

New Design 
At 7.25 inches square and 1.25 inches deep, the Wink Hub 2 is a bit smaller and sleeker than the original Wink Connected Home Hub£136.91 at Amazon, which is half an inch thicker. It's still basically a white plastic box, but it has a classier matte finish than the glossy original. The Hub 2 stands upright; the company says you should keep it that way for optimal performance. The sides are somewhat curved, so you wouldn't way to place it sideways anyway.

 

 

 

There's a thin LED indicator on the front edge. It blinks blue when in pairing mode; otherwise it stays off most of the time. On the back you'll find a single power port and an Ethernet jack, the latter of which is a welcome improvement over the original. There are no buttons on the hub itself. It comes with an Ethernet cable and a power adapter in the box.

 

Compatibility and App
Wink says there's a faster processor under the hood, as well as 512MB of RAM. That's a big upgrade over the original's 64MB.

As for protocol support, the Hub 2 can connect via Bluetooth Low Energy, Kidde, Lutron Clear Connect, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, and ZigBee. While the original Wink Hub only supported 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, the Hub 2 can connect via the faster 5GHz band. Ethernet support should also allow for faster, more reliable connectivity.

Wink has included a Thread-capable radio, so if that protocol ever takes off, the Hub 2 will be ready for it. And that just about covers most of the connected home market, outside of Belkin's proprietary WeMo line. That means you can connect lots of third-party products and services to the Hub 2, including ones from Ecobee, GE, and Philips, to name a few.

To use the hub, you need to download the free Wink app, which is available for Android and iOS devices. It uses the same app as the original, which has been updated to show more information, like where the hub is in the setup process in case anything goes wrong (something we experienced with the original).

Wink is also introducing a hub-to-hub transfer function. Existing Wink users can automatically bring over all of their smart products, automations, and settings from the original hub to the Hub 2 through the Wink app without resetting any of the devices. You can also upload that data to the cloud, so if the Hub 2 ever fails, you won't lose your settings. Once the new hub is set up, you can keep the old one connected to expand the range of its wireless network.

Robots return from the first Wink hub. Robots are similar to the IFTTT (If This Then That) service. They let you program connected devices to automatically work together based on events and triggers. For example, you can make your entrance lights turn on when the front door is open. It's a welcome return feature that helps make the case for using a hub rather than a bunch of individual apps.

That said, when we tested the original Wink Hub, the app didn't always include all of the same options for connected devices that you could get by using their dedicated apps. It will be interested to see if this situation has improved.

 

 

 

 

Security and Availability
Upgraded security is perhaps the biggest reason to use the Wink Hub 2. The hub verifies its onboard software and uses Secure Boot to prevent tampering. In the event someone hacks the hub, onboard countermeasures would deactivate the device entirely; Wink can then remotely revert it back to the stock firmware. This is, obviously, a worst-case scenario, but we're glad to see Wink employing stronger security.

 

With faster connectivity, heightened security, and expanded device support, the Wink Hub 2 looks to be a significant improvement over the original. It will be available in October, and we'll be putting it through its paces for a full review. Check back then to see how it compares with the original, and if it can unseat the Samasung SmartThings Hub

 

 

 

[larryllix]

Thanks for the info. (the links in the article are all 404)

 

Last year I owned two Wink Hubs as I thought with their seven different hardware protocols it would be the perfect sidekick to ISY to expand into every hardware protocol know to man, except the closely guarded Insteon protocol.

 

After talking to their tech support and fund that anybody could download and run their app with cool video showing users how to link the Wink to all the other hardware, "in the whole world."

 

Turns out every "hardware in the whole world" and despite their seven different hardware protocols and antennae had no software to support any of them and all the super-box would do was link to other hubs. Every video that I viewed showed me how to

"Press the link button on your Hue/XXX Hub" and connect through WiFi.  What a waste!

 

Just what I needed, was another Hub to talk to my already six other hubs! (sarcasm)

Glad I got my money back before the price dropped to $15, at The Borg (HD).

 

Fabulous idea but....

In plain words... I just don't trust them anymore.

They should have changed their company name, and product name, when they bought the existing failure.

 

Hopefully they can recover and instill trust again. It will be interesting to see if they support the original technology with firmware to make it shine, as it should have.

[paulbates]

Thanks Teken, nice review and thoughts.

 

SmartLabs is part of the the Thread Group, there is a remote glimmer of hope for Insteon. However that most likely means is that a SmartLabs Insteon Hub may one day support Thread, like it does for Alljoyn and Homekit today.  

 

WInk2 would have to have a serial port or some other way of talking Insteon PLC to control Insteon directly. Its remotely possible that it could be worked out via the "herd of hubs" we need to buy to get all of this stuff working:

Wink Hub <-> Thread <-> Insteon Hub <-> Insteon Devices (??)

 

There's also the possibility that savvy developers here on our forum develop Alljoyn and Thread nodeservers.

 

Hopefully Robots falls in a place where its more powerful than IFTTT

 

Paul

[Teken]

Thanks for the info. (the links in the article are all 404)

 

Last year I owned two Wink Hubs as I thought with their seven different hardware protocols it would be the perfect sidekick to ISY to expand into every hardware protocol know to man, except the closely guarded Insteon protocol.

 

After talking to their tech support and fund that anybody could download and run their app with cool video showing users how to link the Wink to all the other hardware, "in the whole world."

 

Turns out every "hardware in the whole world" and despite their seven different hardware protocols and antennae had no software to support any of them and all the super-box would do was link to other hubs. Every video that I viewed showed me how to

"Press the link button on your Hue/XXX Hub" and connect through WiFi.  What a waste!

 

Just what I needed, was another Hub to talk to my already six other hubs! (sarcasm)

Glad I got my money back before the price dropped to $15, at The Borg (HD).

 

Fabulous idea but....

In plain words... I just don't trust them anymore.

They should have changed their company name, and product name, when they bought the existing failure.

 

Hopefully they can recover and instill trust again. It will be interesting to see if they support the original technology with firmware to make it shine, as it should have.

 

Larry,

 

Can you offer a little more insight on your comments about the antenna's? Are you saying this HUB can't add, delete, manage, the protocols it lists out in the tech article? Specifically, is this like the Revolve where they said it would support XX protocol but in reality it either supported a limited amount of hardware or was none existent because the radio was actually turned off. 

[Teken]

Thanks Teken, nice review and thoughts.

 

SmartLabs is part of the the Thread Group, there is a remote glimmer of hope for Insteon. However that most likely means is that a SmartLabs Insteon Hub may one day support Thread, like it does for Alljoyn and Homekit today.  

 

WInk2 would have to have a serial port or some other way of talking Insteon PLC to control Insteon directly. Its remotely possible that it could be worked out via the "herd of hubs" we need to buy to get all of this stuff working:

Wink Hub <-> Thread <-> Insteon Hub <-> Insteon Devices (??)

 

There's also the possibility that savvy developers here on our forum develop Alljoyn and Thread nodeservers.

 

Hopefully Robots falls in a place where its more powerful that 

 

Paul

 

Paul,

 

This is my hope that this whole Alljoyn / Thread / Weave what ever starts to bring different vendors in line. We are nearing 2016 right now and most of us have chimed in over the last 12 months of our *Crystal Ball* thoughts and ideas of how the market would evolve.

 

As of this writing it appears to me anyways just as fragmented and more people (companies) seem to be going their own way or just dropping out.

 

Having said this its apparent the whole *Voice Wars* are just getting started and truly believe the end user will finally be on the winning side! As Google expects to launch their voice hardware next month so expect Amazon / Echo to start to pick up the pace considering Apple too is getting a little more serious.

[paulbates]

Paul,

 

This is my hope that this whole Alljoyn / Thread / Weave what ever starts to bring different vendors in line. We are nearing 2016 right now and most of us have chimed in over the last 12 months of our *Crystal Ball* thoughts and ideas of how the market would evolve.

 

As of this writing it appears to me anyways just as fragmented and more people (companies) seem to be going their own way or just dropping out.

 

Having said this its apparent the whole *Voice Wars* are just getting started and truly believe the end user will finally be on the winning side! As Google expects to launch their voice hardware next month so expect Amazon / Echo to start to pick up the pace considering Apple too is getting a little more serious.

 

Yeh, having been in IT a while and watching how things evolve, this is unfortunately not a surprise. There are always different standards and they grow based on preference and corporate politics. Some developed by a company and proprietary. I think it was asbril that used the VHS vs Beta example recently. Its a perfect metaphor. 

 

In the past  I've raised the current trend towards "disintegration": Not just hubs, I have a bunch of iot thingies..Thermostats, sprinkler controller, audio receivers, TV, Harmony remote, etc. Each has its own app and service. They don't naturally work together, but if you pick the right ones with a local interface, it can be done, with the ISY.

 

Currently the ISY is the only place I have where most of these touch, and its primarily nodeservers that do it. And io_guy, Jimbo, einstein42, etc have made a bunch more for all sorts of "things".

 

So Michel and team's nodeserver vision is paying off for me.  Now, we need to figure out how to package nodeservers so they're easier for a broader range of users here to consume them. 

 

Paul

[Teken]

Yeh, having been in IT a while and watching how things evolve, this is unfortunately not a surprise. There are always different standards and they grow based on preference and corporate politics. Some developed by a company and proprietary. I think it was asbril that used the VHS vs Beta example recently. Its a perfect metaphor. 

 

In the past  I've raised the current trend towards "disintegration": Not just hubs, I have a bunch of iot thingies..Thermostats, sprinkler controller, audio receivers, TV, Harmony remote, etc. Each has its own app and service. They don't naturally work together, but if you pick the right ones with a local interface, it can be done, with the ISY.

 

Currently the ISY is the only place I have where most of these touch, and its primarily nodeservers that do it. And io_guy, Jimbo, einstein42, etc have made a bunch more for all sorts of "things".

 

So Michel and team's nodeserver vision is paying off for me.  Now, we need to figure out how to package nodeservers so they're easier for a broader range of users here to consume them. 

 

Paul

 

Paul,

 

Agreed on all points and expect to see the whole Polyglot concept help UDI press forward to reach more users. Like you I feel both node servers and polyglot need some real investment of time from the UDI team. Meaning a concerted effort to package and make it a simple process of download, upload, and change a few parameters would help spur the sales and hardware adoption.

 

I've discussed this specific topic many times along with Huddaduda  . . .

 

Someone really needs to set aside some time and integrate the network module profiles for the various hot selling market leaders like Sonos, etc. Just integrating Sonos in the base firmware would go a long way in marketing, cross sales, and user appeal.

[G W]

The guys at XDA have hacks for the original Wink. I'm betting they will soon hack the Wink 2. Also the Wink was given a local API so it no longer required the cloud.

 

 

Also, with the Wink being made open it is possible to add your own code so it would be very possible to have the Wink and ISY talk to each other.

 

Short and to the point.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

[Teken]

The guys at XDA have hacks for the original Wink. I'm betting they will soon hack the Wink 2. Also the Wink was given a local API so it no longer required the cloud.

 

Short and to the point.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

 

If the team could hack the latest Wink 2 this would truly offer a nice cross platform option. With respect to the original Wink 1 are you saying before the company folded they updated the firmware where the entire box was local?

 

Meaning a person had a local UI and capabilities to add, delete, create scenes, schedules / timers?

[G W]

If the team could hack the latest Wink 2 this would truly offer a nice cross platform option. With respect to the original Wink 1 are you saying before the company folded they updated the firmware where the entire box was local?

 

Meaning a person had a local UI and capabilities to add, delete, create scenes, schedules / timers?

They added local access so if the cloud was down, you can login to the Wink locally and the Wink could still control devices locally.

 

 

Short and to the point.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

[Teken]

They added local access so if the cloud was down, you can login to the Wink locally and the Wink could still control devices locally.

 

 

Short and to the point.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

 

But, that still didn't allow the person to add, delete, modify hardware devices though?

[G W]

But, that still didn't allow the person to add, delete, modify hardware devices though?

By hardware devices do you mean things like Z-Wave switches?

 

Short and to the point.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

[Teken]

By hardware devices do you mean things like Z-Wave switches?

 

Short and to the point.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

 

Perhaps we need to define local access in terms of what I consider the same. Local to me is having the ability to add, delete, modify, and create scenes, programs, timers / schedules with out the need for a connection to the Internet. In your initial reply I took what you said as the person has the ability to simply turn things on-off locally.

 

Whether that be on the LAN using a smartphone / PC interface . . .

 

If the Wink (1) still required a tethered connection to do the above then its still cloud dependent. Unless the group you mentioned found a way to instill native local command and control of the HUB controller. 

[G W]

The Wink was changed so you didn't need an Internet connection to connect to it. You only needed a LAN connection.

 

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2969205

 

More information http://www.rootwink.com/

 

Short and to the point.

Best regards,

Gary Funk

[Teken]

It appears reading over several of the forum threads newer hardware no longer have the vulnerability so can't be rooted. Lets see what happens to the Wink 2 in a few more months.

[G W]

It appears reading over several of the forum threads newer hardware no longer have the vulnerability so can't be rooted. Lets see what happens to the Wink 2 in a few more months.

That was patched almost two years ago. To root it you attack the UART. I woud think that will be the case with Wink 2.

 

Best regards,

Gary Funk