I would like to set up my neighbor’s wifi as the back-up wifi for my hub. The idea is that I would use my wifi for normal daily use, and only use the backup wifi (my neighbor’s) if the connection was lost on my network. This seems like a strong solution to the security risk associated with a disconnected network.
Sorry, only one wifi network credentials can be programmed in the Sense hub at a time.
I agree with @Omgitstony assessment. But I admire you idea of wanting back up WiFi. If you are serious, you have some work to do. Some newer routers such as ASUS XT’s have a feature for a fallback Internet connection. This allows your WiFi to stay up, by you providing a wired second connection to your ASUS root mesh router. I have this. Spectrum is my main ISP, and I have Starlink as my second/backup ISP. Connected to my ASUS router, is two wired inputs. One Spectrum the other Starlink.
Sounds like you wanted back up WiFi, you have to consider if your WiFi goes down, its likely your ISP is down. And even if you could feed your neighbor’s WiFi to your house, your Wyze hub, it more than likely would not be effective. Because, if your ISP/WiFi is down, likely his ISP/WiFi is down too.
In my case, a second ISP connection makes sure my same router /mesh-router maintains my home WiFi.
While we are on the subject, (you don’t need to answer this, just think about it). How often does your power go out? Is it more likely to go out than your Internet? Most town/cities, - I think - also impact Internet/ISP connections when power goes out. If you lose power, does your Internet go down? If you lose power for an extended length of time, does it matter if your Internet is down? Because if power is out, do you lose 'enough" Internet connected devices in your home that your power and Internet might as well both be down?
To continue the recommendations, here is a Wishlist topic for consideration. It is labeled as maybe later, but all comments and cotes will help show support!
I’ll have to look into that option. My neighbor and I are in the perfect scenario. We happen to be on different grids, so during a storm it is fairly common to have power at one house and not the other. We also use different ISPs, so using each other’s service as back-up makes a lot of sense… My biggest security concern is a power disconnect or ISP disconnect at the house followed by a break-in. If I could set up the back-up ISP, there is zero chance a “bad guy” would know that I still have limited power to a few outlets via battery back-up as well as an internet connection via my neighbors’s house.
This kind of problem and these types of suggestions are what makes this forum worthwhile. We get to bring a dream or problem to the table and people spread their ideas across it like a big sheet. Then others with more info, help move the process along. Not every time, but often, the “presenter” sees potential solutions that they had not thought or or knew about. Its like we are not AI but PI, ( lol) People Intelligence.
You could right now install some cameras using your neighbors wifi, if it’s in range and they let you. It would still be affected by a power outage at your house. But if just your Internet goes out, the cameras setup on their wifi would still be working. It would look like just another device in your home page.
And you could purchase a WiFi extender adding the Extender on his WiFi but you have permissions on the Extender not his WiFi. Then add your cameras to the Extender. Or ask him to create a Guest network on his Wifi and you could connect your cameras to it.
Would he allow you, and you, him, to put cameras on the outside facing your home so you would use his power, your Extender or his Guest WiFi, pointing at your home? In exchange, you extending the same to him?
this is also relevant to this one Hub sense failover to wifi when no internet signal
what would be a good router to provide this backup cellular connection when the cable Ethernet fails if Wyze does not want to implement this into a feature ? anyone used one?
Hmm, interesting question. I was using a ASUS ZenWiFi Pro AXE1000 for a while. This router (and I guess some of their others) has a fall over feature. When the primary ISP fails, it auto uses the Secondary. I have cable Internet, and when we lose power, we also lose cable Internet. (Where I live that’s not uncommon, and one of these days we are going to have a storm that takes everything out for weeks. I am prepared) So, I got Starlink and it serves as the secondary ISP. I tested it, it worked fine. I have the house on batteries, so when we lose power and cable, I still have power and Starlink. Starlink as some flexible plans now. You can turn it off when you don’t want to use it, and/or buy a limited amount of bandwidth to reduce your monthly. Worth a look.
thank you. I wonder if there is less expensive solution, I was using cellular hotspot but it keeps turning off after some time hence is the question.
I don’t know. I think there’s more than just the internet solution we have to worry about. If you figure out a backup Internet connection, you haven’t assured yourself of what happens when the second Internet connection loses power. what’s the point of having a primary and multiple secondary connections if they all depend on the same power source? And what the items, the computer, sensors, lock, whatever - where’s its power coming from. I think, generally, we lost power, we lose Internet too and this occurs far more often than just losing Internet.
I don’t know if there’s a commercial product that listens in on one hotspot, then retransmits on another hotspot (which should be your WiFi hotspot). A bridge? If no commercial product is available, I’ve read people hack their own; all you need is a machine with 2 WiFi radios.
Then, when your internet goes down, you can switch this device on, and you are back in operation, using your neighbor’s internet.