1. Can you connect the Hue Bridge wirelessly (over WiFi)? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.smarthomewinner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/A-Philips-Hue-bridge-mounted-next-to-a-network-switch-1024x768.jpg\")
A Philips Hue bridge mounted next to a network switch<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOne of the things that make the Hue ecosystem confusing to set up is the point where you want to connect the bridge<\/a> or hub device to it. You see, the Hue bridge\u2019s\/hub\u2019s installation instructions vaguely talk about connecting the device to your \u201cWiFi router.\u201d It doesn\u2019t say how; whether via the ethernet port or Wi-Fi. <\/p>\n\n\n\nYet there\u2019s no way to enter a WiFi password to have the hub connect to the internet router wirelessly. As a result, you should look to plug the Hue Bridge into your home network, via an ethernet cable<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Does the Hue Bridge have to be plugged directly into the router? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The short answer is NO. Even though the manufacturer\u2019s installation instructions say to plug the bridge directly into your WiFi Router, this isn\u2019t a must<\/strong>. The manufacturer just says it to make the installation process easy for you. As long as you connect the Bridge to any device within your home network that has an ethernet port, it should work perfectly well.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDon\u2019t forget that Hue smart bulbs depend on the Zigbee communication protocol<\/a> and they serve as Zigbee repeaters. As such, the more Hue bulbs you have, the greater range<\/a> and better communication you\u2019ll have within your smart lighting setup due to the presence of a stronger Zigbee network mesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRelated Reading<\/strong>: Does Philips Hue Have Wi-Fi Support (Either 2.4GHz or 5GHz)?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n3. How do I set up my Philips Hue Bridge without access to the router?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.smarthomewinner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/A-BT-HomeHub-Wi-Fi-internet-router-1024x768.jpg\")
A BT HomeHub Wi Fi internet router<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nUnfortunately, you need to connect your Hue Bridge\/Hub device to the internet for the initial setup. If you don\u2019t have a Wi-Fi router or any other means to connect the device to the internet via its ethernet port, you\u2019ll not be able to perform the process<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHowever, that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ll need to acquire an internet router. If you have mobile data, you can turn it into a Wi-Fi hotspot. Then you can connect your PC to it and share the internet with the Bridge device through your PC\u2019s ethernet port. Thereafter, you can set it up without a Wi-Fi router. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Do I have to leave the Hub Bridge connected to the network all the time? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It seems like the Hub Bridge doesn\u2019t have to remain connected to a home network all the time. Even the manufacturer’s support pages don\u2019t mention this explicitly. After all, the device depends only on Zigbee, which is a non-internet-based communication protocol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To control your smart bulbs, there are many Hue accessories<\/a> you can opt for rather than the Hue app that requires internet access. For example, you can alternatively use accessories such as the Hue Smart Button, Switch, and Remote. <\/p>\n\n\n\n5. Should I buy the Bluetooth Philips Hue bulbs or the standard ones? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.smarthomewinner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/A-Philips-Hue-color-bulb-on-a-ceiling-fixture-768x1024.jpg\")
A Philips Hue color bulb on a ceiling fixture<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe short answer is: whatever’s cheapest<\/strong>! The Bluetooth Philips Hue bulbs can be controlled via Bluetooth (or ZigBee) just as their name suggests. On the contrary, their standard counterparts run on ZigBee only<\/p>\n\n\n\nNow, ZigBee has a huge advantage over Bluetooth. To be precise, it supports more devices (up to 50 bulbs<\/a>) than Bluetooth (up to 10 bulbs) at any one time. Plus, the more devices added to it, the greater the range, signal, and performance you have. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSo, you\u2019ll find that the ZigBee choice suits both small and large smart homes that require up to 10 and 50 Hue bulbs, respectively. The Bluetooth one, on the other hand, remains perfect only for small smart homes that need no more than 10 Philips Hue smart bulbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However it’s worth noting that the newer Bluetooth-supporting bulbs also<\/em> support ZigBee, meaning you could purchase them to try out Philips Hue, and then upgrade to the ZigBee support (by adding a Hue Bridge<\/a> to your system) if you really like Hue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n6. How should you name your Hue bulbs compared to the rooms (in the Hue app)? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Hue app allows you to rename your bulbs and rooms. Thereafter, you can add the renamed bulbs to the renamed rooms and keep your devices organized within your smart home setup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, you\u2019ll find that if you name the bulbs and rooms the same(or almost), the Alexa software will get confused<\/a> when you ask it to turn the lights on\/off.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFor instance, if you name a room as \u201cLiving Room\u201d and then a bulb as \u201cLiving Room bulb,\u201d the software may reply as follows: \u201cYou have multiple devices with that name, which one did you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To avoid that confusion each time you want Alexa<\/a> to operate your devices, be sure to name your bulbs randomly or give them a nonsensical name. For example, you could call your living room bulb \u201cThe Main Room Bulb\u201d and your living room \u201cLiving Room.\u201d This way, the software won\u2019t get confused regarding the device you want it to operate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n7. Can you set up Philips Hue with Amazon’s latest Echo devices (and no Bridge)?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The short answer is YES. After all, the latest Echo Show, Echo Plus (and similar) devices come with an in-built ZigBee hub<\/a> that lets you control all compatible Hue devices including smart bulbs. As such, you can turn lights on\/off, change the brightness and some color options of lights, as well as automate things using the Alexa app. <\/p>\n\n\n\n8. Can you use Google Home instead of Amazon\u2019s Echo (to control Hue bulbs)? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Unfortunately not. Google Home and Amazon Echo Plus devices don\u2019t have an in-built Zigbee chip. This means that you cannot use Google Home instead of Echo Plus. But you can control your lights using Google Home as long as you are equipped with the Hue Bridge<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the things that make the Hue ecosystem confusing to set up is the point where you want to connect the bridge<\/a> or hub device to it. You see, the Hue bridge\u2019s\/hub\u2019s installation instructions vaguely talk about connecting the device to your \u201cWiFi router.\u201d It doesn\u2019t say how; whether via the ethernet port or Wi-Fi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet there\u2019s no way to enter a WiFi password to have the hub connect to the internet router wirelessly. As a result, you should look to plug the Hue Bridge into your home network, via an ethernet cable<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The short answer is NO. Even though the manufacturer\u2019s installation instructions say to plug the bridge directly into your WiFi Router, this isn\u2019t a must<\/strong>. The manufacturer just says it to make the installation process easy for you. As long as you connect the Bridge to any device within your home network that has an ethernet port, it should work perfectly well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t forget that Hue smart bulbs depend on the Zigbee communication protocol<\/a> and they serve as Zigbee repeaters. As such, the more Hue bulbs you have, the greater range<\/a> and better communication you\u2019ll have within your smart lighting setup due to the presence of a stronger Zigbee network mesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related Reading<\/strong>: Does Philips Hue Have Wi-Fi Support (Either 2.4GHz or 5GHz)?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, you need to connect your Hue Bridge\/Hub device to the internet for the initial setup. If you don\u2019t have a Wi-Fi router or any other means to connect the device to the internet via its ethernet port, you\u2019ll not be able to perform the process<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, that doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ll need to acquire an internet router. If you have mobile data, you can turn it into a Wi-Fi hotspot. Then you can connect your PC to it and share the internet with the Bridge device through your PC\u2019s ethernet port. Thereafter, you can set it up without a Wi-Fi router. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It seems like the Hub Bridge doesn\u2019t have to remain connected to a home network all the time. Even the manufacturer’s support pages don\u2019t mention this explicitly. After all, the device depends only on Zigbee, which is a non-internet-based communication protocol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To control your smart bulbs, there are many Hue accessories<\/a> you can opt for rather than the Hue app that requires internet access. For example, you can alternatively use accessories such as the Hue Smart Button, Switch, and Remote. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The short answer is: whatever’s cheapest<\/strong>! The Bluetooth Philips Hue bulbs can be controlled via Bluetooth (or ZigBee) just as their name suggests. On the contrary, their standard counterparts run on ZigBee only<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, ZigBee has a huge advantage over Bluetooth. To be precise, it supports more devices (up to 50 bulbs<\/a>) than Bluetooth (up to 10 bulbs) at any one time. Plus, the more devices added to it, the greater the range, signal, and performance you have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, you\u2019ll find that the ZigBee choice suits both small and large smart homes that require up to 10 and 50 Hue bulbs, respectively. The Bluetooth one, on the other hand, remains perfect only for small smart homes that need no more than 10 Philips Hue smart bulbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However it’s worth noting that the newer Bluetooth-supporting bulbs also<\/em> support ZigBee, meaning you could purchase them to try out Philips Hue, and then upgrade to the ZigBee support (by adding a Hue Bridge<\/a> to your system) if you really like Hue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Hue app allows you to rename your bulbs and rooms. Thereafter, you can add the renamed bulbs to the renamed rooms and keep your devices organized within your smart home setup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you\u2019ll find that if you name the bulbs and rooms the same(or almost), the Alexa software will get confused<\/a> when you ask it to turn the lights on\/off.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, if you name a room as \u201cLiving Room\u201d and then a bulb as \u201cLiving Room bulb,\u201d the software may reply as follows: \u201cYou have multiple devices with that name, which one did you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n To avoid that confusion each time you want Alexa<\/a> to operate your devices, be sure to name your bulbs randomly or give them a nonsensical name. For example, you could call your living room bulb \u201cThe Main Room Bulb\u201d and your living room \u201cLiving Room.\u201d This way, the software won\u2019t get confused regarding the device you want it to operate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The short answer is YES. After all, the latest Echo Show, Echo Plus (and similar) devices come with an in-built ZigBee hub<\/a> that lets you control all compatible Hue devices including smart bulbs. As such, you can turn lights on\/off, change the brightness and some color options of lights, as well as automate things using the Alexa app. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately not. Google Home and Amazon Echo Plus devices don\u2019t have an in-built Zigbee chip. This means that you cannot use Google Home instead of Echo Plus. But you can control your lights using Google Home as long as you are equipped with the Hue Bridge<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Does the Hue Bridge have to be plugged directly into the router? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. How do I set up my Philips Hue Bridge without access to the router?<\/h3>\n\n\n
4. Do I have to leave the Hub Bridge connected to the network all the time? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Should I buy the Bluetooth Philips Hue bulbs or the standard ones? <\/h3>\n\n\n
6. How should you name your Hue bulbs compared to the rooms (in the Hue app)? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Can you set up Philips Hue with Amazon’s latest Echo devices (and no Bridge)?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. Can you use Google Home instead of Amazon\u2019s Echo (to control Hue bulbs)? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n