Local vs Remote Login On Your Z-Box Hub

Apr 17, 2023

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You can sign in to your hub in two different ways: locally from the same network as the hub, or remotely using a different network, like the mobile data on your smart phone when you're not home. These options give you the most flexibility while ensuring a truly secure smart home experience. Below, you can read about how to set up a remote access account, how to log in locally and remotely from the WEB UI and the app, and when one works better than the other.

WHAT IS LOCAL AND REMOTE ACCESS?

Local access to your hub means that you're logging into the system from a device (computer, smart phone, tablet) which is connected to the same wi-fi network as your Z-Box Hub or if using LAN connection, that's part of the same local network (connected to the same router). This is the safest possible connection which ensures that your device has been authorized to connect with other devices in your home network. You still need to sign into your Z-Box Hub with a dedicated email and password when accessing the hub locally. Since your device needs to be connected to the same network as the Z-Box, you're not able to access the system locally from a device which is currently not in that same network, so when you're not home or if using a new phone or computer that hasn't yet connected to your home network, or when using somebody else's device that doesn't have access to your network.

Remote access to your hub allows you to sign into the system through cloud connection from any Internet network. You sign in with a dedicated set of credentials for remote access (email and password) to control, program, or monitor devices wherever you are.

HOW TO ENABLE REMOTE ACCESS?

You can enable remote access during the initial set-up process of your hub (see steps 7 and 8 here) but even if you skipped it when you first configured the hub, you can always enable remote access anytime in the future. Here is how to set up remote access for your hub:

1. Click here to enter the remote access portal for your Z-Box Hub

2. Click on Register your account in the left panel of the site

3. Create a new account just for remote access. You can use the same email and password as for local access but you don't have to, it's your choice!

Enter your email address and create a password which meets the following criteria: at least 10 characters, at least one upper case letter, at least one lowercase letter, at least one number, at least one special character.

Review the Terms of Service, Privacy policy, and agreements below, then check all of the boxes.

Once complete, click the blue SIGN UP button.

4. Once you create your remote access account, you'll be taken to the Services screen where you need to click on the blue "More" button under REMOTE ACCESS.

5. The new screen will show you a DEVICE LIST where you need to link your hub to your remote access account. Click the "Add New" button to get started.

6. Enter the detailed information for your hub to link it to your account: the serial number and the MAC address, both of which are printed on the label on the bottom of your Z-Box Hub or available in the WEB UI when accessed locally under Settings > General (where you can just copy and paste the information):

Once you've entered the serial number and MAC address, please click the blue Add button to proceed.

7. You should now see your hub under the DEVICE LIST in remote access. Simple click the blue Open button to access your system through a cloud connection.

HOW TO SIGN IN USING LOCAL ACCESS?

WEB UI

Once you first configure your Z-Box Hub, the router will generate a local IP address for it which is what you can use to access your hub locally anytime in the future. We recommend saving this address to the bookmarks in your browser for easy access.

If you miss that step and aren't sure what the local IP address of your Z-Box is, you can also access it by typing in http://zb-XXXX.local/ (where the “zb-XXXX” stands for your hub’s FULL serial number printed on the label on the bottom of the hub). You will still need to enter your log-in email and password to access the hub so please make sure you store this information securely.

Once you sign into the Z-Box using the above method and would like to check when the local IP address of your hub is to save it in your bookmarks, you can go to Settings > Network in the WEB UI and it will display under the IP address field on the right side of the screen:

MOBILE APP

The blue Sign in button above is for remote access only. When using the offline connection, make sure you enter the appropriate email and password for local access you created when setting up your hub for the first time.

You're now locally connected to your hub from your mobile app. If you need to switch from local to remote access once you leave your house, open your mobile app and go to More (3 dots at the bottom of the screen) > Settings > User Settings and click the white Logout button on the bottom of the screen. Then log in using your remote access credentials as described in the next section.

HOW TO SIGN IN USING REMOTE ACCESS?

WEB UI

You can access the Z-Box Hub remotely from the remote access portal here (we recommend saving this page to your bookmarks as well). Remember to enter the dedicated remote access credentials you set before when logging into your Z-Box remotely. It will take you to the DEVICE LIST where you'll see all of the hubs linked to your account. Click on the device you want to access and click the blue More button under Remote Access in the Services screen to access the WEB UI of your Z-Box Hub remotely.

MOBILE APP

If you configured your Z-Box Hub using the WEB UI, when you first open your Z-Box app, you don't need to configure the hub again so please do NOT click on Add Hub in the first screen (more about how to use your Z-Box mobile app here). Instead, click the SIGN IN button on the screen, enter the email and password you created specifically for remote access and click the blue Sign In button. You're now logged into your app with remote access which means you can monitor, control, and organize the devices in your smart home from anywhere.

If you would like to switch from remote access to local connection on your app, go to More (3 dots at the bottom of the screen) > Settings > User Settings and click the white Logout button on the bottom of the screen. Then log in using your local access credentials as described in the previous section.

WHEN TO USE LOCAL ACCESS?

We recommend using local access as the default mode for all of your devices. It's the safest and fastest way to communicate with your Z-Box Hub. The only time when remote access becomes really useful is when you're not able to access your local network because you're physically at a different location or having network / router issues at home.

All features and functionality of the Z-Box hub are available locally without remote access, except for third party integrations that require a cloud connection.

WHEN TO USE REMOTE ACCESS?

We recommend using remote access when you don't have access to your local network. This includes scenarios when you're at a different location and want to access your Z-Box system or if you're not able to connect to your local network due to technical issues. If you primarily use your Z-Box app at work or when traveling, it may be a good idea to stay signed in with remote access for it as well.

Keep in mind that there are a few features which are NOT available with cloud connection at the moment:

You're not able to update your hub using remote access connection
You're not able to access recovery mode from remote access
In the mobile app, you're not able to add or remove devices using cloud connection

Questions? Feel free to contact our tech support here.

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