Support & FAQs
Before You Buy
Which home routers are compatible with Starling Home Hub?
Starling Home Hub is compatible with practically all modern home Internet routers, including HomeKit Secure Routers like the Eero. The only router we are aware of that has compatibility issues is the Arris RAC2V1A.
Does Starling Home Hub work with Ring, SmartThings, or other non-Nest products?
No. Starling Home Hub works only with Nest and HomeKit.
Does Starling Home Hub work with Nest Accounts and Google Accounts?
Do you ship internationally? Does Starling Home Hub work outside the US?
Can I trust that Starling Home Hub is fully secure and respects my privacy?
Starling's top priority is ensuring the security of your home. What could be more important? So, we put security and privacy first when we designed Starling Home Hub.
Which Apple and Nest products does Starling Home Hub work with?
Starling Home Hub is compatible with all models of Nest Thermostat, Nest Temperature Sensor, Nest Protect, Nest Cam Indoor/Outdoor/IQ, Nest Hello, Nest × Yale Lock, and Nest Secure (Guard and Detect). We also support Dropcam and the Google Nest Hub Max's built-in camera.
Does Starling Home Hub work with Power-over-Ethernet (PoE)?
Starling Home Hub does not support PoE natively. If you wish to power Starling Home Hub using a PoE connection, you can use any PoE micro-USB power splitter. We recommend the UCTRONICS PoE Splitter, available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/UCTRONICS-PoE-Splitter-Gigabit-Raspberry/dp/B07CNKX14C
Does Starling Home Hub support HomeKit Secure Video?
Not at this time, although we are aiming to add support via a future software update.
Is Starling Home Hub approved by Apple or Google/Nest?
No. Starling Home Hub exists because Google/Nest does not offer an approved way to connect Nest devices to Apple HomeKit. Starling Home Hub is not affiliated with or approved by Apple or Google/Nest in any way.
Does Starling Home Hub support iOS / tvOS 14?
Yes - we support the HomeKit enhancements added to iOS / tvOS 14 including picture-in-picture (PiP), and cameras and doorbell notifications on Apple TV.
I have more than one home. Do I need more than one Starling Home Hub?
HomeKit cannot place devices from a single bridge (like Starling Home Hub) into multiple homes. So, while a single Starling Home Hub can connect Nest devices from more than one Nest Home into a single HomeKit Home, if you want to bring devices from more than one Nest Home into more than one HomeKit Home, you will need one Starling Home Hub for each home.
Using Your Hub
How do I set up Starling Home Hub?
We've included a Quick Start Guide in the box to get you up and running in 2 minutes or less. You can also download a PDF of the Quick Start Guide from this page.
Does Starling Home Hub need Internet access?
Yes. Starling Home Hub connects to the Nest service to access your devices, and also to Starling's servers for firmware updates.
How does Starling Home Hub relate to the homebridge-nest project?
The homebridge-nest project allows anyone to set up a server at home to integrate Nest devices with HomeKit. If you have the server, the technical acumen and the time, you can use homebridge-nest to connect Nest with HomeKit for free.
Why does Apple's Home app say 'this accessory is not HomeKit certified'?
Nest products, and Starling Home Hub, are not HomeKit certified. If Nest products were HomeKit certified, we would not have needed to create Starling Home Hub!
I've connected Starling Home Hub to my router, but setup.starlinghome.io can't find my device.
Starling Home Hub, and the device you are using to configure it, must be on the same network. For example, if Starling Home Hub is plugged into your home router, go to setup.starlinghome.io on a Mac or iPhone connected via Wi-Fi to your home router. If your iPhone is on LTE, or connected to a VPN, it will not work.
What is the USB port on Starling Home Hub for?
The USB port on Starling Home Hub is currently unused. All you need to get going is Ethernet and power.
How do I update the firmware on Starling Home Hub?
Just go to setup.starlinghome.io. We'll automatically notify you if a firmware update is available for your Starling Home Hub, and give you the option to update. We periodically update Starling Home Hub's firmware to improve reliability and add new features, so applying new firmware updates as they are made available is strongly recommended.
When I scan the QR code, I get an 'Accessory not found' error.
Starling Home Hub needs to be on the same network as the iOS device you are using to scan the QR code. If this is not the case, you will get an 'Accessory not found' error when adding Starling Home Hub to HomeKit. Common causes are:
Nest Camera live video streaming gives a 'Camera is not responding' error.
If you see camera snapshots in the Home app, but live video streaming does not work, it means there is a routing issue between the iOS device running the Home app, and your Starling Home Hub - that is, traffic in at least one direction is blocked.
Buy now for just $89 with free shipping
