Support & FAQs

Before You Buy

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. Setting up Starling Home Hub is so easy: 1. Connect the supplied Ethernet cable between Starling Home Hub and a spare port on the back of your Internet router or switch. 2. Connect the supplied power adapter between Starling Home Hub and a convenient outlet. 3. Browse to setup.starlinghome.io using any computer or mobile device on your home network, and follow the on-screen instructions to connect to your Nest account and pair with your Apple Home. That's it! All of your Nest devices will now appear in your iOS Home app, and any other HomeKit-enabled apps.



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. At Starling, we are paranoid about security. Your Starling Home Hub is accessible on your home network only, and does not share any home or account data with Starling.



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. Starling Home Hub was developed by the creator of homebridge-nest to create a simple, secure plug-and-play integration solution for everyone, with no additional server or complex technical set-up required.



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! You can safely ignore this message - when adding Starling Home Hub to the Home app, simply press 'Add Anyway'.



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. As an alternative to going to setup.starlinghome.io, if you know the IP address of your Starling Home Hub, you can enter it directly in your browser. Most routers have an option to list the IP addresses of connected devices in their web-based administration tool - consult your router's manual for details. If you are still having problems, please contact Starling Support at support@starlinghome.io. We're here to help.



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: - Your iOS device used to scan the QR code is not on your home Wi-Fi network (for example, it is an iPhone on LTE, not Wi-Fi) - Your iOS device is connected to a VPN - You are using a mesh router, but your Starling Home Hub is not connected to the primary router If you are using a Linksys Velop router, go into the Velop admin portal in your browser (not the app). In 'Linksys Security Settings', under 'Internet filters' please make sure that 'Filter multicast' is checked.



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. The usual cause is misconfiguration of your router or VPN, or a firewall. Please check your router settings to make sure nothing is blocking traffic between Starling Home Hub and other devices on your home network, in either direction.



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. Setting up Starling Home Hub is so easy: 1. Connect the supplied Ethernet cable between Starling Home Hub and a spare port on the back of your Internet router or switch. 2. Connect the supplied power adapter between Starling Home Hub and a convenient outlet. 3. Browse to setup.starlinghome.io using any computer or mobile device on your home network, and follow the on-screen instructions to connect to your Nest account and pair with your Apple Home. That's it! All of your Nest devices will now appear in your iOS Home app, and any other HomeKit-enabled apps.



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. At Starling, we are paranoid about security. Your Starling Home Hub is accessible on your home network only, and does not share any home or account data with Starling.



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. Starling Home Hub was developed by the creator of homebridge-nest to create a simple, secure plug-and-play integration solution for everyone, with no additional server or complex technical set-up required.



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! You can safely ignore this message - when adding Starling Home Hub to the Home app, simply press 'Add Anyway'.



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. As an alternative to going to setup.starlinghome.io, if you know the IP address of your Starling Home Hub, you can enter it directly in your browser. Most routers have an option to list the IP addresses of connected devices in their web-based administration tool - consult your router's manual for details. If you are still having problems, please contact Starling Support at support@starlinghome.io. We're here to help.



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: - Your iOS device used to scan the QR code is not on your home Wi-Fi network (for example, it is an iPhone on LTE, not Wi-Fi) - Your iOS device is connected to a VPN - You are using a mesh router, but your Starling Home Hub is not connected to the primary router If you are using a Linksys Velop router, go into the Velop admin portal in your browser (not the app). In 'Linksys Security Settings', under 'Internet filters' please make sure that 'Filter multicast' is checked.



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. The usual cause is misconfiguration of your router or VPN, or a firewall. Please check your router settings to make sure nothing is blocking traffic between Starling Home Hub and other devices on your home network, in either direction.



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    Starling LLC is unaffiliated with Google Inc., Nest Labs or Apple Inc. Nest is a trademark of Google Inc. iPad, iPhone, Mac and HomeKit are trademarks of Apple Inc.

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