I have an openHab2 interface running on a Linux system.
The computer that I am running the openHab UI on is part of a network with a BT Hub as the router. All works fine except the BT Hub shows up as a Pingable Network Device when browsing Things.
My question is:- Is the Linux PC the center of everything, or is the BT Hub the center with the Linux PC part of the BT Hub network.
I do hope I am making sense here, and I will be very grateful if someone could provide and answer.
The way i think about it, your server and home hub have different purposes. The home hub provides the connection to your BT internet to all the devices on your network through its wired or wireless connections and it probably also gives out the IP addresses that allow them all to talk to each other. Because of this you might think of it as the centre of your network and if you switch it off nothing will talk to each other, but if you wanted (and in simple networks it usually isnt needed, although there can be advantages to those who wish to put the time in) you could separate the functions to different devices on the network.
Your linux server may share files and run services for the other members of your network. You may therefore see it as critical to your network and if you switch it off, your home intranet network may lose functionality. The other computers are likely to still work on their own and with any internet functions.
Of course, as you are running openhab the linux server may be the centre of a zwave, zigbee or any other network that doesnt rely on IP addresses. If your homehub was off, the openhab network that did not rely on ethernet or wifi would still function internally.
There is one thing wrong with your last supposition. If the PC running openHab is closed down/crashes or whatever then the z-wave will be without its controller, but the Home Hub will stilll function.
Your first reply did have a lot of merit and somewhat cleared the mist.
As it is I think I will just have to leave the chicken and egg thing out of it. For me I see the PC as the center of things and the Home Hub is the glue.
I did ask Alexa and she has a masterful way of giving the answer.
