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I was just about to share that tip myself jocamero. You can share internet from your Mac connected to the VPN and plug the Hue hub into your Mac if you have an Ethernet port or USB-C Ethernet adapter.
This doesn't work for me. Here's what I did:

1. Connected Bridge to Mac using Ethernet
2. Connected to ExpressVPN using L2TP to a Netherlands server
3. In System Prefs -> Sharing, Enabled Internet Sharing
4. Under Internet Sharing selected "Share your connection from: ExpressVPN" to computers using "Ethernet".

Hue app on phone cannot connect to Bridge.
 
This doesn't work for me. Here's what I did:

1. Connected Bridge to Mac using Ethernet
2. Connected to ExpressVPN using L2TP to a Netherlands server
3. In System Prefs -> Sharing, Enabled Internet Sharing
4. Under Internet Sharing selected "Share your connection from: ExpressVPN" to computers using "Ethernet".

Hue app on phone cannot connect to Bridge.
Yeah, been through exactly the same myself with no luck. Got the blue "Internet" light flashing on my Hue Hub, but it just won't go solid :-(

Mac connected to router via wifi​
Hue Hub connected to Mac Mini via ethernet​
Express VPN on MacMini connected to: Netherlands-Amsterdam-2 using: L2TP/IPSec​
Internet Sharing On, Share connection from: VPN Express, To computers using: Ethernet​

The VPN is working as if I check my Internet IP address on a site like whatismyip it comes up with a Dutch one.

Is there a step I'm missing here?
 
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Yeah, been through exactly the same myself with no luck. Got the blue "Internet" light flashing on my Hue Hub, but it just won't go solid :-(

Mac connected to router via wifi​
Hue Hub connected to Mac Mini via ethernet​
Express VPN on MacMini connected to: Netherlands-Amsterdam-2 using: L2TP/IPSec​
Internet Sharing On, Share connection from: VPN Express, To computers using: Ethernet​

The VPN is working as if I check my Internet IP address on a site like whatismyip it comes up with a Dutch one.

Is there a step I'm missing here?
Same as you here. Really hope some guardian angel on here can shed some light - feel so close!
 
OK, persevere! I rebooted my Mac with everything set up as in my post above (i.e. the Hub still connected and powered-up), and once it rebooted and I reconnected the VPN it worked - three steady blue lights, and it's now downloading the update. I'd already rebooted numerous times with no luck, this was probably the third or fourth attempt and I didn't do anything differently, so just keep trying - good luck!
 
OK, persevere! I rebooted my Mac with everything set up as in my post above (i.e. the Hub still connected and powered-up), and once it rebooted and I reconnected the VPN it worked - three steady blue lights, and it's now downloading the update. I'd already rebooted numerous times with no luck, this was probably the third or fourth attempt and I didn't do anything differently, so just keep trying - good luck!
Congratulations!!

Here's my set up. Mac connected to router via WiFi, Bridge connected to iMac via Ethernet. Bridge only has the first two lights blue, not the globe one.

Have tried restarting to no avail.

Screenshot 2020-11-13 at 12.35.36.png


Screenshot 2020-11-13 at 12.34.41.png
Screenshot 2020-11-13 at 12.34.47.png


Any ideas?

EDIT: Ticked USB Ethernet too and now 3 solid lights but Hue app "Unable to connect"...
 
Woo! I got it to update. Well... it's "Updating..." so fingers crossed!

I fixed it by enabling the Remote Access in the Hue app.
 
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Woo! I got it to update. Well... it's "Updating..." so fingers crossed!

I fixed it by enabling the Remote Access in the Hue app.
Yeah, that's a very good point, you'd need Remote Access active in the Hue app as the Hue won't be sitting on the same network as your phone - glad you got it sorted!
 
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Yeah, that's a very good point, you'd need Remote Access active in the Hue app as the Hue won't be sitting on the same network as your phone - glad you got it sorted!
So happy. Thanks for your tips.

Now to figure out how to make it play nicely with the Dimmer Switch (ideally without sacrificing the dimming facility you have if you configure it through Hue's own app) The joys!
 
Dumb question. Can you use Hue lights over wifi via the Hue app *without* using HomeKit? My mesh set up and HomeKit just don't play nicely, but I'd like some Hue bulbs so I can set schedules, etc.
 
So folks, how do you get the update then? what is the definitive answer? I'm a UK resident... Is it rolled out here already?
 
So folks, how do you get the update then? what is the definitive answer? I'm a UK resident... Is it rolled out here already?
UK resident still no update here. I haven't tried the VPN tips provided but would assume that it will work when you connect to a VPN with the Netherlands on the other end (since that country seems to have rolled out first).

I have to go to my loft to access and set all this up - with kids around that isn't going to happen easily so I'll wait.

Dumb question. Can you use Hue lights over wifi via the Hue app *without* using HomeKit? My mesh set up and HomeKit just don't play nicely, but I'd like some Hue bulbs so I can set schedules, etc.
Yep I had Hue lights working over Wifi long before HomeKit was added - pretty standard feature using the Hue App. You can use it remotely too with using HomeKit, but you need to enable that in the App itself.
 
So folks, how do you get the update then? what is the definitive answer? I'm a UK resident... Is it rolled out here already?
It hasn't but if you have a computer and put a Netherlands VPN on, connect the Bridge to the computer via Ethernet and share the connection (see the steps above) it should work. Make sure Remote Access is enabled in the Hue app.

As for the feature itself, it's running well - the sun has recently set here in the UK and it's definitely warming the temperature but very slowly. It's a little bit less warm than I'd like for this time of day, but I can handle it if it gets warmer than this over the next few hours.

Notably the lower the brightness, the warmer the bulb (I think this is in addition to the gradual warming at a fixed brightness, but not 100% yet).
 
It hasn't but if you have a computer and put a Netherlands VPN on, connect the Bridge to the computer via Ethernet and share the connection (see the steps above) it should work. Make sure Remote Access is enabled in the Hue app.

As for the feature itself, it's running well - the sun has recently set here in the UK and it's definitely warming the temperature but very slowly. It's a little bit less warm than I'd like for this time of day, but I can handle it if it gets warmer than this over the next few hours.

Notably the lower the brightness, the warmer the bulb (I think this is in addition to the gradual warming at a fixed brightness, but not 100% yet).
Woohoo, thank you for the tip! I found out that the Hue app signed me out of remote access in the past year or so. After turning it back on I was able to update it!
 
I don’t have the update yet (I’m in UK) but how does this work with the hue motion sensor and dimmer switches? I have mine set up via the hue app, and it would be annoying if turning on my lights disables adaptive lighting
 
I don’t have the update yet (I’m in UK) but how does this work with the hue motion sensor and dimmer switches? I have mine set up via the hue app, and it would be annoying if turning on my lights disables adaptive lighting
I'm in the UK too but I was too impatient so I forced the update using a VPN and ethernet from Bridge to Mac today.

I'm not 100% but I think the dimmer switch has to be reconfigured. I've set mine like this for now:
  • All presses of top button are now "Last on state" on Dimmer Switch (previously each press activated a default Hue scene like Energize, Concentrate, Relax, etc)
  • Home app Automations for time of day (daytime activates 'Daytime' scene in HomeKit, sunset onwards activates 'Evening' scene, these are both with Adaptive Lighting but 100% and 50% brightness.
  • One more Automation which is IF people are in, change scene to Evening at Sunset.
This way whenever I press the top button, the lights turn to their last used state then immediately adjust brightness depending on the time of day w/ Adaptive Lighting enabled. And if people are in, the lights all drop from 100% to 50% at sunset (or turn on at 50% if they weren't on).

I'm not sure if this system is perfect yet and hope to see other people share their set ups.

The lights are definitely warming gradually as the day goes on. Interestingly they're still not too warm at sunset itself, it's taken another few hours to get warmer slowly since.

Be interesting to see how much warmer they get and try and figure out how it works!
 
I'm in the UK too but I was too impatient so I forced the update using a VPN and ethernet from Bridge to Mac today.

I'm not 100% but I think the dimmer switch has to be reconfigured. I've set mine like this for now:
  • All presses of top button are now "Last on state" on Dimmer Switch (previously each press activated a default Hue scene like Energize, Concentrate, Relax, etc)
  • Home app Automations for time of day (daytime activates 'Daytime' scene in HomeKit, sunset onwards activates 'Evening' scene, these are both with Adaptive Lighting but 100% and 50% brightness.
  • One more Automation which is IF people are in, change scene to Evening at Sunset.
This way whenever I press the top button, the lights turn to their last used state then immediately adjust brightness depending on the time of day w/ Adaptive Lighting enabled. And if people are in, the lights all drop from 100% to 50% at sunset (or turn on at 50% if they weren't on).

I'm not sure if this system is perfect yet and hope to see other people share their set ups.

The lights are definitely warming gradually as the day goes on. Interestingly they're still not too warm at sunset itself, it's taken another few hours to get warmer slowly since.

Be interesting to see how much warmer they get and try and figure out how it works!

what VPN did you use?
 
Home app Automations for time of day (daytime activates 'Daytime' scene in HomeKit, sunset onwards activates 'Evening' scene, these are both with Adaptive Lighting but 100% and 50% brightness.
Ok, so just to be sure, this means that I can set this adaptive custom color in a scene/automation (just like any other color), right? So e. g. I can have a scene called "bright" and when activated, depending on the time of day, the color will be different?
 
what VPN did you use?
ExpressVPN
Ok, so just to be sure, this means that I can set this adaptive custom color in a scene/automation (just like any other color), right? So e. g. I can have a scene called "bright" and when activated, depending on the time of day, the color will be different?
That is correct.

Still tweaking my set up. Apple should allow people to choose how warm Adaptive Lighting goes like Night Shift. It's too white at the moment for my tastes.
 
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So happy. Thanks for your tips.

Now to figure out how to make it play nicely with the Dimmer Switch (ideally without sacrificing the dimming facility you have if you configure it through Hue's own app) The joys!
Just wanted to thank you both. I just did it here in the US following your instructions and it worked perfectly!

 

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