Harmony Hub users report new firmware restores local access

Multiple users of the Harmony Hub are reporting on a forum that new firmware from Logitech will allow the device to be accessible over the local network again. This capability recently disappeared with a newly introduced firmware version.

Several users on the openHAB forum report that software version 4.15.210 has been released. This new “developer firmware” makes it possible for developers to re-enable xmpp, according to Logitech. A minority of users also report that the old functionality has not yet been restored after the implementation of version 4.15.210.

The new version lacks an earlier security patch that would protect against vulnerabilities in the protocol. Using the latest firmware is at your own risk, according to Logitech, as it could lead to an unsecured local access point, making all connected devices “vulnerable to being hacked.”

The Harmony Hub makes it possible to use a mobile device such as a smartphone as a universal remote control for all kinds of smart home devices. The hub can be controlled via a local network by means of an API, but since the last official firmware 4.15.206 this was no longer possible. Users were then advised to fall back to the previous firmware version.