We see many interesting questions coming from our users in the past month since CUBE OS v0.4 beta released - on Facebook, Discord, and different community groups. Some of you ask about hardware, some about compatibility, and others about the difference between CUBE OS and iHost. Instead of answering them one by one, we thought: why not make it easier for everyone?
That’s why we are starting “You Ask, We Answer”. Every two weeks, we will collect the most common questions from the community and share clear answers here. Our goal is simple: help more users understand CUBE OS without digging through endless documents or forum threads.
What we cover in this post
In this first episode, we talk about:
- The relationship between CUBE OS, eWeLink Cloud, and iHost + how remote access works
- How old devices (wifi & zigbee) can get a second life with CUBE OS
- What hardware you can use to run CUBE OS (Raspberry Pi, NAS, Virtual Machines, etc.)
Q1: Does CUBE OS replace the official eWeLink Cloud?
User asked:
- Does this replace the official eWeLink server?
- How do devices connect to the self-hosted server instead of the official server?
- How does CUBE OS coexist with eWeLink Cloud?
- What is the difference between CUBE and iHost?
Answer:
CUBE OS is not a replacement, but an extra choice.
- Work with cloud or not, up to you: You can still use eWeLink Cloud as usual, and at the same time run CUBE OS locally, or go fully local by setting up CUBE OS. This gives you a smoother and more private control experience. Many WiFi devices can be managed directly in CUBE OS, so they are no longer affected by internet connection issues.
- Remote access: CUBE OS has a built-in secure remote access mechanism. You can turn it on when needed, and the system will generate a private access link for you. With this link, you can safely reach your CUBE OS from anywhere. Of course, you can also use the Tailscale Addon to enable remote access.
- Difference from iHost: iHost is a hardware device that already includes CUBE OS. But CUBE OS itself can also run on Raspberry Pi, NAS, or even in a virtual machine. That means you don’t need to buy extra dedicated hardware.
Q2: What about old eWeLink and SONOFF devices?
User asked:
- How about old eWeLink devices and SONOFF?
Answer:
This is one of the highlights of CUBE OS.
- Many older WiFi devices can get a second life. Thanks to the built-in Matter Bridge, they can now work with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings.
- This new Matter Bridge connection does not rely on cloud-to-cloud linking anymore, and it is completely free.
- For Zigbee devices, you can connect them to CUBE OS using a suitable Zigbee dongle.
- With ZigBee2CUBE, many popular Zigbee devices from other brands can also be added into your CUBE OS system.
- SONOFF is also launching new dongles based on Silicon Labs MG24 chips, which will support Thread devices. Please check SONOFF official website for more.
Q3: What hardware can I use to run CUBE OS?
User asked:
- Synology?
- What Pi is recommended?
- Can CUBE OS run on Raspberry Pi 3B?
- Does it have an Android app?
- What Zigbee/Matter receiver is used?
Answer:
- Where to run: CUBE OS can run on Raspberry Pi, Synology NAS, Ugreen NAS, and also on virtual machines such as VirtualBox or VMware.
- Recommended Pi model: We recommend Raspberry Pi 4B (2GB/4GB RAM). We have not tested Raspberry Pi 3B.
- How to control: CUBE OS has a built-in Web Portal. You can open it in your browser at
cube.localor your device IP. For remote access, use the private link generated by the system.
CUBE also has the CAST Dashboard – a clean interface for daily control, with controls and settings separated to avoid mistakes. - Zigbee & Matter support: SONOFF already offers several Zigbee dongles. They can act as Zigbee/Matter receivers, and more options are coming.
- For Synology users: We have prepared a step-by-step guide for Synology installation, available in our documentation.
In summary
CUBE OS is not about replacing, but about giving you more choice:
- Run it locally and enjoy full privacy and control
- Bring old devices back to life with Matter support for major platforms
- Deploy flexibly on Raspberry Pi, NAS, or virtual machines - no extra hardware needed
- Expand your system with more Zigbee and future Thread devices
This is only the first episode of “You Ask, We Answer”. We will keep collecting your questions and share more answers every two weeks. Stay tuned!
