Z-wave signal and reliability

honey

I have a couple of sensors. Since I have Homey I have experienced all sorts of issues.There are many failures at pairing. Even more failures with the data strings. In both cases I have noticed that some info at the pairing goes through some not. In many cases just some of the `sub-sensors` are paired the others are lost. Issues like these: https://forum.athom.com/discussion/comment/19895/#Comment_19895
If everything goes well with pairing then the next challenge is the configuration data string. Again very much stochastic. Some parts of the string can go missing. For example it disables the temper alarm but the LED configuration stays untouched.
Challange #3 is the range: The Z-wave plus should offer 67% more range. Well it can`t manage 6.5m and there is just a MDF, and plaster board between the two. So the motion alarm is never cancelled in Homey.

All these are pointing to the same thing: We have a serious radio/signal processing issue. If this is not fixed you can`t build fancy stuffs on it. And we can`t build on it either. Those who have mains powered Z-wave devices might not experience this issue so much than others who have only battery operated devices. 

mruiter

Main powered devices respond just as bad in my case.. Z-Wave is in alpha not beta. At least if you look at results

djefmo

The range is indeed very very poor.. I hope this will improve anytime soon.. 

MarcoF

What do you guys call poor and what type/brand devices do you use?

Here is tested some configurations and with a total of 4 devices i can reach the attic on one side of the house from homey downstairs on the other side of the house.

See;
https://forum.athom.com/discussion/comment/20614/#Comment_20614

MennoVanGrinsven

@MarcoF ;;
2 meters (with a concrete floor in between) is poor range on a greenwave powernode 6. That powrnode is in the bedroom. I placed another powernode 6 near the bedroom door and that one is working fine.

honey

I don`t expect as good range as my WiFi but at least the range of a dirt cheap domestic RF socket. A range what can handle a small house WITHOUT range extenders(or other mains powered elements). The range at the moment is less than the Bluetooth or my Harmony IR (but of course it is better the disappointing Homey IR). Beyond 3-4 meters it is unreliable.
This supposed to be home automation. How can you call something home automation if it can`t cover an average home?

Ps.: I really don`t need mains powered Z-wave stuffs as all my main powered sockets/dimmers/relays are LightwaveRF which I am happy with (looks awesome and extremely reliable). But even if I would get one mains powered Z-wave thingy the closest sensible location I could place would be at least 4 meters away from Homey...

MarcoF

Here I can reach/cover the whole house with 4 powered modules,to me that's a good ranch. 

Menno

No problem with distance:
1 dimmer 8m
1 motion sensor on battery 9m
1 dimmer 10m (study room)
1 motion sensor 12m on battery (study room)

sometimes I have to restart zwave module but I think that is not distance related (I good be.wrong)

MennoVanGrinsven

Then what are the differences. My zwave devices gives TRANSMIT_COMPLETE_NO_ACK and is floor up right above homey.   

Menno

What FW are you on? I'm on 0.8.32

MarcoF

Sensors which run on batteries aren't able to route Z-wave package/data.

So if the only path to a failing node is by/over a battery powered device, then the failing node won't recovery/refresh/"come back online"

The best practices is to build a building covering network out of powered Zwave nodes.
Battery powered devices will use that network to route there the to and from Homey.

[Edit];
Red lines are failing routes
Green lines are good routes.

Phuturist

MennoVanGrinsven said:

Then what are the differences. My zwave devices gives TRANSMIT_COMPLETE_NO_ACK and is floor up right above homey.   

I get this error a lot as well but I'm not sure if its actually related to the signal range. I can reach our second floor using all greenwave power nodes and switch them but at some point I get this error and need to refresh the devices (strange enough they sometimes keep working in flows even with this error).

My setup is: on ground level there is a 6-node and 1-node about 4m away in a direct line from Homey. On the first floor there is a 1-node above that about 4m and a concrete floor and on the second floor there is a 6-node above that another 4m and a concrete floor. My house has a lot of iron and I have no phone signal, still Homey is able to reach the second floor 6-node socket. The issue is that the network is not stable and routing and/or explorer frames are not handled correctly all the time.

Menno

Extra info for the detection of my wave devices I used a long power cable and moved homey close to the dimmers after all devices were detected I moved homey to it's original spot.

Also make sure that the device is resset (if possible) and device is removed from homey

MarcoF

@Menno;
did you try to refresh the "failing"? Go to;
System>Zwave>Failed>Refresh Node

@Phuturist;
Did you try to place another powered Zwave module between the two 6 node sockets?
Maybe one of the Single socket device is not properly routing data.

@all
Also is't not Homey's range, it mostly are routing issues. 

@Athom ;
It would be VERY nice and helpful if @Athom ( @Taco ) would introduce a feature/option which displays the routing from Homey to a particular Zwave node. So user can see where its going wrong and try to solve it themselfs and so prevent complains/issues/etc.

MennoVanGrinsven

@Phuturist mine will not recover by a node refresh or chip reset. I need to move the powernode closer in range. Then it will recover. Also forcing a reset on the powernode does not help. It says it is successful paired (no error feedback from the leds), but still not use able. 

MarcoF

@MennoVanGrinsven ;
Which firmware are you using?

MennoVanGrinsven

@MarcoF I am using 0.8.32