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The Homey Community has been moved to https://community.athom.com.
This forum is now read-only for archive purposes.
Z-wave signal and reliability
honey
Member
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.
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.
Comments
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
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.
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...
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)
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.
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.
Also make sure that the device is resset (if possible) and device is removed from homey
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.
Which firmware are you using?