very bad z-wave range

Bumper · February 2018

Hi Guys,

I now understand I'll have to build out a mesh network to be able to properly bridge the ranges required in my home to support zwave. While I do understand the basics around the mesh, but would like to know some experiences on what devices would be best to bridge the gaps. Do I need to stick to one brand, or will anything zwave+ blend mesh . Wonder if there are recommendations from Homey's perspective (different brand requires new apps etc) , do you guys normally stick with 1 brand? any recommendations?

thanks,
Pat

lubbertkramer · February 2018

Bumper said:

Hi Guys,

I now understand I'll have to build out a mesh network to be able to properly bridge the ranges required in my home to support zwave. While I do understand the basics around the mesh, but would like to know some experiences on what devices would be best to bridge the gaps. Do I need to stick to one brand, or will anything zwave+ blend mesh . Wonder if there are recommendations from Homey's perspective (different brand requires new apps etc) , do you guys normally stick with 1 brand? any recommendations?

thanks,
Pat

I mix Fibaro/Neo, but they will be in one mesh, also for Zigbee i mix Hue (directly to Homey)/Ikea wich extend the mesh for my battery devices

sossienl · March 2018

Bumper said:

Hi Guys,

I now understand I'll have to build out a mesh network to be able to properly bridge the ranges required in my home to support zwave. While I do understand the basics around the mesh, but would like to know some experiences on what devices would be best to bridge the gaps. Do I need to stick to one brand, or will anything zwave+ blend mesh . Wonder if there are recommendations from Homey's perspective (different brand requires new apps etc) , do you guys normally stick with 1 brand? any recommendations?

thanks,
Pat

Similar question here. Currently on v1.5.8

I tried to set it up in a way it should work, but with not a lor of success. Downstairs everything works reasonably ok. Sometimes there is a delay between motion and for instance turning on the HUE lights via a Flow, but anyway: When I want to use Z-Wave devices on the first floor, issues appear.

So I bought a extender (AEOTEC Range Extender 6), which I placed in the hall near the stairs to the first floor.
But the Motion Sensor if have on the first floor is not able to send information to Homey.

It seems the only way to get a proper Meshed network is by pressing the "Heal" button next to the nodes in the developer environment for Z-Wave, correct? Sometimes a new path is defined, where the signal is using a Fibaro wall plug (#20) to reach my Fibaro motion sensor ( #36) on the first floor and not the repeater (#22). Actually the repeater doesn't seem to help a lot of other devices, besides one Motion Sensor (#21)

My 2 questions;

1) it seems to be more logic that if Homey cannot reach the Motion sensor (#36), it uses the Repeater (#22), but it doesn't. Is there a way to define (and lock) this your self? The Mesh networks seems to be managed and maintained by Homey but that causes unsuccessful results.

2) The extender is not really showing any positive behaviour in my Zwave network. Anyone have experience, tips/tricks for this?

Attached a screenshot of the developer page for Z-Wave. The "Unknown Nodes" are devices that are included, but I lost a box when I moved in the house, So I couldn't remove them properly:

Image: https://forum.athom.com/uploads/editor/fj/z3wancu6ltoo.png

EDIT 5 minutes later:

Currently the path is again different and it's showing that it's using node #8 to reach my motion sensor. But as far as I know this node is not connected anymore, in any way it's a battery driven device (door sensor) which the battery probably died a year a go. So I guess a third question: Does this mean that this overview is incorrect?

Image: https://forum.athom.com/uploads/editor/he/jn03flzazsdk.png

Rocodamelshe · March 2018

sossienl said:

2) The extender is not really showing any positive behaviour in my Zwave network. Anyone have experience, tips/tricks for this?

Ditch the range extender and buy some wall plugs which will build a mesh network. In this case it is : The more the better.

bvdbos · March 2018

And let the heal do its work, can take quite some time (as in hours).

sossienl · March 2018

Thanks guys, I'll buy a few more of those Wall plugs

freki · March 2018

Hi,

First post. Sorry for hi-jacking the thread but it is related. :-)

Before updating to fw 1.5.8 I could find a z-wave diagram in the Settings meny (Geek stuff). Now there is a link to a developer site but I cannot find the very informative diagram there...

Where is the z-wave diagram now?

Or is it not possible to get this overview anymore? I think it was of great assistance while building your mesh. :-)

BR, Fredrik

sossienl · March 2018

freki said:

Hi,
First post. Sorry for hi-jacking the thread but it is related. :-)

Before updating to fw 1.5.8 I could find a z-wave diagram in the Settings meny (Geek stuff). Now there is a link to a developer site but I cannot find the very informative diagram there...
Where is the z-wave diagram now?
Or is it not possible to get this overview anymore? I think it was of great assistance while building your mesh. :-)

BR, Fredrik

It's gone as it wasn't working well. But I agree a good view on the MESH network would be helpful. Now you can view the paths at developer.athom.com

freki · March 2018

Ok, then I can stop looking for it at least.

Thanks for the info sossienl! I will have a further look at the developer page. :-)

BR, Fredrik

tb1962 · March 2018

@Emile Since i upgraded to version 1.5.8 i have problems with some devices that homey sometimes can't reach.
The exclamation mark on the flowcard shows 'TRANSMIT_COMPLETE_NO_ACK' With version 1.5.3 i did not have these kind of problems. The distance to Homey is only few meters
When i try to do a heal, most of the time i get a 'NETWORK_FAILED' error.

So, if this is not a range problem, what else can it be??

Phaeton · March 2018

Did you try to heal battery devices? This doesn't work.

tb1962 · March 2018

@Phaeton, No all 3 devices are powerswitches (1 fibaro, 1 neo and 1 aeotec)

Phaeton · March 2018

ok. In my case my network was overflowing. Maybe you can download a logger and see if there is one or more devices pushing a lot of messages on the z-wave network? If that is the case let them send less updates ?

sossienl · March 2018

I received my 2 additional Fibaro wall plugs 2 days ago (41 & 44)
At first not a lot changed, as Homey didn't use the new nodes for routing to my sensor, it was just a simple 1 > 41 and 1 > 44.

I then removed on of the wallplugs I already had (20) and healed the Fibaro sensor (36). It now used one of the new wall plugs (44). This was my desired path, looking at my house layout, it made the most sense.
When I triggered the motion alarm, the HUE lights turn on within a seconds. Not instant, but acceptable.

Unfortunately, 2-3 hours later the Z-wave path has changed again from a single node route (1 > 44 > 36) , to multi step route (1 > 25 > 44 > 36). This again delivers a huge delay in motion alert and switching on my HUE lights.

It's been there for over 12hours now....

So besides investing additional € in a possible solution that was never an issue with my previous Zwave gateway (Mios Vera 3), I'm still facing this problem and there is no way I can define this myself?

Please advice.

Image: https://forum.athom.com/uploads/editor/bh/4bb1jazgnglg.png

djesko · March 2018

see if there are any git case and add your info

kperssson · April 2018

I have the same problems on version 1.5.9 transmit complete no ack.
is there any solution?

JohanC · May 2018

Same here with 1.5.9. Although there are ZWave plugs in between my door sensors and Homey, one time Homey uses them to relay (and all works fine), and then all of a sudden it ditches the plugs and tries to connect my door sensors directly to Homey (which is too far and thus open / close is not detected anymore). Manual heals do not work (always get errors on trying to heal the sensors), maybe because the plugs are too far from Homey... Even putting the plug at 10 cm from the sensor does not work... Don't know if it is a 1.5.9 problem or more general... Anybody any thoughts or ideas how to solve?

lubbertkramer · May 2018

JohanC said:

Same here with 1.5.9. Although there are ZWave plugs in between my door sensors and Homey, one time Homey uses them to relay (and all works fine), and then all of a sudden it ditches the plugs and tries to connect my door sensors directly to Homey (which is too far and thus open / close is not detected anymore). Manual heals do not work (always get errors on trying to heal the sensors), maybe because the plugs are too far from Homey... Even putting the plug at 10 cm from the sensor does not work... Don't know if it is a 1.5.9 problem or more general... Anybody any thoughts or ideas how to solve?

I guess your sensors are battery devices and in that case heal won't work, heal only works on powered devices

martijn101 · June 2018

I have the same problem.

Is there a way to reinforce the signal for the Fibaro Motion sensor?

One sensor works fine (range 1 meter), three other motion senors don't send de motion to the homey the range is about 5 to 7 meter.

Image: https://forum.athom.com/uploads/editor/jo/0ito0tohdlbd.png

Rocodamelshe · June 2018

martijn101 said:

I have the same problem.

Is this all the devices u have? Just battery powered devices?

martijn101 · June 2018

@Recode Rocodamelshe said:

martijn101 said:

I have the same problem.

Is this all the devices u have? Just battery powered devices?

Yes, I have ordered 2 new wall plugs from "Coolcam" the are on shipment.

JohanC · June 2018

Am definitively sure the problem is Fibaro related. I have two new door sensors that are not at all trustworthy (sometimes they work, sometimes they don't - see my post above of May 2). And I'm relatively sure it has to do with the fixation of the route they take, since they work a number of times after one another and then suddenly stop working for a number of days. I replaced one of those by an Aeon Labs (Aeotec) door sensor (the triangle one) and it works without issue now since several days in a row, in the exact same situation as the Fibaro one. To my guess is it's an issue with the Fibaro driver...

very bad z-wave range

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