Is this many indirect Z-wave connections normal?

[rlithgow1]

@doogles

I typically do my thing and then exclude the Zstick when I'm done with it so things don't keep trying to talk to and route through it. If I leave it in the Zwave mesh for a bit (let's say I'm updating firmware which takes me a couple of days) I just make sure to leave the laptop plugged in and powered on until I finish and eventually remove it.

I'm not sure the z-wave sticks actually repeat. I've never seen anything route through them or have issues when it's just sitting in my drawer (aside from not being pingable after a repair)

[erktrek]

It happened to me.. I think it was a UZB-7. Left it in a laptop.

[doogles]

I do this based on advice from @bcopeland a few months back. Happy to learn otherwise.

[csteele]

I have a 10 port powered USB hub connected to my Mac. 3 of the 10 are Z-Wave USB sticks. A UZB-7: joined to a C-7 but used by PC Cpntroller; a UZB-3 re-flashed as a Zniffer; and a Nortek HUSZB-1 that once in a blue moon gets grabbed by a Virtual Machine running Home Assistant.

But they are always powered, and don't detectably affect anything.. the Zniffer would provide a clue, I imagine.

Sitting on the desk, 18" away, is a battery powered Aeon Z-Stick, reset, so its on it's own ZWave network. Between all of those USB sticks is my Development C-7. So... that's 4 Z-Wave networks in an 18" circle. Again, I don't see any sign of RF interference.

I simply feel like the tradeoffs between saving power, rf interference and mesh problems due to ghost has me leaning towards Always On.

[erktrek]

Wow.. that's cool. my use case is a bit simpler. I use the sticks not only for troubleshooting my setup but also my clients. Since I relocate the laptop a lot I figure it's better as a baseline for me to keep things unplugged when not in use.

So I think I read an earlier post of yours about this - and I originally had the stick plugged into a powered usb hub to keep it going. I remember having some issues with a ghost route (not ghosts!) that inadvertently got created and was hard to get rid of.,, but it was a while ago.

[csteele]

I just checked and the Node ID for that UZB-7 is 0x60 and it appears only on the Wave Details row for that device:

Nothing routes through it although it has a few neighbors:

[erktrek]

I've never found a definitive answer as to whether a secondary controller could repeat or not.. It doesn't seem like repeating would be a function of a "controller" (certainly the primary controller does not haha).

It is entirely possible I am misremembering what happened and your experiences would definitely seem to indicate that it's very unlikely. Hmmm....

Thanks!

[doogles]

@erktrek

I've never found a definitive answer as to whether a secondary controller could repeat or not.. It doesn't seem like repeating would be a function of a "controller" (certainly the primary controller does not haha).

I was once told that they DO, however, looking at the Zwave capabilities in PC Controller specific to the secondary controller, repeater is conspicuously MIA. So I now believe they do NOT.

[Eric.C.Miller]

[JasonJoel]

I am sad to report that my SuperbOwl died. Wasps decided to build a nest in his head, and I had to decapitate him.

Since he didn't scare any birds away anyway, I guess it is a loss I can live with.

[erktrek]