Random Problems with small section of C5's is likely a QC issue at factory

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And now I have a brief window in which I may be able to prove it.

I just received 2 additional hubs today, which are not for me, but I have the opportunity to use them for a day or two before they leave my hands. Basically another user here who was ordering additional units was kind enough to have them sent to me so I could compare to my unit and be able to run some tests to try and figure out why my experience is so different from his.

I am now convinced 100% my original Hub has a hardware defect from the factory. And I also believe the Auto negotiation issues some people are facing are being caused by this as well and not the switches as support believes.

The 2 hubs i received today connect to my switch at 100M Full Duplex every single time regardless of port or cable used. This includes using the usb and power adapter and cable the first unit came with. This was without internet access supplied to the switch so it was not possible for them to grab the fix. The behavior remains the same with internet supplied.

The 2 new hubs also do not present any CRC errors, where the first is generating them seemingly at random. I have had 923 CRC errors from my hub in the last 30 minutes. 0 errors from the 2 new hubs.

I have restored a backup i just made of my hub onto one of the new hubs for an accurate comparison.

Both new hubs, the one with and the one without anything on it, respond 2-5x faster than my hub across the board.

Basically everything feels snappy and responsive compared to my hub. Even my motion lighting is more responsive.

Are there any tests you guys would like run to help show the differences and prove that my hub does in fact have a defect, as I would really like to be able to exchange it for one without an issue, and would like to help make sure others with these issues can determine if the cause is the same.

All my complaints with HE stem from behaviors the vast majority do not experience, Had I gotten a hub that works like these 2 hubs do I would have had a great experience from the start, instead of pulling my hair out trying to figure out whats wrong with my network or mesh that is keeping me from having the smooth amazing experience so many others are.

@bobbyD Please get in contact with me about this. Now that I have experienced a properly functioning hub I REALLY would like to exchange the one I have. I WANT to be a happy customer who can suggest the platform to all his friends and family. This is the experience I could recommend, not what I ended up with :frowning:

Edited to add why I have 2 new hubs that are not actually mine, and a CRC error number.

Edit 2/3: I can generate as many CRC errors on my hub as I want simply by loading the main menu on my hub. every load or refresh is between 30 and 90 new CRC errors. The other 2 hubs still haven't generated a single error.. Correction loading ANY page on my hub results in more CRC errors.

Edit 3: CRC errors generated by spending 2 minutes just clicking through pages on the hub.
Port 3 is my hub, port 5 and 6 are the new hubs. And please no one try to tell me x% isn't bad... Per CISCO 0 is the only acceptable number of errors for a device to introduce.

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Chugging right along... Haven't opened any pages on my since the initial post. Just let it sit there doing its thing.

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Another 800 CRC errors....

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Any feedback from HE support on this?

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Nope still waiting to hear something sadly.

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This is most revealing... I have 4 C4 hubs and haven’t had slow downs and always been cautious on C5 performance, although I am aware some C4 hub owners have reported issues too. I’m pretty confident Hubitat wouldn’t conceal an issue though as they would have a return option to the manufacturer.

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Ya know just for giggles the other day I setup my zniffer and saw hundreds of CRC errors....

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In your z-wave mesh? That can't be good...

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Yup... I need to debug that issue.

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I don't necessarily think anyone is trying to conceal anything. If it is a QC issue like I believe it would likely affect a small number of units as otherwise they would know and as you have said returned the affected units.

I just don't think anyone who has gotten one of the potentially affected units has both stuck with the platform and obtained a second hub to compare against. I just hope the platform isn't losing potential users if others have encountered this issue and just given up.

No Zwave devices and my Zwave radio is disabled entirely, so sadly that is not a potential cause for me to look into/test :frowning:

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Do you know of a piece of software for Zigbee networks that to do the same? Digi XCTU doesn't do that as far as I know? Now I want to check my Zigbee mesh...

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Xbee

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I was just wondering if those CRC errors are caused from the same bug you posted here, that's all. Well not the same but from issues with my hub.

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That's the Digi XCTU software, I do have a few Xbees... I'll have to look more in that software, I've probably just missed that feature then.

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If my suspicion of QC issue at the factory on the C-5s is correct then all the odd issues some people experience on them that others don't could be caused by random faulty hardware/soldering/connections

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I need to dig into my hubs -- I have 4, and see what is doing what. My C4 definitely has a issue that I really haven't dug into lately. I thought it was Echo Speaks but I moved that to a different hub thats a C5 and no same issues on that hub.

BTW didn't mean to hijack your thread... it just made me think of the outstanding issues I need to look at.

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If Bobby can help me get this resolved and get me a properly working hub then I will likely be buying a second shortly after that to use for load balancing. I am approaching 100 devices so its time to get serious and either have 2 good hubs or start transitioning over to HA until something else comes along. I need my automation and network rock solid, which I now know IS possible with HE if I can get a good unit to replace this faulty one.

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I don't mind at all, maybe the activity will get some attention and we can track down the cause of some of these issues before i need to ship these hubs on to their owner. He's been kind enough to tell me to hang onto them for a couple days, but I know the longer he is waiting on these the longer his home is out of whack.

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adding back to the original topic... heres the latest CRC error total since my initial post

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2 new hubs still haven't thrown a single error. my hub almost 7k of them!!!!!

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Very compelling evidence. If there's an explanation for how the CRC errors are NOT due to a hardware defect, then it's bound to be an interesting one.

Having that unit replaced seems like the quickest, cheapest route to making you a happy customer.

They can then do their own testing of the allegedly defective unit. If they've collected similar data, this may be prove to be a random defect, potentially part of a batch of known defective units, or the first of a batch. Whichever, it's valuable information they can forward to their supplier.

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Just curious if you've tested with a proper, known to be good, twisted pair cable instead of the flat cable the hub ships with? I know that short a length isn't supposed to be an issue with cross-talk, but I just personally don't trust flat cables and they always go straight to the bin with a kind smile and a "thanks, but no thanks" to the manufacturer for thinking of me.

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