(resolved) Samsung SmartThings Outlet (2017 model) will not pair w/C4 hub, but will pair w/C5 hub

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1

Here is a weird one... I have a Samsung SmartThings outlet (2017 model).

I can pair it to my C5 hub, no issues. On the C5 it pairs right away as expected. But I really want it on my other C4 hub...

I can't get it to pair on that C4 hub at all... I go to zigbee device pairing, and do the EXACT same thing I do to pair it on the C5 (press the power button once it is in pairing mode - blinking blue lights). It never finds it. It never shows any pairing attempt at all and the 60 second pairing window just times out.

  1. I checked, and my zigbee status is ENABLED, and the zigbee network state is ONLINE.
  • All of my other zigbee devices on that C4 hub are working perfectly as well.
  • My zigbee channel is 18, so nothing too exotic.
  1. I tried rebooting the hub and then re-attempting the pairing (multiple times). No difference.
  2. I tried pairing 2 feet from the hub, 15 feet from the hub, 30 feet from the hub. No difference.

Any thoughts @mike.maxwell , or anyone else????

Not sure if this is something you guys would like more info/diagnostics on.

2

I have mine paired to a C4. Didn’t do anything special....

3

I USED to have this very outlet paired to my C4 hub... So maybe something is going on with that hub or something... Who knows.

4

You might have a mesh issue. Is your Zigbee mesh better distributed on your C5?

Try to do a factory reset of the unit and just as a test try to pair it right next to the hub.

5

How Zigbee devices are paired to your C-4 hub? Do you have any repeaters?

6

All good questions!!!

On the hub there are:
25 total zigbee devices

  • 2 generic contact sensors
  • 3 kwikset locks
  • 4 Ikea Tradfri Outlets (evenly spaced around my house - they are there solely for zigbee mesh improvement)
  • 16 SmartThings Water/Leak Sensors
7

Seems like you should be ok to add another device. I wonder if it is always trying to pair through a repeater that has reached its device limit? Not sure if that is even a thing...

What if you try pairing the device far away from the hub, so it would try to use a different router device? Just a guess.

You could also try shutting down your C5 hub while trying to pair with the C4. Again, I am just brainstorming here...

8

Hmmm, rule of thumb is usually 1 repeater for every 6 devices. But that all depends on congestion and where the repeaters are in relation to the devices. And you said you tried to pair right next to the hub which can handle 32 devices directly attached. Then again, it depends on signal strength and if the device picked a repeater or not.

Not sure how much you want to mess with your mesh/setup but you could try this:

  • Unplug all repeaters
  • try to pair right next to the hub
  • once done, reconnect the repeaters

This would take out the variable of repeater and congestion

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9

That was a good idea... Some combination of that worked.

I tried:

  1. Pairing with the outlet 2" from the hub - didn't work
  2. Unplugged the 4 Ikea outlets and tried to pair - didn't work
  3. Rebooted hub and tried to pair - worked this time

Plugged the outlets back in, and they work (can see them on the zigbee child page as routers, too).

So maybe it was the routers doing something goofy... Or maybe I just needed one more reboot. Not sure, but it is paired now.

Thanks for the suggestions and ideas!

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