Hey all,
I’m looking for help pairing a GE 14285 outdoor zwave switch (https://amzn.to/3c4GHRT). The instructions say I need to be within 10 feet of hub, but my switch is hardwired into our pool area. I’m about 40-50 feet from an aeotec repeater that’s inside. Any suggestions short of somehow rigging my hub outside to try to connect it? I have a c-5 hub.
Anyone use this switch with trouble connecting? I’m concerned even if I move the hub temporarily it won’t be controllable when I put the hub back. I wouldn’t think 40-50 feet is out of range. Any thoughts you have would be appreciated. Thanks!
Is the nearest Z-wave device 1) a plus device, and 2) inside or outside your house? If the answers are "Yes" and "Inside", the signals are being attenuated by the structure of your home. (I know, duh! 
.) I would make sure the nearest outlet on the outside of the house is a Z-wave+ outlet. You could also try making the nearest outlet inside the house a Z-wave+ outlet, although that has a lower chance of success at that distance.
If the mesh is strong enough to communicate over, it will be strong enough to include the device over. Z-wave+ devices are certified to support Network-Wide Inclusion (NWI). The 10 ft reference in the instructions is allowing for the possibility of connecting to a hub that is not Z-wave+ certified. Your C-5 is certified Z-wave+.
Thanks for your insights here. So when you say the nearest outlet outside, are you referring to an actual receptacle, or do you mean a plug in outlet such as GE’s outdoor plug in? Is there an outdoor outlet you’ve used that you recommend? I just ordered a Honeywell 2-pack of outdoor ones that looked like they match the GE, but quite a bit cheaper - both made by Jasco. It wasn’t clear if I ordered Zwave+ or not... I figured I’ll send them back if not. If you have another suggestion, though, I’m very open. Thank you, again for your help!!
I was thinking of replacing an actual dumb duplex wall outlet with a Z-wave+ device. The outdoor switched pig tail would work too. I just like the clean look of the duplex wall outlet. Either will work.
If you choose it use a duplex outlet, any will work as long as you install it with a proper outdoor cover. I use the covers that can snap closed with an extension cord plugged in.
As far as Z-wave outdoor pigtails, I have used Zooz Zen15 and Inovelli NZW97. The models may have changed, but they should give you an idea of some options.
If you want to definitely know which devices are Z-wave+, you can search the certified list of products at the Z-wave Alliance. This link should take you to the North American devices.
https://products.z-wavealliance.org/regions/2/categories
Well I got 2 Honeywell outdoor switches that are Zwave plus - I was able to pair one of them nearer to my house and leave it there, but I still can’t pair anything out by our pool pump. The strange thing is when I take that outlet I paired and move it back to the pool pump area without rebuilding the zwave mesh it has zero issues operating wirelessly. Even with it back there and functioning properly it will not allow me to pair any devices in that area (I have the GE one I’d mentioned earlier and another Honeywell). Thoughts? My last resort is to physically move the Hubitat closer to see if that will work... unless you have another suggestion. If the GE weren’t hardwired in, I think this would be a lot simpler!
Just throwing this out there, but did you make sure the little rubber duck antenna is attached to the metal box and that the wire antenna inside is fully extended?
Yep - good question. I did put the plastic sheath on, and the antenna is fully extended into it. The strange thing is that my other Honeywell zwave plus device will not join the network from out there, but the one I already joined closer to the house has zero problems communicating from that distance.
Not that weird. You are likely assuming that all device functions use the same radio transmit power, and that is not the case.
On some (most? All? Can't remember for 100% offhand) devices they use a somewhat lower power level during pairing than in normal use. They do that to try and ensure that there is enough signal for reliable normal operation + some interference. And I'm not talking about "whisper" pairing - that is something different and specific to some zwave locks/perimeter security devices.
It is actually in one of the SiLabs training videos, if I remember correctly.
In reality it does nothing other than make people pair it closely and then move it farther away though.
Another 'nanny' feature that doesn't do what they meant it to do in the end. 
Engineers... 
(Disclaimer: I'm an engineer, so it's ok for me to make fun of the silly things they sometimes do)
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So I was able to move my hubitat hub outside to within range of the switch and get it connected. Since then it has worked flawlessly - even with the hub back at its original location. I love it when people save me from myself. 
Thanks for the help, everyone!
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