All my problems with ZWave started when I moved from C-5 to C-7.
I had to retire few ZWave devices (Zooz ZEN40, ZEN25 and ZEN20).
I had a problem to remove few ghost devices (this was a real headache specifically with one ghost was reporting 0 in a log (I forgot what was the exact message) but I did it).
Now ZWave network seems to be OK but I still have some problems with two GE 26933 MS/Dimmers (I am using buid-in driver, I can try a community driver but I don't think this will change anything). Of course, Murphy Law is never failing. When I am debugging these Devices and associated rules everything works perfectly fine. But very next minute my wife walks in the bathroom and lights are not coming on. And I am hearing a lot of "nice" words.
Of course, everything looks good in a logs. According to the logs lights must be ON but they are not. About the same problem happens to my Corridor Light controlled by the same GE 26933 MS/Dimmer. For this one (Node 27) routing table is this: 01->16->27 @ 9.6kbps.
The routing table for Node 16 it is: 01->28-16 @ 40kbps.
But routing table for Node 28 is: 01->16-28 @ 100kbps.
How do I understand this and does this make any sense.
It looks like Hub can talk directly to both these nodes, 16 and 28.
Why they are cross referenced to each other?
Routing table for the Node 52 (Bathroom Lights) is even more meccy and this one fails more often:
01->1D->04->52 @ 100kbps.
The related routing tables are:
Node 1D : 01->16-1D @ 100kbps
Node 04 : 01-1B-04 @ 9.6kbps
Node 1B : 01-16-1B @ 100kbps
Again Nodes 16 and 1B are cross referencing each other.
And Node 16 is involved in the rotes bor both GE devices.
To my eyes it does not look right.
So, is it any reasonable explanation for this cross referencing?
And how I can improve communication to this GE MS/Dimmers?
There are few more switches failing randomly but they are in a closets (not very critical but too annoying).
I would like to hear a response from experts (bcopeland?).
Yes, I did exclude/include them quite a few times.
Unfortunately (and this was expected) this did not change the entire picture.
Also I performed individual ZWave Repair for these two (and just in case few more) devices.
This also did not help.
I have in a drover Aeontec 6 Zwave repeater.
Is this a beaming one?
Should I install it?
And if "yes" what is the best location will be:
closer to the failing devices;
closer to the hub;
somewhere is between hub and failing devices;
BTW. my one bedroom apartment is only 1000sqft and hub is in a middle.
Actually I have many Switches/Dimmers which are also a repeaters.
How to figure out if any of those already beamers?
the aeotec is a good repeater. pair it with no security. put it closer to the problematic devices then run a z-wave repair and see how things are on a day when the mesh settles
OK,
Thank you for the advice.
I will try this.
Do I have to run a full scale ZWave Repair?
According to many advices here this is not recommended for the C-7 hubs.
Should I simply wait and see what happens?
I have four of the newer Aeotec 7 range extenders. I have them paired with Hubitat using S2 Authenticated security. I have a Schlage Z-wave lock that is paired with S2 access control security. It use one of the Aeotec repeaters to connect the door lock. I also have some other devices that are S2 authenticated and a Zooz relay that is S2 unauthenticated.
You recommended pairing the Aeotec range extenders without security. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing that with my setup.
Routing table is not, in general, a good indication of problems, and routes like you describe are not that uncommon.
More useful is to look at the error rate and route changes for the devices (in the stats column on the c7 z-wave detail page). If the error count and route changes counters are increasing significantly, it can be an indication of weak signal.
mainly overhead of aes128... Honestly the only security most worry about are locks and garage doors. If you have well placed aeotec 7's though get one nearer the problematic devices.
This one and another one (Node 35) are sitting in the same metal box
(yes, this is part of the problem) and Node 35 is using Node 52 as a repeater
but never failed
Does this make any sense?
And if I install a repeater (I have Aeontec 6 repeater ready for installation)
right next to these two nodes will it help?
If installing a Repeater is a good idea should it be installed with security
or without?
This is not quite clear.
I have one more question about repeaters.
It looks like many (if not all) my ZWave Switches and
Dimmers are also repeaters. However I am not sure
if anyone has beaming capability.
Do I still need to install just a repeater(s)?
I've just been looking at the route data for some of my devices and I notice a relatively high number of route changes. I have been having some zwave issues of late and I think they are behind me. I did a cut and paste of the zwave details page into Excel so I can see if the route change numbers continue to climb. Which leads me to my question... how often do the stats show on the zwave details page reset or roll off? Or is there a way to reset the stats so I get a "clean" look?
That did it. I probably should have thought of that before asking My Leviton plugs seem to be rerouting fairly often and they are (mostly) connected directly to the hub, but the RSSI numbers indicate they are operating in the noise - and are also repeaters. I would have thought these guys would be solid. I think I will try a couple of Aeotec range extenders near them for good measure.
I went through the link and searched for the 26933 device.
The device was found but line "Z-Wave Product Information" did not exist.
I did search for few more devices with the same result.
What I am missing?
Thank you all for the responses but I still have the same question:
Do I have to install just a repeater(s) or not?
I do have many (if not all) Switches/Dimmers with repeating capabilities.
My hub in the middle of approximately 40-50 feet circle.
Of course there are some wals(concrete in some cases)/closets on the way
to almost every device.
My Leviton plugs seem to be rerouting fairly often and they are (mostly) connected directly to the hub, but the RSSI numbers indicate they are operating in the noise - and are also repeaters. I would have thought these guys would be solid. I think I will try a couple of Aeotec range extenders near them for good measure.
