Hi. I'm using Z-Wave JS for my dimmer plug. It's been working mostly fine for the past few months. However, lately it has been randomly becoming unavailable, causing automations to fail as well. Strangely enough, I can just ping it in the Z-Wave JS UI dashboard and it instantly becomes available again. But having to do this each time it becomes unavailable is very annoying. How can I fix this?
#Plug becomes unavailable
cedar crow
tardy locust
Hi @cedar crow,
How much stuff is in your zwave mesh? Are there settings on the device that look like they may effect sleep or network connectivity?
tardy locust
With only 1 zwave device and the coordinator in your mesh, the mesh might not work the greatest.
cedar crow
Are you saying I need to get more zwave devices?
tardy locust
I had to get to about 8 before things became reliable.
cedar crow
That's... very strange?
I would assume that it would be the opposite. The more you have the less reliable.
tardy locust
It's a mesh network, like zigbee. same problem there. Most of the devices route, so the more devices, the more coverage and less chance of interference. Do some reading.
Also if you have a usb powered coordinator, make sure it's on a meter long at least extension cable to get the radio away from the rf noisy computer. That might be enough to help as well.
cedar crow
Hm. I'm unfortunately not in a position where I can just get more. Getting this one was for my lava lamp and I don't really have any other devices that I want to automate (other than my air condition, but that's too expensive right now)
is there anything else I can do to alleviate the problem?
cedar crow
So I should get a USB hub for my green?
tardy locust
For just a zwave coordinator stick it doesn;t need hub, just an extension cable.
cedar crow
I mean if I were to need something other than zwave
like zigbee
at some point in the future
tardy locust
If you add an SSD to it, those take more power, otherwise should be ok.
just keep radios away from any computers or RF sources.
cedar crow
I see. Thanks for your help. I've got my green on the opposite side of the room to my computer desk where my lamp (and the plug is)
The z-wave stick is plugged directly into the green though
so I'll look into getting an extension cable later
tardy locust
The green is a computer as well.
cedar crow
I know. But it doesn't have a radio, does it? It's connected via ethernet.
tardy locust
Zwave, zigbee, Bluetooth, matter USB sticks are all radios. The green is running electronics at similar frequencies and broadcasts like a radio, so it is an rf source. Keep a distance between all of those.
cedar crow
I only have the z-wave stick on my green
there are no other radios
but according to that link, USB3 itself can cause interference
and I would guess poor shielding of an ethernet cable could also cause interference
tardy locust
yes, and the cpu, and memory...
cedar crow
Okay yeah, that's pretty abysmal
shy raptor
No point in further debugging until USB cable is added. Most common issue, hence first step.
cedar crow
Yeah, I'll look into that.
tardy locust
You can leave this open for a while to collect other ideas, but when you have a solution, would you be so kind as to select close from the 3 dots menu in the top and click the Resolved tag if you have not already done so?
shy raptor
You can also check the configured controller power levels. What controller is it? UZB7 or something else?
cedar crow
Of course. I apologize for creating an issue that is seemingly a noob problem.
I made a bunch of assumptions about how this works, which I shouldn't have.
It's an Aeotec Z-wave plug
Aeotec Z-Stick gen 7 I think
shy raptor
What region?
tardy locust
You question was fine and there are no problems. It just good to mark things as resolved when you have a solution so others can reference it and volunteers don't have to worry about things that are no longer problems.
You are a very nice customer to help. Thanks for posting a question!
true depot
Aeotec Z-Stick gen 7 I think
Europe? If yes, I recommend returning it LOL
shy raptor
Many reports of problems in EU.
true depot
I recently re-tested with a new one Aeotec sent me.
Started getting bad measurements between 4 and 8 meters line of sight
shy raptor
Geez
true depot
Something is really off with that stick
cedar crow
Of course I end up buying the shitty stick
sigh well which stick do you recommend then?
shy raptor
Get a Zooz or Homeseer 800
cedar crow
I don't think I can return it, anyway
true depot
Others had more or less perfect measurements at the edge of my apartment with walls in between
Europe is more limited. If you can get your hands on a Zooz 800, that's an okay one. HomeSeer isn't sold here I think (?)
shy raptor
Not sure where you'd buy it
true depot
I had some pretty good results with https://z-wave.me/products/z-station, but that's very expensive
cedar crow
Europe always getting the short end of the stick
shy raptor
Homeseer website has a currency selector, so they might ship, probably more expensive. Zooz ships direct as well.
true depot
Or if you don't mind buying something that's a bit outdated:
https://www.amazon.de/Z-Wave-Z-Wave-Me-Razberry-Modul-ZMEERAZ2/
cedar crow
I can't find a non-amazon seller ugh
shy raptor
cedar crow
the only seller in my country is this, and their website goes to a 404
true depot
Or ask @steel arch if he has a Razberry 2 left 😄
cedar crow
I think I'll stick with a... stick.
I bought a green because I didn't want to mess around with a Raspberry Pi
shy raptor
800 devkit? 😄
true depot
Right, that could be an option aswell
true depot
Bit more hands-on when it comes to firmware updates though
cedar crow
bruh
cedar crow
honestly I'll probably just deal with that price if the extension cable doesn't work
cedar crow
Amazon would probably be a better bet then
I boycott Amazon, sorry.
shy raptor
Sure
true depot
honestly I'll probably just deal with that price if the extension cable doesn't ...
If you can get your hands on a HomeSeer G8, it has been slightly better in my tests
shy raptor
What about that Nabu Casa stick? 😉
cedar crow
Hahahaha what the fuck is this
shy raptor
Last resort, try to find old stock of Aeotec Gen5+.
cedar crow
that does exist
but I still have to pay $70 for that
in which case, I might as well just get the Zooz for $62 lmao
but. extension cable first
ornate latch
Something is really off with that stick
something off with that stick is an UNDERSTATEMENT. I am supersurprised there has not been a class action against aeotec and silicon labs. I cannot tell you tghe huge number of hours WASTED on the Aeotec Z-Stick 7. I don't care if Gen5 is the best, I will NEVER buy anything witgh the brand Aeotec and if I know that Silicon Lab chiups are used in a device, I will skip that too. To the OP, what you are experiencing is a well-known problem with thew chip manufacture. They came up with a new firmware for it in July, but Aeotec only got around to releasing it YESTERDAY (10/13). I have updated the firmware on the Z-Stick 7 without issue in the past (all to no avail, it still crashes and stops connecting to devices). But this firmware update released (FINALLY) by Aeotec yesterday had pretty much bricked by controller. I have spent hours since then putzing around down every avenue possible (Z-wave JS U), S-Wave JS, Simplicity Studio, Node.JS)--literally every published avenue to flash the firmware, and I can't move forward. Even though I have a Gen5 stick, I'd rather dig a hole to China with it than stick it in by Rasberry Pi. I have ordered a Zooz and am washing my hands of Aeotec.