I am new to SmartThing and relatively new to Zwave. I got association to work years ago using the Aeon Minimote remote v1.0 (earlier version) with an Interlogic Simon XTI panel supplied by alarm.com. I am migrating and upgrading everything from alarm.com over to SmartThing. Can anyone confirm the following so I know what direction I should take going forward. (ps. So far, love that smartthing hub come with its own zwave excluding util on the hub)
Do I add the Aeon Minimote into SmartThing just like another z-wave device
Do I need the version 2 of the Minimote for association with SmartThing, or would version 1 (it has number on the top four button versus bunch of square shape. And version 1 only has a button say join)
Can anyone post the step by step process and order on how to add in the controlling switch (it is Evolve), controlled switches, and the Minimote remote? I am assuming you first all three of them in but than what?
As I state it before, the version of Minimote I have is version 1. The buttons its has say 1, 2, 3, 4, Device +, Device -, and Join (with a wifi like Logo). Which button do I used to add to SmartThing? Which button do I use for association?
Either version of the minimote is capable of doing an association Between 2 zwave classic devices In association group 1. However, association changed significantly with zwave plus, and the minimote is not the best way if either of the devices is zwave plus, and I don’t believe it will work at all if either of the devices is using S2 or S3 security.
So these days most people do it differently, by using the “Z wave Tweaker.“ This is a DTH which will expose all of the configurable parameters for any Z wave device and let you change them. That includes association.
So you use the web interface to your account, the IDE, to temporarily change the DTH of the trigger device to the zwave Tweaker. You make whatever changes you want to and they will be stored in the device itself. Then you change it back to its original DTH.
If you are Unfamiliar with the terminology and concepts of a DTH, see the following FAQ. Although the examples are from the classic app, the terminology and explanation and concepts still applies.
I’ve had an XTi at my old house (now a rental property) for probably around 10 years now. I have a number of zwave devices, thermostats, etc. and it’s always worked flawlessly.
A few years ago I paired a ST Nvidia Shield Link to it as a secondary controller and that worked fine. That gave me the ability to have some advanced rules (conditionals, etc.) that I couldn’t do within alarm.com, while still retaining the XTi’s zwave controller as the primary.
In my new house, I decided on a similar setup, this time with a QolSys IQ2+ panel. Here as well, zwave has been rock solid for nearly two years now. QolSys regularly issues firmware updates for the panel, and they NEVER break anything.
I also had an ST Nvidia Shield Link paired to this panel as a secondary zwave controller, and it worked fine until Samsung “updated” things and totally broke the ST Alexa integration. So I replaced the Link with a v3 Hub, again paired to the alarm panel as a secondary controller. The rules I set up in alarm.com work reliably, every time. The things controlled by ST work when they haven’t broken something, so I only use ST for the things I cannot do in alarm.com.
I’d think real hard about moving everything from your XTi to ST. ST seems to work just fine as a secondary zwave controller, so you should only need to use ST for the things you can’t set up in alarm.com.
The thing about “real” alarm panels is that they’re designed for reliability above all else. The zwave controllers in my XTi and IQ2+ panels are rock solid. Two words you aren’t likely to hear in a conversation about ST these days.
The problem described there isn’t firmware, it was with a particular android version of the mobile app. The person reporting that problem also said they were able to use it through the IDE as a workaround.
I don’t know one way or another, the best thing to do would be to ask in the author thread linked to above.
I need to replace my master switch and will try it out this evening. Will keep the group posted. One thing I do notices with ST hub 3, on an iPhone, when go into the update zwave tweak switch, the top where it normally should power status, it is showing a cloud with a diagonal line across it. Not sure if this normal
Thank you for the feedback but I have to partially disagree with you. Alarm.com in general is reasonable and reliable, however, here are few issues I had with them, some may be due to my provider - Guardian
Guardian will not provide the programming code to get into the Simon XTi panel. They say only their techs are allow. If I want to add more devices, it would be a service call ($$)
This happen every time. Every time I make changes to my home (e.g replace the garage door opener, or broken switches, they are all z-wave or smart home ready), I have to spend time to call and get routed between Guardian and Alarm.com to do it. And even after it is completed, the label for most of my z-wave devices would lose its name, with just the ID number. Also the grouping info is all jack
Limited partnership, when I first signed up with alarm.com, 5 + yrs ago, they were ahead of the curve in term of what I can do from my phone. But nowaday, I have tons of smart devices that are not supported nor be able to integrate with alarm.com (e.g. Rings, Nest, Alex, IFTTT, I can keep going).
In short, I am more less out grown what alarm.com can do in 2020
Quick update, I am happy to report the Zwave tweat handler ROCK. No AeonLab minimote needed. I literally just add the two switches (Master and Aux) into Smart Thing, which I have to physically double tap on the switches, and update the configuration on my laptop while I was laying on my bed. It did took me a minute to google which association ID to use for Evolve brand switch (it is 1).
However, I do want to report one weird observation, as I am not sure if this is by design or is just me.
I can now use the aux switch to turn on the light that is wired to the master switch (physically) On the app however, only the master switch tile work while the aux switch tile still does nothing. Not a big deal for me but just checking if this is normal. Also, now the association is completed, what should I do with the aux switch / tile on my SmartThing app? Do I remove it? Do I put it (and more more) in a place holder room?
Who owns the panel? If you own it, then you should be given the codes. Period. If you don’t own the panel, then you may be out of luck and I understand why you’re moving away from it. If you don’t own the panel, threaten to take your business elsewhere and see what they do. Alarm companies generally make their revenue from recurring monthly charges, not from hardware and installation.
I bought my panel from Safemart (now Brinks). They gave me the dealer and installer codes, and when they somehow got changed, they gave me the current codes with no hassle at all.
Never had that problem. If I update the device names in alarm.com, they always stick. New devices always end up in the “Other” group, but once moved they stay where I put them. Ask if your panel has current firmware.
Exactly why I added ST to my systems. ST works fine as a secondary zwave controller, and is (or was) a great way to add devices and functionality that alarm.com doesn’t support.
Your experience with alarm.com doesn’t sound normal. If I were you I’d call Guardian and threaten to switch to another monitoring service. You can get the full alarm.com package for $25/month from the vendor I use and they’ve been great.
