With all due respect, there’s no problem with Z-Wave standard. SmartThins could have implement the required Controller Replication command class, but chose not to. It’s no one else’s fault, but theirs. Whatever their reason is, it doesn’t mean jack to an everage consumer who relies on Z-Wave branding (or any other branding for that matter) and expect stuff to “just work”. 
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Controller replication just changes how the local scenes get loaded into the GE device. It doesn’t cause the GE button presses to get reported to the primary controller.
Controller replication would make it easier to use the GE device for those who just want to use it to control Z wave devices within one hop and aren’t worried about the status showing up in their SmartThings mobile app or on SmartTiles. It’s still a third-generation device.
I agree absolutely that it would be nice if SmartThings supported controller replication and controller shift, if only to assist in migration. But it wouldn’t solve most of the issues with the GE scene controllers.
More helpful would be if GE/Jasco updated the devices to use association. But I suspect that would require a chip upgrade not just firmware.
edited to update: @geko rightly points out below that once you have controller replication you can use it to include the primary controller as a controlled device in the scene at the time of replication so you can fool the scene controller into thinking it’s controlling the scenes when it’s actually just sending an indication to the hub. But as he also mentioned you need controller replication to do that, which SmartThings currently does not have.
Yes, it does. That’s how Vera can use it as a “button controller”, by adding itself to each scene. However, with this older command class this can only be done during replication, which is of course a limitation, but it would not be that difficult to implement if they want to.
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If you could set up “fake” devices on the hub and then find some way configure the controller’s buttons with those devices, then a button press could be used to kick off a routine when the hub get’s notified that the fake device is activated.
I’m guessing the issue is that it’s not possible to configure the controller with the fake devices ID/address or whatever it is.
Good point. Yes, you could do it that way. It’s not the intended design of the device, but it doesn’t hurt anything.
I’d like to see controller replication added anyway. If you could use that to make this device work, that’s a bonus.
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Karl,
Sorry to trouble you but I’m having a hell of a time trying to get the unit to work for me. I’ve seen so many different suggestions and thoughts and none of them seem to work for me. Is it possible you could let me know what it took for you to get it to work? Thank you so much!
Thanks Doggy, this was the information I needed to make my GE Controller work with all my Z-Wave devices. Your instructions were perfect to help me figure out how to connect the controller with SmartThings!
Can I ask what you did to make it work? I still can’t get anything to work and I feel like i’ve tried most things. Thanks for your time!
Hi Patrick:
Here is what I did using an Android phone as the primary controller, the GE
Keypad Controller as the secondary controller and the SmartThings hub.
To use the GE Keypad Controller as a secondary controller you just add it
to your SmartThings by Searching for New Things. You search AFTER you
initiate the GE Controller by using these steps (from the instruction
manual available on line at: (
)
Follow Steps 3 through 6 (from the manual above):
3. Press and hold the Add and Remove buttons at the same time until the
orange LED blinks twice.
4. Press and release the OFF side of Group/Scene buttons 1,2,3,4 in
sequence (left side of buttons).
5. The Orange LED will start blinking.
6. When the Orange LED stops blinking and the Green LED blinks twice, you
have successfully transferred information to the keypad controller
Then on my Android Phone in my SmartThings Account, I searched for NEW
THINGS. It found the “Z-Wave Controller”. I then proceeded to add
individual lights to use the GE Controller bedside by following, again
using the manual to add Things to a Group:
… but it can add a network device to a Group. The network information
must be copied to this device before trying to create or modify a Group
(Steps 3-6 above).
- Press and hold the Add and Remove buttons at the same time until the
Orange LED blinks twice, then release. - Press and release the Add button.
- Press and release the Group button.
- Press and release the right side (ON) of the Group/Scene button (1, 2, 3
or 4) that you wish to assign the device to. The Orange LED will start
blinking. - Press and release the button on the device you wish to add. 6. The
Orange LED will stop blinking and the Green LED will blink twice to show
that you have successfully Added the device to a Group.
It now controls 4 different Z-wave devices from my bedside. This is what I
wanted. There are options to add scenes and groups but I think you need
the GE Remote to make that happen which is not really what I wanted, I just
wanted a simple controller bedside to turn on and off a few of the Z-wave
devices.
Good luck!
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I honestly really appreciate you taking the time to send all of that to me. I will do exactly that when I get home. Means a lot sir! All the best.
So when you add it to your smart things hub, can you control devices added into your ST Hub or only zwave outlets and light switches? Or it can be used like the aeon labs zwave minimote where you can program the buttons to do what you assign it to?
The ability of the secondary controller to function when the primary is offline is a MAJOR advantage when the primary is Smartthings. This GE 45631 is worth the hassle given I can control my z-wave devices when ST is offline!
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I have a GE45631 and when I log into the API it shows that the two devices that I want to control are Device Network Id #23 and #24, yet it doesn’t seem to want to connect and work with them. They are GoControl Z-Wave Isolated Contact Fixture Module - FS20Z-1 and I can run them from my Smartthings app but otherwise can’t pair them to the 45631. I HAVE paired other things to it, so I know it works, but can’t understand why the FS20Z-1 won’t do the same. I also had an idea to make two scenes that would include the two FS20Z-1s as one of them controls 2 fans, and the other controls those same 2 fans lights.
Ideas on what I’m doing wrong?
The 45631 can only address the first 32 network ID’s (hardware limitation of that keypad). If you’re trying to address network ID 23 (in hex) it’s beyond the address range of the device.
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I couldn’t get linear switches to work. I don’t think the Go Control switches work either. I think I have read other posts saying they are not compatible. I use mine with GE and Enerwave switches mostly. The enerwave ZWN-RSM1works, but you have to use the button in the hole to get it to pair. Switching on and oFF with the switch (wire) doesn’t work.
Yup I looked it up and ID23 is 35 and ID24 is 36 … just missed them, ARGH!
I wonder if I can go into the API and edit the device IDs there, or if that’s a bad thing … ?
Right now I’m using Smartthings app and Alexa, but would be cool to have the 45631 up towards the front door. Thanks. Now I guess I have to try to get it under 32 for network IDs now that I’m tracking that. BLAH.
As I understand it, every time you exclude and then include a Zwave device, it gets assigned the next sequential ID even if lower number ID’s are available (they don’t get reused). Maybe support would know if there’s a way to do what you want.