Kwikset 916 Not Unlocking

[dshanklin99 (David Shanklin)]

Hello Community,

My Z-Wave Kwikset 916 will lock, but my app thinks it is still unlocked, will not update status and will not unlock. I have tried deleting, excluding, re-adding with no success. I have tried adding by just finding a new device and then adding it specifically as a lock. No luck. Any thoughts? I appreciate any help on this one!!

[jkp]

FAQ: why would I need another beaming repeater if my zwave lock is already close to my hub?

This question comes up a lot. Suppose you have a Z wave lock, but the status doesn’t seem to update or commands don’t always seem to work. Typically someone in the community will recommend that you add another beaming repeater within 10 feet or so of the lock. So the question is why would you need that if the lock is already pretty close to the hub? The short answer is that the hub is busy, and it takes some load off of it if you have a separate beaming repeater near your lock. The long answer is in the following thread (this is a clickable link) Also, since I get asked all the time what’s an inexpensive Zwave plus beaming repeater, for the US hub the Minoston miniplug is often on sale for right around $20. It should not require any custom code, it’s just a very simple one socket on/…

[dshanklin99 (David Shanklin)]

A little more detail…if I lock or unlock it using the keypad, my app updates the status perfectly. The one thing it will not do is update the status to locked and then allow me to unlock it using the app. I have tried rebooting the hub, repairing the z-wave network as well. And the hub is 15 feet away tops, and I’ve literally added no other devices yet, so heavy traffic shouldn’t be the issue.

[RBoy (www.rboyapps.com - Making SmartThings Easy!)]

@dshanklin99

And the hub is 15 feet away tops, and I’ve literally added no other devices yet

If the status isn’t updating, then it may be losing packets in the mesh. See the link from @jkp above which explains what may be going on. Also you shouldn’t have to add it as lock, it should detect it automatically when you pair it.

[dshanklin99 (David Shanklin)]

So I’ve tried everything in the thread except a Repeater, which is now on order. Would everything be working fine as described (status updating in app when using keypad and locking with app, just not unlocking) except the one line of communication and it be a mesh packet issue? Sorry to be a newb here… My old schlage worked perfectly at my old home on my old hub.

Just trying to get this working in the midst of virtual school and full time job.

[RBoy (www.rboyapps.com - Making SmartThings Easy!)]

It’s explained in quite some detail in the article above. The SmartThings controller doesn’t do a great job of buffering packets and handling signal issues. Try moving the hub to a different location, that will change the mesh signal layout and may fix the issue. If it does, then note that this is a temporary fix and is caused by lack of a strong mesh. That’s where the buffering devices shine in helping to create a strong mesh. (walls, devices etc can cause signal reflection, distortions all of which affect mesh quality, the more buffering devices in the mesh, the strong the resilience of the mesh in delivering packets to/from the hub).