Zwave Connectivity issue troubleshooting

[tuffloud1]

One device in particular seems to almost always be in error. Once in a blue moon, I will get no errors. Every time there are errors however, the 1 particular device is always in error while all the other devices in error are sporadic and different each time. Other times, it will be only the 1 device in error by itself if there are no other devices in error.

I have replaced this particular device numerous times with the same outcome. The only thing that “helped” was to install a repeater outlet about 4 feet away from the device that always is in error. This was the only way to get this device to actually work continually. If I hadn’t installed that repeater outlet, it would only allow me to add the device and then it would be totally unresponsive.

So any ideas on what I could do? Everything is working perfectly now, but this issue always pops up again where it will become un-responsive and always is in error regardless of whether it is responsive or not.

[JDRoberts]

Brand, model, and specific error message for the device which is always in error?

Most likely there’s some problem with that particular device and the other error messages are showing up when your other devices try to use it as a repeater. ( remembering that because it’s mesh, it may be different devices on different trips.) But there are other possibilities as well.

[tuffloud1]

It’s an Inovelli Zwave Plus switch. I have about 25 others that are exactly the same, but this 1 particular one seems to always have issues popping up.

Usually it is “Could not update neighbors” or “failed to update mesh info” or “unable to assign new routes”.

At the moment, it is only “could not update neighbors”.

[JDRoberts]

It could be location, it could be that it’s a bad device.

Speaking as a field tech, the first thing I would do is swap it out with one of the other switches of the same model which does work, Run a repair, and then see if the problems recur either with the original problematic switch or the new switch.

If the original switch is fine in the new location and the new switch flakes out, it’s the location. Then there are things that you can start looking at from there.

If the new switch is fine and the original switch continues to flake out in its new location, then the original switch is bad.

[tuffloud1]

I did the exact same thing you describe and I’m confident it is the location. What is strange though is the GE receptacle repeater is only 4 feet away and doesn’t have the same issue. It is also Zwave Plus.

[tuffloud1]

Do you think adding something like this in between the problem switch and the hub would help? I added the GE receptacle which allows it to function at all but maybe this one would fix the issue?

Dome Z-Wave Plus S2 Range Extender (Signal Repeater) DMEX1

As it is, the problem switch is only about 40 feet away from hub with a bunch of repeaters between.

[professordave (DavidK)]

Did you try and power cycle the device in question?

I have seen that sometimes a particular device will report these errors until it is power cycled.

Like after a storm, or for no known reason.

The device is working in general, but does not get clean zwave repair.

Sometimes, I have seen another device needs to be power cycled but it itself is not reporting errors, it is causing errors in another device.

At least once I went around the house power cycling everything and after that was able to run zwave repair 4 times in a row to get a clean zwave repair.

[professordave (DavidK)]

So try power cycling the house itself, flip all breakers.

Power cycle the SmartThings hub.

Then run zwave repair 4 times in a row.

Last zwave repair should be clean

[JDRoberts]

You still didn’t give the model number.

Anyway, The range extender is not necessary, it won’t do anything more than any other zwave plus Mains power device in the same location would do.

Anyway, any time it’s an inwall device, there can be something right inside the wall which is Suppressing the signal. It might even be the switchbox itself. Smartthings doesn’t really give us the tools to diagnose that. But it’s not uncommon for a light switch on one side of the room and an in wall receptacle on the other side of the room to have completely different broadcast patterns.

The next thing I would try is just a different brand of switch. They are all engineered a little differently, including antenna placement, and it might make a difference.

[tuffloud1]

Are all repeaters/extenders typically capable of extending the signal the same distances?

[tuffloud1]

You still didn’t give the model number.

Model is NZW30S

[JDRoberts]

Are all repeaters/extenders typically capable of extending the signal the same distances?

Yes. The marketing descriptions make it sound like they’re doing something more exciting, but they’re just doing the same thing that any mains powered device does.

See the recent conversation:

Z-Wave/Zigbee range extender

As you probably know, zwave repeats only for Z wave and Zigbee repeats only for zigbee. Most Mains powered devices will repeat for their own protocol. The exception is usually warning devices like smoke sensors where you don’t want the smoke detector’s own message to be delayed because it’s repeating a message for a light switch somewhere. But otherwise, if it’s running on mains power, it probably repeats for its own protocol. Zwave Single purpose zwave extenders were useful back during the third generation of z wave when not every device used full power. But we are now in the fifth generation (Z wave plus) And pretty much every mains powered device now transmits at full power, so you just don’t need the single purpose extenders anymore. People commonly use plug in pocket sockets, L…

[tuffloud1]

Just out of curiosity, I just ran a few more repairs and now that problem switch is saying “could not delete old routes” and “could not assign new routes”.

Now, the switch stop responding remotely. When I toggle on/off physically, then it started responding remotely again.

The Zwave repair actually caused these issues.

[professordave (DavidK)]

Power cycle some devices and try zwave repair again.

[professordave (DavidK)]

And reboot hub.

Without a clean zwave repair I think there is no way to know that all devices can talk reliably with the network.

[frogmonster (Micheal Reimer)]

Jumping in here3 to add my two cents. The innovelli NZW30S switches i feel are crap. I have two of them that are 3 meters from the hub. over the past year, both of them stoped responding least 4 times. and again, 2 days ago. I can operate then manually but ST cant control them. My fix has been to factory reset them, and re pair them again. I regret buying them.

[tuffloud1]

Have you tried another brand switch to confirm that it is the brand that is the issue and not the location of the switches?

[frogmonster (Micheal Reimer)]

Later today, im going to swap one out with a wifi switch i have lying around.
I do have some of the cheep monoprice z wave switches around the house. They have never givin me any problems.I dont feel location is the issue. One switch is about a meter and a half away from the hub. No walls between. And the second switch is about 3 metes away with one drywall between. When the switches crap out, They usually do it at the same time. Very weird.

[tuffloud1]

I suggest trying another brand of Zwave switch to be certain it is not the location. I have over 30 Inovelli Zwave switches and this 1 switch I. particular had always been an issue. I believe it is something weird going on with the location, despite being a few feet away from another Zwave repeater which is also a few feet from another and so on all the way back to the hub.