Distance between Zwave+ nodes outside - line of site?

[Tomgru]

You would ideally have two Z-wave plus devices one at the house location one at the shed/garage.

I've also found that you might have to optimize the nodes and/or manually set the route in order to get them to initially communicate. For example, the node that is inside your house that is closest to the garage, do a full optimize on it. Then goto the node information on the Z-wave tab. Find that node and look at its discovered neighbors, it should list the node# of the device in the garage.

Next do the same thing for the device in the garage, it should pick up some neighbors that are inside your house.

I just included (node 128) a new outlet module (zooz) in the shed that is zwave+. I checked it's route.... one hop (40k) to a HSDimmer (node 12) in my house. That dimmer is direct to my znet.

When to the node information on the schlage lock - was listed as no known route. I manually put it at 128,12) and tested the connectivity. Still nothing.... can't see it.

[TC1]

Also forgot to mention that if you have a really big house, you're limited to 4 "hops" to get a Z-wave message from the controller to the far-side node. Node information tab in HS will show your current routes. But like I said, you'd need a really big house and a sparse amount of devices/repeaters to exceed this limit.

[TC1]

Sadly this stopped working yesterday. HS4 lost connection to the jasco module, and no amount of pinging/test connectivity would work.

Back to my original question/thought... i may try a zwave plus outlet here and see if that works with the extended range.

You would ideally have two Z-wave plus devices one at the house location one at the shed/garage.

I've also found that you might have to optimize the nodes and/or manually set the route in order to get them to initially communicate. For example, the node that is inside your house that is closest to the garage, do a full optimize on it. Then goto the node information on the Z-wave tab. Find that node and look at its discovered neighbors, it should list the node# of the device in the garage.

Next do the same thing for the device in the garage, it should pick up some neighbors that are inside your house.

[Tomgru]

If it's an older Schlage lock (regulat Z-wave like mine) then yes it might help. Z-wave locks need neighbor devices that support z-wave beaming, not all devices do. I believe all the Jasco's do since I have a Jasco/GE light switches next to one of mine Schlage locks.

Any idea where i can find a list of devices (old and new) that support beaming? I'm on the zwave alliance site, but not sure how beaming is represented in the specs on each device.

Another thought... since this lock was originally included near my znet, then moved to it's outdoor location, i wonder if i'll have to bring it back in again to optimize, or how i get it to see the new module?

It is an older schlage.

[Tomgru]

Sadly this stopped working yesterday. HS4 lost connection to the jasco module, and no amount of pinging/test connectivity would work.

Back to my original question/thought... i may try a zwave plus outlet here and see if that works with the extended range.

[JRose]

I, too, am leaning heavily towards Zigbee, since HS4 promised that capability. Looks like that won't happen any time soon, especially because my HA computer can't be located near the necessary location of the [Z-Wave | Zigbee | WiFi] hub. HS won't go out on a limb and offer any assurance that the USB Nortec Zigbee unit can be remoted. So, my task is to find a Zigbee hub that actually works and can be remoted from the HS computer. What do you use and/or what would you suggest as a solution?

I had a distance problem with my Z-Wave S2 stick and used a USB/Cat5 extender to move the S2 stick from the basement to the first floor of my house. That might be an option for you. Z-Wave works much better but not flawless.(face it....it's still z-wave.) I just bought the Nortek stick from HS to add Zigbee and I'm planning on replacing the S2 stick this weekend also using the extender.

[TC1]

If it's an older Schlage lock (regulat Z-wave like mine) then yes it might help. Z-wave locks need neighbor devices that support z-wave beaming, not all devices do. I believe all the Jasco's do since I have a Jasco/GE light switches next to one of mine Schlage locks.

[Tomgru]

Thanks all. I swapped the zooz power strip with a zwave jasco module and it seems to be working.

Funny, l have a schlage lock on that shed door that never communicates so I'm wondering if this will help...?

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[TC1]

I don't have direct experience with the RaspBee, but here's from the Dresden website:

https://phoscon.de/en/raspbee2/sdcard

I'm pretty sure if you ask in the JowiHue PI forum you'll get better expertise than mine. There's also an active community on the Github forums of folks that use the RaspBee across many different home automation platforms.

[ewkearns]

do yourself a favor and get a ConBeeII USB stick or a RaspBee (can be independent of the computer), and then the JowiHue plugin.<snip>

OK, you’ve sold me on this. I feel like I’m getting a little over my head, but this is how I see this…

I need:

• a Phoscon RaspBee II
• a Raspberry Pi 4B (how much memory?)
• the “Raspbian Buster Desktop” software
• a micro SD card (how big?)
• a power supply
• a case
• the JowiHue plugin.

Did I get close?

PS
Running Windows 10

[TC1]

ewkearns do yourself a favor and get a ConBeeII USB stick or a RaspBee (can be independent of the computer), and then the JowiHue plugin. From looking at the change log for the HS native plugin, it's painfully obvious that device support will be slow going, so I decided that functionality (rather than being "free") is more important to me, so made the additional investment in the JowiHue PI.

So far it's been fantastic and I've been able to use $12 sensors from Aqara for temperature, humidity, door sensors and motion. Transmission range on the ConBeeII is fantastic. I'm now adding in Philips Hue bulbs as ZB routers.

[ewkearns]

Good question and one I asked myself. I went with a z-wave switch in my garage/shop in order to extend my z-wave network out there and use sensors. Z-wave and Zigbee battery powered sensors will greatly out last WiFi type sensors. I've been testing out both ZW and ZB sensors and I'm leaning towards all ZB due to superior power management, while still using Z-wave sensors for direct associations on load control (fast and no controller needed). Once I'm convinced I'll end up extending my ZB network out to the garage also.

I, too, am leaning heavily towards Zigbee, since HS4 promised that capability. Looks like that won't happen any time soon, especially because my HA computer can't be located near the necessary location of the [Z-Wave | Zigbee | WiFi] hub. HS won't go out on a limb and offer any assurance that the USB Nortec Zigbee unit can be remoted. So, my task is to find a Zigbee hub that actually works and can be remoted from the HS computer. What do you use and/or what would you suggest as a solution?

[TC1]

Alternative: YMMV, but as of now I am sold on TP-Link devices and WiFi. Unlike Z-Wave, which is not only like hearding cats, but expensive. The WiFi units are cheap and bulletproof. If you have WiFi in your garage, I'd give them a serious once over. They tend to lack some features, but if a $15 unit will suffice, why pay $50+?

Good question and one I asked myself. I went with a z-wave switch in my garage/shop in order to extend my z-wave network out there and use sensors. Z-wave and Zigbee battery powered sensors will greatly out last WiFi type sensors. I've been testing out both ZW and ZB sensors and I'm leaning towards all ZB due to superior power management, while still using Z-wave sensors for direct associations on load control (fast and no controller needed). Once I'm convinced I'll end up extending my ZB network out to the garage also.

[ewkearns]

I've got a number of Z-Wave switches and dimmers in my shop (some Z-Wave+, some not), which is about 60 feet from the closest Z-Wave device (https://byjasco.com/ge-z-wave-plus-p...rt-switch-500s), which is definitely old school and not Z-Wave+. That Z-Wave device is outside and about 9 feet in the air.

However, I just checked and have a representative HomeSeer switch that has 19 neighbors, including the Z-Net, and it is a good 90 feet away with 4 intervening walls (wood construction).

Alternative: YMMV, but as of now I am sold on TP-Link devices and WiFi. Unlike Z-Wave, which is not only like hearding cats, but expensive. The WiFi units are cheap and bulletproof. If you have WiFi in your garage, I'd give them a serious once over. They tend to lack some features, but if a $15 unit will suffice, why pay $50+?

[TC1]

I have a regular z-wave dimmer in my kitchen which is on an outside wall, and a Z-wave+ GE dimmer inside my detached garage at least 50 feet away and have no problems with communication since both are mains powered devices.