To optimize, or not to optimize, that is the question

[paul]

So, I've recently replaced a number of older z-wave switches in my house that had gone squirrely, and since then there's been a number of times where i've had some z-wave delays. Without digging deep I suspect I've got some routing issues as a result from the replacements. I've recently found a few posts that comment on it no longer being recommended to do a full optimization, but I have yet to find anything that fully documents either why one shouldn't do a full optimize these days, nor exactly what the correct approach is to fully clean up and set routes for your entire environment.

In my situation - a house with with 50 or 60 switches in it, that has been fully optimized in the past, and has had a number of switches swapped or replaced over the last couple of years, what is the best approach for me to clean up routing across my house and properly optimize it, without doing an optimize?

Thanks in advance!

[Jebus]

The way I understand it is that a full optimize on the controller will mess up routing (neighbors) because any battery powered or non listening devices will be missed or excluded from the process.
Performing an optimize on individual nodes assures the device is awake and listening...

[paul]

Hmmmm. If that’s the reason, though, then it doesn’t seem to me that it’s a reason not to do a full optimize, but rather instead after a full optimize I would want to go to any battery powered devices, wake them up and do a full optimize on them, too….. ?

[ewkearns]

I have read that if you have replaced older devices with newer devices including as early as 500 chips (I think) optimization is not needed nor recommended. There is a grey area where you have an older device at a choke point in the mesh and you would optimize that single device. Without mapping my network I would shy away from optimization.

[mulu]

I did a full optimization a while ago (like a couple years) and it made things worse. Since then I have never used it again.

[randy]

There are two Full Optimize options, one on the Device and one on the Controller. Looking at it from an HS3 perspective the tool tip on the Device’s tab explains the old rule of thumb. Remember this was written before Z-Wave plus was introduced, so the requirements were based on old technology. Z-Wave plus devices can fix their own routing over time, this step is unnecessary. For older Devices this was a good procedure. Understand that this is device specific



The Optimize tab has a tool tip as well



These options remain in the HS4 legacy plug-in. The V4 HS plug-in has only Full Optimize



Honestly, Full Optimize on an individual Device is useful and harmless. On any Z-Wave Device (plus or earlier) this is a good operation, if you feel your device is not communicating well.

On the network side, HS3 had both options. The recommendation that has proven true with experience is this will cause more problems than it cures.


In the V4 plug-in both options remain



Despite the change in wording, I believe both functions are essentially the same as HS3. From experience I would recommend avoiding any network wide options and only use device specific options. If you feel like you need to do a full optimize I believe it is best to work outward from the Controller by distance. Optimize the closest nodes first, then work outward. You can probably get by with one pass of Full Optimize on each Device. If you have all Z-Wave plus devices, this is probably unnecessary. They should self optimize and will likely overwrite any routing as they are operated.

[paul]

Thanks for the info folks. So basically the way I'm reading all this is that in general people are finding doing a Full Optimization has caused them more grief than it's solved. If I have a specific node that is having trouble, full optimize that one node, and otherwise the devices will Self Optimize over time on their own if I just leave them to their devices (pardon the pun). Let me know if I have any of that wrong.

thanks all!

Paul

[randy]

Thanks for the info folks. So basically the way I'm reading all this is that in general people are finding doing a Full Optimization has caused them more grief than it's solved. If I have a specific node that is having trouble, full optimize that one node, and otherwise the devices will Self Optimize over time on their own if I just leave them to their devices (pardon the pun). Let me know if I have any of that wrong.

thanks all!

Paul

You are correct. Only Z-Wave plus devices will self route.