Can someone answer some questions about the z-net and homeseer?

[pcgirl65]

I currently am running the zooz z-wave USB stick on my homeseer server. I was just recently told about the z-net and that it could help make my z-wave network more stable and easier for some devices connections. I have about a 2500 sq ft home with 3 levels. My questions are:

Do you use the z-net together with the zooz USB stick?
Do you use a z-net on each floor and have each floor devices connect just to that z-net or do they all work together?
What are the best practices?
Can the z-net be connected using a switch to connect it back to the router?

[Rupp]

I currently am running the zooz z-wave USB stick on my homeseer server. I was just recently told about the z-net and that it could help make my z-wave network more stable and easier for some devices connections. I have about a 2500 sq ft home with 3 levels. My questions are:

Do you use the z-net together with the zooz USB stick? You can if you need more coverage
Do you use a z-net on each floor and have each floor devices connect just to that z-net or do they all work together? Again, if you need the coverage due to missed signals this will work.
What are the best practices?
Can the z-net be connected using a switch to connect it back to the router?

For a 2500 sq ft home one Z-Net placed high should cover the home but if your existing Stick is working then I'd just add the Z-Net closer to the area needing better coverage.

[The Profit]

I currently am running the zooz z-wave USB stick on my homeseer server. I was just recently told about the z-net and that it could help make my z-wave network more stable and easier for some devices connections. I have about a 2500 sq ft home with 3 levels. My questions are:

Do you use the z-net together with the zooz USB stick?
Do you use a z-net on each floor and have each floor devices connect just to that z-net or do they all work together?
What are the best practices?
Can the z-net be connected using a switch to connect it back to the router?

I use two z-nets, one for each floor in a 3,500 sq/ft home and they are each on their own network, rather than combined. With the number of floors that you have and depending on the materials the walls/floors are made of, personally in my own opinion, I would add two z-nets to your existing stick. There will be less hops between devices and make a much more stable mesh network. At a minimum, I would add one more z-net.


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[Wade]

Your other question about connecting through a switch...yes, no problem.

[pcgirl65]

Would you have them all one zwave network or individual networks? I really don’t have that many devices. Probably 25 or less.

[Wade]

With only 25 I would think a single network is probably fine. That said, I started that way and as my network grew ended up changing to separate networks. Excluding/reincluding devices and rebuilding events was a PITA. Separate networks might be somewhat more future proof.

[The Profit]

Would you have them all one zwave network or individual networks? I really don’t have that many devices. Probably 25 or less.

If you’re not planning to get too many more z-wave devices then I would just get one z-net and keep it on the same network as your stick. If you have plans to get 30+ more z-wave devices then put them on separate networks. Z-nets can handle more than 50 devices on one network but if I remember correctly, it’s advised that you have no more than 50 devices per z-net network.


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[pcgirl65]

Thanks for the answers! Really helpful!

[pcgirl65]

Just one more question.....if I add a z-net to my system, how do I do that if I want it to be all one network? Do the devices just find their way to the z-net if it is closer?

[langenet]

Having been through a similar situation, I had a z-troller which I backed up and restored to my z-net. I then removed the ztroller altogether. I have one z-net in my basement and it covers my 3400 Sq ft home without issue. Saying that, I'd just go with the z-net and just include new nodes on it.

[pcgirl65]

So, should I keep the zooz z-wave stick as well. I am not sure how many more devices I will actually be adding in the future. Nothing comes to mind right now. So, would it be best to move some or all devices just to the z-net?

[Wade]

Just one more question.....if I add a z-net to my system, how do I do that if I want it to be all one network? Do the devices just find their way to the z-net if it is closer?

As Robert indicates, you'll have to manually add devices to the new controller. Unless you're planning to add several new z-wave devices in the near future, it's probably best to move (exclude from the Zooz stick, include on the z-net) several that are in its vicinity to begin developing mesh coverage. When I changed to separate networks I first decided which devices made sense for each controller based on proximity, and then plowed through the exclusion/inclusion process and rebuilt events.

I was on HS3 when I made the change, and I would think the following should work using the legacy events page if you're on HS4. To move devices and rebuild events I did the following--again, using the HS3 events page as I'm not sure the HS4 events page will work this way.

1. Filter the events list by the device you're going to move.
2. On a separate browser tab (or using z-tool+), exclude and reinclude the device on the new controller.
3. Go through each event in the filtered and fix the broken device selections.
4. Repeat for the next device.

As additional backup, I also exported a separate list of events for each device using jon00's event viewer although I don't think I ever had to use those lists.

[Wade]

So, should I keep the zooz z-wave stick as well. I am not sure how many more devices I will actually be adding in the future. Nothing comes to mind right now. So, would it be best to move some or all devices just to the z-net?

I think it depends on your home layout and whether you feel you can get good coverage using just the z-net, centrally located. For my house (metal lath and plaster walls, so inhibited signal penetration), I have a 2-story section with a z-net on the ground floor and another in the attic. My HS server sits in a single-story section somewhat away from the two z-nets, so I also have a z-stick running on the server because the z-nets don't reach that far without 3-4 hops. I also have devices in an outdoor storage area off the single story side of the house, so the stick helps with that, too.

[pcgirl65]

Hmm, so I guess more is better for a more stable environment. My house is just a regular house with wood and drywall. However my HS server and z-wave stick is currently in the basement, which I suspect is causing issues. I am thinking that a z-net on the main floor would be a good addition. So the z-wave stick and z-nets connect to each other naturally?

[Wade]

Each controller, stick or z-net, connects to your server. They don't connect to each other and they operate entirely independently if you're running separate networks on them. If the z-net will be directly above the stick that's in the basement, or nearly so, you might want to put the z-net on the 2nd floor. It won't help much to have 2 controllers if they're proximate to one another relative to your overall house layout.