Having a heck of a time adding Z devices all of a sudden?

[The Keeper]

Hello all,

I've been using Z-Wave for about 10 years with HS2, the 20-30 nodes worked fairly well, and everything was stable. I decided to replace everything that was "X10" with Z-Wave, when I finally entered the 21st century, and set up a new system with HS3. I'm up to about 40 Z-Wave devices with the HS3 setup, a mix of a dozen of the original 9.6K, some newer 40K, and a dozen 100K. (It was expensive enough to replace all the X10 with Z-Wave+, I can't afford to replace the Z-Wave with Z-Wave+ on top of that.)

I added the AC-powered Z devices, and all of the battery-powered Z motion sensors that I was planning on adding, and they seemed to behave. This evening I started adding Z door sensors and also tried to add another Z plug-in module for my daughter's room.

Well, I had to try three different plug-in modules before I could add one to the network, and only the first Z door sensor could be added. I've tried three or four door sensors since the first, and none will add, even if I bring the door sensor directly to the HS3 machine. I've tried all sorts of rebooting/unplugging/replugging/etc. of the Homeseer+ USB stick and the PC itself, but I still can't get HS3 to discover the new door switches. I can still control all the devices that were present (I just went through the entire network and tested them all), I just can't add new ones.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Chris

[Dan-O]

With any battery operated device I have added, I found that you have to keep it awake by activating it while it's being added. (open & close, repeat or press a button, ect)
Have you tried that?

[The Keeper]

Yeah, I was pushing the "Add" button on the battery devices like 15 or 20 times while waving the door sensors around, with the "Activate the add to network" message was scrolling by. And then there's the three AC-powered plug-in modules that also refuse to be added to the network, even if they're within a few feet of the SmartStick+...

[Dan-O]

Any chance the devices you're having trouble with are Fibaro brand?

[The Keeper]

Interesting, there's a brand in particular that has problems? No, the plug-in modules are... Intermatic (of which I have at least a dozen deployed), two GE (which also have a few deployed, and I did get one GE added last night, but two I can't add), and then the door sensors are Monoprice.

Adding devices was a breeze at first, but now I can't even add more to the network... I have like 40 or so nodes, and I still need to move another 15 or so from my HS2 setup, including a Schlage lock and a couple thermostats, and I'm getting a bit nervous.

Chris

[Dan-O]

None officially that I know of but many people including myself have had issues with Fibaro Z-Wave items.
My Fibaro button quit working a couple plug-in updates ago. I did replace the battery. I wasn't even able to remove/exclude it from my system so I had to go through the back-up - remove - reinstall network hack to get it out of my HS system.

I was asking out of curiosity what brand.

[sparkman]

Have you tried excluding them first? Those new devices may just be associated with a test controller when they were tested at the factory. First thing I try is excluding the new device, if the original inclusion did not work.

[The Keeper]

Thank you! That allowed me to add the three AC-powered modules that I couldn't add before, so I'll keep that in mind in the future.

Maybe these Monoprice Z+ door sensors are just crap, and the fact that I could only add one out of four of them so far is indicative of how well they actually work.

I don't know if there's "Fibaro" in them, what are the symptoms of that?

Thanks,
Chris

[sparkman]

I doubt that the Monoprice ones are made by Fibaro. I would expect Monoprice to buy these from a Chinese contract manufacturer. One issue could be that they are packaged wrong (by the Chinese factory) and are using a frequency for a different region. If that's the case, there's really no way to know, other than to look at the RF frequency they generate with an RF spectrum analyzer. I would have Monoprice exchange them and see if the replacement ones are easier to add.

[The Keeper]

Ok, thanks for the help! Looks like my problem is solved.

I had to press the Z inclusion button on the door sensor three times in rapid succession (which adds in non-secure mode, even though you're adding in secure mode in HS), after resetting the door sensor by holding the Z inclusion button for 20 seconds.

Between the fact that I had three AC modules that "stopped working" and the problems with "including wrong" on the Monoprice door sensors (which are Hank, by the way), it looked like I was in trouble, but I should be good now.

Thanks again,
Chris

[sparkman]

Glad to hear!

Cheers
Al

[Dan-O]

Have you tried excluding them first? Those new devices may just be associated with a test controller when they were tested at the factory. First thing I try is excluding the new device, if the original inclusion did not work.

Excellent point.
Should almost be a sticky to exclude a Z-Wave device before adding it.
I do this almost every time too.

[The Keeper]

I was able to add a couple dozen devices before I ran into a problem, but it's certainly something to keep in mind.

Chris