How do I migrate from Z-Net to USB Zwave ?

[mikee123]

I am using a Z-Net, but have quite a few problems with randomly devices becoming unresponsive. I think it might be the Z-Net, so just for testing want to switch to a different Z-wave USB controller (any recommendations ?)
Can I use the backup I can do from the Z-wave controller management ? And then if it is not the Z-Net just put the backup on ? Somehow I think that wont work...

I probably have to plug in the USB Z-wave, then send network and make primary controller ? And if I want to go back to my Z-Net do the same again ?

[waynehead99]

You should just be able to make a backup of your network and restore that backup onto the new controller.

If you haven't purchased one yet, I would get the HS smart stick. It's really good. I personally am on the znet now, but did have the smart stick and still have it sitting next to my server as a ready to go backup if the znet ever were to hard fail.

[stefxx]

As mikee123 is located in London, the SmartStick is not an option as it doesn't support EU frequencies.

[thewizardofoz]

You could always use the Z wave.me USB stick. It should work in Europe.


http://www.homeseer.com/compare-z-wave-interfaces.html

[stefxx]

True. That is the one I am using in The Netherlands currently. However, isn't that the same device as the EU Z-Net is using?

[thewizardofoz]

You are correct. I didn't realize that in order to use the Z Net outside of the US, you had to have the UZB also.

[mikee123]

Doesn't look as if the HS smart stick is available in Europe (UK). For Zwave.me, I have had a lot of problems with their devices, couldn't get any to work on my system, so I will stay away from them.

If I use a backup to transfer my network to the new USB Zwave stick, don't my devices then still connect or want to connect to the Z-Net ?

[stefxx]

Just backup the old Z-Net and restore to the new device. You might need to re-optimize, but that's all.

[sooty]

What type of EU Z-Net do you have, the one with internal daugher card or with external UZB1?

I was running the EU Z-Net (daughter card) and swapped over to the .me UZB1 without issue. From memory the procedure is something like:

1. Back up the Z-Net to file.
2. Disable and remove the Z-Net interface from your system.
3. Add the UZB1 as a new controller interface.
4. Restore the backup from stage 1 to the new interface.
5. Optimise the network.

If the restore procedure goes to plan, the UZB1 will have the same network ID as the outgoing Z-Net. You need to run the optimise procedure to have the routing info updated because this is stores in the controller and not carried over with the backup / restore.

Depending on the layout of your network, you may have some nodes that can't communicate with the controller directly so you will have to manually optimise some nodes near the controller before running a full optimise.

I've been running a UZB1 here with 51 physical nodes for over a year and I don't see any issues at all.

I still have the EU Z-Net but stopped using it due to various network connection problems (that were eventually resolved by HST) and really the fact that I just don't like the idea that it's SD card based.

Paul..

[mikee123]

I have the one with the sd card. I have so many problems with devices suddenly going status unknown, and then they cannot be controlled. 5 minutes later and they work again. This is random going around the house. Driving me crazy. If I manually turn them on / off, the status shows up again and they are responsive. As this happens with nodes very near the Z-Net as well, its not connectivity issues. For example yesterday a Qubino dual relay module (2 relays in 1 module), 1 channel worked, the other one became unresponsive. 10 minutes later all working fine again.
So I thought I'll try another controller just to try and get more information before asking HS support for help (not expecting much help there though)
Thanks for the step by step manual, that will help once the USB Zwave stick arrives hopefully next week (before I take a hammer to the Z-Net)

[macromark]

So I thought I'll try another controller just to try and get more information before asking HS support for help (not expecting much help there though)

If you want to move your network from a Z-NET to a USB stick... and you're in the UK... the ONLY USB stick that will work with the backup/restore function is the Z-wave.me UZB stick. FYI

[sooty]

I have the one with the sd card. I have so many problems with devices suddenly going status unknown, and then they cannot be controlled. 5 minutes later and they work again. This is random going around the house. Driving me crazy. If I manually turn them on / off, the status shows up again and they are responsive. As this happens with nodes very near the Z-Net as well, its not connectivity issues. For example yesterday a Qubino dual relay module (2 relays in 1 module), 1 channel worked, the other one became unresponsive. 10 minutes later all working fine again.
So I thought I'll try another controller just to try and get more information before asking HS support for help (not expecting much help there though)
Thanks for the step by step manual, that will help once the USB Zwave stick arrives hopefully next week (before I take a hammer to the Z-Net)

I may be wrong but what you're describing sounds like an RF communication issue. Unless something changed in the Z-Wave plug-in, it will set a device status to "unknown" if it doesn't get a response to a command.

Is there by any chance a misbehaving node on your network that is perhaps constantly transmitting from time to time?

Has this issue always existed or did it start following some change?

If you go to Plug-Ins > Z-Wave > Controller Management, expand your controller and from the Actions drop down, select "Test Node Connectivity on a Network", do all (non-battery) devices respond in a timely manner? That test completes here with 51 nodes in 4 to 5 seconds and about half the nodes don't have direct communication with the controller.

Paul..

[mikee123]

I may be wrong but what you're describing sounds like an RF communication issue. Unless something changed in the Z-Wave plug-in, it will set a device status to "unknown" if it doesn't get a response to a command.

Is there by any chance a misbehaving node on your network that is perhaps constantly transmitting from time to time?

Has this issue always existed or did it start following some change?

If you go to Plug-Ins > Z-Wave > Controller Management, expand your controller and from the Actions drop down, select "Test Node Connectivity on a Network", do all (non-battery) devices respond in a timely manner? That test completes here with 51 nodes in 4 to 5 seconds and about half the nodes don't have direct communication with the controller.

Paul..

I do not know if there is a misbehaving node, but yes its possible. I occasionally have devices turn on without me or an event turning them on.

The issue was not there when I migrated from Vera (May 2016), but seem to have been getting worse. I cannot put my finger on when exactly it started.

I did the test node connectivity test. There were 3 nodes which failed the test. These are devices which cause issues at the moment. A few days ago these were fine, but other nodes were causing issues.

[sooty]

I do not know if there is a misbehaving node, but yes its possible. I occasionally have devices turn on without me or an event turning them on.

The issue was not there when I migrated from Vera (May 2016), but seem to have been getting worse. I cannot put my finger on when exactly it started.

I did the test node connectivity test. There were 3 nodes which failed the test. These are devices which cause issues at the moment. A few days ago these were fine, but other nodes were causing issues.

Where are the 3 problem nodes (found in the connectivity test) located in relation to the controller, what type of devices are they and what routing info is shown on the node info page for them?

Paul..

[mikee123]

I ran the test again, and now its only 2 nodes. As I said before, its changing, but the 2 nodes are the same as the earlier test today, but in the past for example the Qubino never caused a problem.
So, the first node
Node 30 (Lights Garden Qubino 1) did not respond.
thats out in the garden, through 2 solid brick walls, probably 7 meters away from the controller, so quite far. There are quite a few modules between it and the controller though, and this Qubino is a 2 relay module, basically like the Fibaro one. There is a Fibaro 2 relay switch about 1.5 meteres away from it (closer to the house) which works fine. In the same waterproof enclosure as the Qubino 1, is another identical Qubino 2 relay module, which responds fine.
The second node with an issue
Node 39 (Lights Kitchen Plinth lights sink) did not respond.
That is in the kitchen, probably about 4 or max 5 meters from the controller, with a briack wal in between. Its a Everspring on/off module, with 2 identical Everspring modules very close by without any issues.

This is the node information for the Qubino node 30:

Full Name: Lights Garden Qubino 1
Polling: Polling Interval: 1m, 0s Manufacturer:
Goap Type:
0x2 ID:
0x51 Listens:
Yes Version: 4.05 (ZDK 6.51.6) Firmware: 1.2 Hardware: 1 Neighbor Count:
2 Speed:
100Kbps Neighbors: 19, 49 Last Working Route: 11->64->26->19 (40K) Set Route: Uses Interface: New Interface (1) Basic Type: ROUTING SLAVE, Generic Type: SWITCH BINARY, Specific Type: POWER SWITCH BINARY Command Classes:
Supported: Zwaveplus Info, Version, Manufacturer Specific, Device Reset Locally, Powerlevel, Basic, Switch All, Switch Binary(V 1), Meter(V 4), Multi Channel, Association, Multi Channel Association, Association Grp Info, Configuration Controlled: Basic Child Device: Brick Lights CC: Switch Binary EP: 1 Polling: Polling Disabled Child Device: Uplighters CC: Switch Binary EP: 2 Polling: Polling Disabled Child Device: kW Hours Uplighters CC: Meter Ver: 4 EP: 2 Polling: Polling Disabled Child Device: Watts Uplighters CC: Meter Ver: 4 EP: 2 Polling: Polling Disabled Child Device: kW Hours Brick lights CC: Meter Ver: 4 EP: 1 Polling: Polling Interval: 5m, 0s Child Device: Watts Brick lights CC: Meter Ver: 4 EP: 1 Polling: Polling Disabled


And this is the Node 39 info:

Full Name: Lights Kitchen Plinth lights sink Polling: Polling Interval: 20m, 14s
Manufacturer:
Everspring Type:
0x4 ID:
0x1 Listens:
Yes Version: 2.64 (ZDK 5.02.2 Patch 2) Firmware: 1.2 Neighbor Count:
0 Speed:
40Kbps
Neighbors:
Last Working Route: None Set Route:
Uses Interface: New Interface (1) Basic Type: SLAVE, Generic Type: SWITCH BINARY, Specific Type: POWER SWITCH BINARY
Command Classes:
Supported: Switch Binary(V 1), Switch All, Manufacturer Specific, Version, Protection, Powerlevel