HS3 lost all control

[KLisiak]

When I check the status of Z-wave network, I get the message:
"This network has no active interfaces enabled for it, and it has no objects or
HomeSeer devices tied to it. If this network will not be used again, please
use the functions at the end to remove this network and all associated
network data. (Restart the plug-in after removing the interface before
attempting the removal.)" This sounds scary and not necessarily a cure.

The system was working fine but my computer asked to reboot for an update to firefox. Now, I have lost all control over everything. The home display is stuck at the last condition of each node, but no buttons, devices, or events respond.
I am using a Z-troller and HS3. I tried powering off the Z-troller (was on AC only) restarting HS3, and restarting Z-wave plug-in, but neither does anything. I switched to Chrome as my browser--no better...

Checking in the node information under the z-wave tab shows no interface, even though the physical connection is unchanged and intact and the Z-troller responds to plugging in the serial connection.

HELP! I need to get this fixed by tomorrow morning. Thanks!!

[Rupp]

It could be that your Z-Troller had failed. Can you remove the existing network and select a new one?

[KLisiak]

The only reason I think the Z-Troller is not dead is that it responds to a break in its connection to the computer, though it could certainly be dysfunctional since it is not polling the nodes. If I remove the existing network, what would it take to restore my network if that turned out to not be the problem (or are you proposing to start over)? Conversely, what would I buy to replace it and would I then have to start completely over to recreate my network? I have 175 real or virtual devices in the network (some of which are at the top of a ladder) and 98 events!

The issue started with my ISP switching my IP address, which I always verify before a trip. In the course of updating that, I found pending "critical" updates for Firefox and Win8. Upon rebooting and restarting HS3 "something" happened, which I can't find after ruling out the obvious that I somehow disconnected something. Could HS3 have updated and the new rev not work with the Z-troller? I am now on 3.0.0.368 but hadn't rebooted or updated in months. The newest Firefox is explicitly incompatible with all sorts of add-ons. Suspecting that was the cause, I switched my default to Chrome, but that didn't restore things. There must be a way to restore the old Firefox if that could somehow be an issue. As HS3 is not technically an add-on, that is probably not it.

Two nodes changed a couple days before, but the system continued to work--replacing a device (using the replace function) that had failed and unplugging a node that is only used seasonally. I didn't have a chance to run the Z-seer diagnostic tools or reoptimize after those changes.

I am now on that trip so hands-on experiments will take a few days. I appreciate your help and suggestions.


Thanks!

[langenet]

Of course these things happen just before you go on a trip..

I know FF has had many updates lately but seriously doubt this would impact HS.
Do you happen to have a Z-wave backup by chance? After reading this post it made me refresh my backup.

With respect to networking, has any other changes occurred on you LAN side?

Robert

[KLisiak]

Whether my Z-troller failed or is simply a bit long in the tooth is it time to go for the latest Hometroller? Is that an upgrade (Zwave+, WiFi, etc) or just different? Pros...cons? Robustness??

I have no other obvious changes to my HS3 machine or network (thanks again to Comcast for the IP change and to Firefox for a worse update than any I can remember). I am sure I have an HS3 backup, but possibly not including the last device replacement. Including the periodic HS3 backups, every computer in the house gets a weekly image backup on my home server. Redundancy. So, with a slightly stale backup in hand, what surgery should I undertake?

...missing my real time home control...but glad security systems and cameras are independent of HS3!

[langenet]

I replaced my z-troller with a Z-Net which rocks. Despite having backups of HS3, unfortunately I found that you need to manually create a backup of the Z-wave network. I wish it was automatic.

Robert

[KLisiak]

Update

I am back in front of my system and I discover that my Z-Troller is able to recognize any of my devices with the "Scan" function. However, my PC is still convinced it can't reach the Z-troller. asking me to delete the controller. I tried to delete it but it just blames another node as being on the network, so it can't delete. I just need this to work long enough to save everything. I am starting to think I need to find another computer, install HS3 and transfer all the other data files, and see what happens and then save. Any ideas if this or some other move can get my node info off the controller? Is there a direct copy function for the Z-net?

[KLisiak]

Further tests

I have confirmed I am able to scan and correctly recognize any node--suggesting the Z-troller is not dead. In addition to the Z-Troller, there is a Home Pro Z-Wave USB Interface on the same PC. Still the Zwave management function says:
"This network has no active interfaces enabled for it, and it has no objects or
HomeSeer devices tied to it. If this network will not be used again, please
use the functions at the end to remove this network and all associated
network data. (Restart the plug-in after removing the interface before
attempting the removal.)" Not sure what that last bit even means, but I have restarted the plug-in before and after disconnecting and attempting deletion.

When I tried the removal, I get a contradictory message about a lamp module:
"Could not remove the network 003D0AA8 as the HomeSeer device Z-Wave Node 73 Master Bedroom Master BR Window light is associated with this network."

Unplugging and unpowering any and all of these doesn't change anything.

Possible good news is that the Tools Setup screen allowed me to run a backup, which is a larger file than a much older backup from fewer nodes and events, giving no errors so possibly it is correct. I have the Z-Net and would be happy to install it if I could transfer all my devices and events.

Thoughts and possibilities:
--HS3 is corrupted and some functions fail. Can I just uninstall and reinstall?
--Hardware issue but not in the Z-troller itself (PC or serial interface box).
--Install HS3 on another computer, transfer all my HS3 files, and test.
--Keep trying to delete the Z-Troller--"the right way"
--What to do with Home Pro Z-Wave USB Interface after switching to Z-Net.

Any suggestions on where to start?

Thanks,
Ken

[langenet]

You could try to reinstall HS. I would shutdown the current version, backup the entire directory then re-install. After the re-install, copy over the previously saved HS3 directory on top of the fresh install.

One thing I wonder about is if you have any power management features for the current USB port that the z-troller is using... or is it serial? You could just change this to another with minimum effort.

If it complains about one particular node, you could delete that one node and see if that cleans up things - it's better than having to redo everything.

If you have a newly acquired Z-Net, you could import the previously saved zwave backup to it and then delete the z-troller altogether. I upgraded to the Z-Net and have never looked back.

Good luck!

Robert

[KLisiak]

Good ideas

I will certainly try that. I thought about deleting that node, but with HS3 failure to recognize the Z-Troller, I wonder if I can add or delete anything properly through the Z-Troller. Unplugging that node wasn't enough, so it isn't as simple as a bad lamp module. I don't think I can get to the central delete functions as the only Z-wave page I can reach is the one asking to delete the interface.

The hardware is all connected through a serial (RS232) box that in turn goes into a USB port. I will try another USB port though. I would suspect that connection, but the Z-Troller immediately recognizes when I disconnect anywhere in that chain (admittedly not a perfect test). I needed a lot of ports for Rain8 and RFID functions, but those are all replaced now. With the Z-Net, my hardware will use only a couple USB connections and nothing on RS232 so the rat's nest shrinks. That dead end delete screen, and the failure to actually delete the interface, really limit my choices.

I like the reinstall idea and have begun to put backups of everything on my home server, as well as in backup folders. I just need to figure out which files to overwrite upon "starting over".

I do like the simplicity of adding nodes with the Z-Troller as I have a lot of older Z stuff. Is there any problem with retaining both (should it turn out that the Z-Troller was fine after all) or am I just asking for trouble with that and the Z-Net? Others mentioned having multiple Z-Nets, so what about one of each on the same network? (Plus that Home Pro Z-wave interface? I can easily try with and without it, as it served more like an antenna to the net.)

Time to do battle!

Thanks for your help.
Ken

[will40]

sorry to hear, I'm just throwing this out there, but if you are running windows the first thing I would try is a system restore.

[KLisiak]

Thinking back

I have now tried a "repair" install of HS3 to no avail and might next try a clean install just in case. It has now been a month, but thinking back to what happened the morning HS3 died...

The system had worked right up to the moment I was asked to install an update for Windows 8. (When I tried the WIN10 "free" update a year ago, HS3 stopped working so I went back. Does kind of sound like the same problem as today. Hmm.) Then the reboot auto-updated HS3 and nothing has worked since. Thus a restore is an excellent suggestion.

I could have jarred wiring loose, but I really didn't touch anything but the keyboard until after HS3 had already died. Until today, I have focused on hardware issues like the Z-Troller and found none. I think everything is as it should be and was.

I had the problem of being many revs behind on HS so I checked the box for auto-update on restart. It was checked when I had to reboot that morning. That meant I have the latest travesty from uSoft and the newest HS3 rev and now HS3 is dead. Something somewhere is incompatible.

So, I will attempt a system restore. However, when it boots and starts HS3, it will automatically install the HS3 update as well. I now consider both those updates suspect--especially if the WIN8 system restore doesn't cure it. How do I roll back HS3 and what version would have been current about 4 months ago? I don't know if my log goes back far enough to answer the rev question.

Thanks,
Ken

[KLisiak]

Back in business

Once I got in front of the system with some time, I had many things to try or do. With so many ideas and suggestions, there was much experimentation. The first thing I tried that actually worked was to simply "add" the Z-Net to the existing system. This successfully removed the conundrum of being asked to delete the Z-Troller and then told I couldn't by successive screens. Once the Z-Net was running, I could delete the other controllers. I had an old configuration file which I was able to restore. After the usual optimizations and scans, I was 90% there and proceeded to add the couple new/replacement nodes that post-dated the config file. I found a few older nodes that were out of range to the add device command, for which I had to reduce the device to Z-Net distance, and a couple were a bit more stubborn. One of which I will just replace as it resists doggedly and is very old.

I saved the new configuration and HS3 files--twice so far, archived on the server too.

A few oddities persist. Upon selecting a node for individual optimization, Z-Net tells me almost every node is a listening node, but then successfully pings that node(??). A few nodes that actually work through the events would not respond to a direct command from that webpage. Some were missing the node number on the device configuration page (wasn't in the pull-down either) even though they operated correctly. Re-adding those by dragging the Z-net around on a long cord fixed most (ugh!). The battery-driven nodes will have to be tested for real time response one by one--many in the spring as they are out in the cold and snow. All seem to detect motion, etc. automatically and issue their commands.

Things are not quite the same as on the Z-Troller but events work and I can achieve the same functions. This was an eventual success. I didn't need to roll back WIN8 and am on the latest HS3 update which works fine with the Z-Net.

I gave up adding the Z-Troller back to the net as I don't see anything I am missing. I tried once but it didn't respond to the add command. RIP.

Thanks again to everyone who responded as I valued all those suggestions and they moved me closer to a solution. Much appreciated help! Now if I can just get Mr. Softy to leave me alone before my next trip...

Ken