Zwave range - only works in a single room

[oregonbob]

I have been looking forward to moving from X10 to zwave for years. Now I've increased my zwave but the range is so poor it only works in the room that has my computer.

I tried the "throwing money at it" solution of buying more zwave:
Originally I had an Aeon Zstick S2, after range problems I purchased a Homeseer Zstick but it did not help range at all. I also tried using a USB extension to move the zstick at least 5 feet away from PC. That did not help.

Then I purchased a powered USB hub for several reasons. That didn't help.

My primary important use is for a driveway alarm but eventually I want to use other zwave devices throughout the house. I have an Everspring siren that was working on old PC and HS2 with better range, but since upgrading PC and moving to HS3 range is limited to a single room.

I am wondering if I buy a zwave repeater, AC powered, if I can get the range to extend beyond a single room and 4-5 meters. My sirens are battery powered and I just learned only AC units can repeat. I had no idea that zwave range could be that bad, docs claim 100 meters, but that is a joke in this house. Maybe I need a znet?

Any advice for extending my zwave further than 12 feet?

[racerfern]

Wow! Open up the walls and look for lead lined walls. I went to z-wave from X10 because of range, noise and signal collisions and I've never looked back.

I'm going to say it's 60ft and quite a few walls from my z-net at one end of the house and various devices both inside and outside. The only time I have to go to the room with the z-net is when I am adding a battery device. Once added, I move it wherever I want and then I optimize.

I do not have any extenders, though I do have various powered z-wave devices throughout the house such as switches and dimmers that surely act as repeaters.

Can you move your z-wave controller to a completely different area of the house and try again? What if you move it just outside the room it's in?

I have a z-net but I also had a zeetroller that I gave to a friend and it worked just as well. I also had an Aeotec Z-stick Gen 5 and don't recall any issues with it.

[cheeryfool]

[jmaddox]

make sure you optimize after adding any new devices. You may find you have to optimize after every new device. I recommend running a full optimization twice.

I recall that some of my most distant zwave switches were a pain to include back before zwave plus was released. That was before ztool too. Talk about getting your cardio in when you had to click include on your pc then run to tap the switch... did I mention there was snow... uphill both ways.. no shoes....

[integlikewhoa]

I have never heard of 12ft as that's smaller then most rooms. I would say that 30-40ft straight line is probley my max in most normal conditions (walls and doors and such, not straight outdoor line) without any other nodes hoping in the middle.

A square (I know most houses are not perfectly square) 1,600sft house is 40ft by 40ft. If you have a single z-wave antenna in the middle of a house under 2k sf generally you can reach most items in the house without trouble. But battery devices don't repeat, they sleep, and they generally are small compact and (IMO) have worse range probley due to saving power and size. Some (door locks and others) use security protocols that may require the device to be included way closer then normal before it will work.

As far as a AC repeater. I would not recommend a repeater only. Any newer A/C powered z-wave device can and will repeat and become part of the mesh network. To me repeaters are a A/C outlet that has had it relay removed and they cost the same. I would recommend just getting some Z-wave outlets or switches and changing those out. You get to build the mesh for the same cost but also have a useable z-wave device vs. just a repeater.

[oregonbob]

Thanks.
Since my original post I moved the USB Zstick a little and got it to work at about 20 feet. When I said 12 feet, that was distance of a table in my office room, not room dimensions. My office is in a room addition so there may be extra wall material such as that foil vapor barrier insulation used decades ago. My house is 3200 square feet.

I have some AC devices ordered to see if that will help signal get out of that room. I really would like to keep computer in that room.

[integlikewhoa]

Thanks.
Since my original post I moved the USB Zstick a little and got it to work at about 20 feet. When I said 12 feet, that was distance of a table in my office room, not room dimensions. My office is in a room addition so there may be extra wall material such as that foil vapor barrier insulation used decades ago. My house is 3200 square feet.

I have some AC devices ordered to see if that will help signal get out of that room. I really would like to keep computer in that room.

3200 sf your probley gonna want more then one z-wave controller. A z-net on the other end of the house (along with your stick) or something is probley gonna be more ideal, depending on where your computer is in relation to the rest of the house.

Z-wave can hop several times, but I don't think its the best at picking routes and the more it has to hop the more likely of a communication issue. Make sure you optimize your devices after installing new devices to allow them all now to know who's who and where everyone is to find the right path back to the controller.

[oregonbob]

I received my order for an AC powered device to see if I can get zwave out of that single room. No go. I tried moving devices all over but nothing worked. Before I upgraded everything, new PC, move to HS3, I could get zwave to work from that same location to the middle of the house. But now nothing will get it out of that room. I just don't get it.

What is strange is when I do a scan all zwave devices show up just fine. It is when I try to turn something on that the failures happen. Since I've been throwing money at it, I'll get a z-net, place it in center of house and see if that does the trick.

Someday, sooner the better, I think pure wifi devices will make all other protocols obsolete. It is interesting how wifi gets through all my walls but zwave is so weak.

[reidfo]

Are you optimizing the network after adding devices? Look at the node information screen in the Z-Wave plugin too as that can give you some insight into what's happening (speed, neighbor count, last working route can give you good info).

Last, use Z-Tool to help troubleshoot. If you don't have a license you can download an evaluation.

[oregonbob]

Yes I tried to optimize but since not even an AC powered device will work outside that room (office) it won't help.

One thing that is different about my office is that right now I must have at least 10 pc's (not running) in the middle of that room. Maybe all that metal is blocking signal that made it out before. That is the only thing that is different from back when it worked before all the upgrades.

[cowinger]

After reading everyone's posts the only thing that was not mentioned was changing the stick to another usb com port. The port may be faulty as far as providing the correct voltage, power or function to the stick. Just a thought.

[oregonbob]

Thanks, but been there, done that, numerous times.

[racerfern]

Can you just get a long USB cable and plug the zstick just outside the room or temporarily set it up anywhere but that room?

[dannieboiz]

what's the distance of the closest Zwave device that's outside of that room? Does it work?

I run my HS Zwave stick inside my media closet with lots of electronics, there are a couple Zwave light switches on the adjacent wall. Not sure how far out your exterior Zwave device. The furthest device I have from another device is probably 30ft and have no issue.

Go to the node then zwave and click on "audit this node" It should give you a list of all the neighboring devices. You should have more than one, if it's communicating with one of the neighboring node and the neighbor node has no issue, try remove it from the network and re-pairing it.

At one point, I had an issue with a few device that were further away where the association wouldn't fully complete. I open the closet door and re-pair it. I always let it sit for a few minutes to make sure everything gets configured then I do a full optimization.

[oregonbob]

Since I upgraded everything, PC, HS3, Zstick+, powered USB, NOTHING can connect out of that room to remainder of house. The funny part if I scan it recognizes everything, but no on/off work, optimize fails. If I carry devices back to inside that room, they all work OK.

Attached is result of a full scan. All devices show up: