Hey Vera users,
I’ve been lurking for about a week trying to learn as much as I can about Vera and Z-wave and realized it’s exactly what I’m looking for ;D
I had a question about the range of Vera. I live in a recently built home (about 9000 sq.ft.) and I had to setup 3 access points to provide wireless signal all around the house (one doesn’t cut it at all). Does this mean I will need more than 1 Vera to be able to control Z-wave products around the house?
Z-Wave is a mesh networking technology where each node or device on the network is capable of sending and receiving control commands through walls or floors and use intermediate nodes to route around household obstacles or radio dead spots that might occur in the home.
I’ve had no issues at all with range, but my castle is only about 1/4 of yours. 
I’d try one, add a few strategically-placed modules and see how it scales.
Okay, so similar to what Sonos has.
Does this mean things like light switches can extend the signal?
Oh, and just a side story. It’s funny what a little research can do. My A/V dealer quoted me $120k for a Crestron system that will pretty much do what Vera can.
I’m excited to get things started.
[quote=“Uzi05, post:3, topic:168363”]Okay, so similar to what Sonos has.
Does this mean things like light switches can extend the signal?[/quote]
Yes, each node can act as a relay for another node so basically extends the range of your vera.
I do think however that security items like locks etc need to have direct contact with vera (end node), but i could be worng there…
Anyone else who can chip in?
Yes, Zwave light switchs and almost all plug in modules support “repeating”, the exception is battery operated devices, for obvious reasons.
You just missed the giant blow out liquidation at Radio Shack, they had most modules for between $10 and $15, most of us picked up enough to do our entire houses for a song.
Locks can also be “beamed” but the Zwave devices have to have an “a” or “b” after the Zwave version, so 3.0a, 3.0b, 2.0a etc. will work to extend a locks range while the older 2.0 or 3.0 Zwave will not (it has to support 128 bit encryption, that is the difference)
Thanks @Mitch672, i heard about it, but wasnt sure about the lock issue, so i didnt go into details.
That clarified a lot!
Can you update the firmware in the older devices or are they fixed? I have Vizia dimmers that were probably generation 1 from 3 or 4 years ago. Will Vera easily communicate through a floor if the door lock and Vera are only about 30’ apart horizontally?
Only the Leviton remotes can be updated; not their end devices (dimmers, switches, scene/zone controllers, etc.).
[quote=“Uzi05, post:4, topic:168363”]Oh, and just a side story. It’s funny what a little research can do. My A/V dealer quoted me $120k for a Crestron system that will pretty much do what Vera can.
I’m excited to get things started.[/quote]
I would probably charge $120k for the installation of a system, too, regardless of the hardware cost. 
You gotta want to do it yourself and enjoy it or you may get very frustrated. One eureka moment leads to another ‘what do you mean it’s broken’ moment.
I’ve been using X10 (old style, one way) since the late '80s. I’ve run homeseer for the past 10 years or so. Homeseer is awesome and probably more extensible than Vera, but it is more than I need…both cost and complexity. And it requires a full-time PC and some kludgy interfacing.
The main thing that turned me on to Vera is the built-in free accesibility (Mios integration) and simple control from any web browser or phone. I bought Homeseer when it was called Keware and only cost $39, I think. Now it is $200 and that does not include the additional $200 Touch module that is required for good iphone integration. And even with touch, you have to design everything yourself.
When the Radio Shack clearance happened, I started buying up cheap z-wave modules. Z-wave is a HUGE step up from one-way X10. I don’t know how many times I came home and all the exterior lights were mysteriously on during the day. And there was no way, even with the difficult-to-setup web server interface, to see the actual status of the devices. Z-wave is 2 way, so the controller knows the status of the devices. Also, X10 on powerline is unreliable, or not reliable enough. Z-wave has really impressed me.
Even having years of experience with HA, I’ve struggled with the new ‘language’ of vera, but it is a great step up in simplicity, accesibility, reliability, and compatibility for me. I was up and running with most of my 10 year homeseer setup replicated on Vera/z-wave in 2 weeks. And the iphone monitoring/control is awesome. And NO always-on, sometimes crashing WINDOWS PC required!!
Intrepid, I agree. I only have my bedroom and home theater on X-10, and I also have the “phase bridge” in the circuit breaker panel to “bridge” the 2 120V legs, to increase the reliability.
Well, it has a side effect: someone else in my neighborhood is now using X-10, and has the same house code/unit codes as my bedroom, I turn a light off, and a few minutes later, he turns it back on! talk about frustrating! I often come home to my home theater halogen track lights on, or my bedroom lights on.
no more! I am replacing it all with GE Zwave modules, mostly from Radio Shack, but even if I have to pay $40-$50 for some of the GE on/off switches (for fluorecent lights in the garage), its WORTH IT!
I will be removing all of the remaining X-10 on the weekend, and then its all Zwave. now that the CA9000 motion sensors working, I was even thiking of getting some of those to fire off “room on” scenes, so there really won’t be much to control manually.
I have the iPhone app “SQ Remote” along with the Vera plug in,. that works great! I used it during the winter to adjust thermostats, but now I will be doing more with it… even have 2 of the Schlage wired IP cameras working with it.
I too investigted HomeSeer, and although its a great product, it it very pricey, even if you get their low power embedded platform (still about $1000 or more)
Hard to predict, as it depends on building materials and other obstacles that may be in the way, as well as the number and location of deployed Z-Wave devices (the more (and scattered), the better). As was pointed out, the reach of the network is extended as messages can get relayed between devices. However, there is a 4 hop maximum.
The fact that you have 3 APs to get WiFi coverage, may very well indicate that you’re going to have at least multiple hops. If it comes to multiple Vera’s, you should be able to bridge them and control everything from a single one. There are some folks here who have experience with that.
If you’re located in the U.S. you could consider getting some of the RadioShack GE/Jasco gear and do a trial to find out what your particular situation is like.
I thought that with the latest version, you could no longer use secondary controllers? Is that the same thing as bridging Vera’s? I too have three access points to cover my entire house. I have not added a ton of z-wave devices yet because I have a Lutron Radio Ra system for lights. I’m doing the Baldwin dead bolts, Trane Thermostat, some motion sensors and a couple light switches and a plugin module.
I’m stringing these devices out from one end of the house to the other and I’ve had to move the vera around to get the optimal connectivity with everything. It’s been a combination of relocating the vera and keeping enough devices around to keep the signal going. I have also found that the plugin lamp module works wonders for extending the system. I hate to use it because you find an outlet in a strategic location and plug it into the wall. I really don’t like doing that but it does really work well.
As for Sonos, I’m fed up with them. I have about 10 zones of Sonos and while it’s terrific for getting music around the house, it’s not open and it won’t play high res music. (24/96) I have tried to get Vera to control it and I have not been able to get it to work. There are some other posts here where others have tried it too. No luck. I’m thinking about trying the logitec solution out as it plays 24/96 and is wide open for control. At least I’ve seen some talk about having success with it.
Just thought I’d throw in my experience as it might be similar to yours. Good Luck!
Craig
You sure can use secondary controllers. The feature called SIS however, is not supported anymore. SIS allowed a secondary controller (which would then be called an inclusion controller) to include/exclude devices. So, say, with Vera as primary, you could have a remote as secondary controller and use that remote to go around the house and include/exclude devices.
Bridging Vera’s is having multiple Vera’s as primary controllers talk to each other, so that one can be considered the ‘main’ Vera from which you can control all your devices, write scenes, etc.
Same here, home-made phase bridge cap is still in the breaker box. Neighbors unknowingly controlling my X10 is bad. And I have the RFCom X10RF device, but the plugins and X10 RF system are not as good as z-wave’s motion/door modules.
I will be removing all of the remaining X-10 on the weekend, and then its all Zwave. now that the CA9000 motion sensors working, I was even thiking of getting some of those to fire off "room on" scenes, so there really won't be much to control manually.
They work great! Just installed 2.
I have the iPhone app "SQ Remote" along with the Vera plug in,. that works great! I used it during the winter to adjust thermostats, but now I will be doing more with it.. even have 2 of the Schlage wired IP cameras working with it.I too investigted HomeSeer, and although its a great product, it it very pricey, even if you get their low power embedded platform (still about $1000 or more)
I plan to pick up a sqblaster, and I’m holding off buying the SQ remote app until then.
I have nothing but good to say about homeseer, but I like Vera better. Homeseer just unveiled a Vera-like $300 unit, but I don’t know many details about it. No mention of how they handle the web server and access. http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=146279
I agree with @oTi@ that multiple Veras will be in order for a 9000 sq ft house. I am assuming it is two story and if so you should be able to have one Vera handle half of the lower floor and the upper floor obove it and another Vera for the other halves (since this is RF, you’ll have to experiment with your placement, as mentioned). Z-Wave will allow for hops, but you’ll get better perfromance minimizing hops if not eliminating them.
Good luck!
OTI, thanks for the clarification. I will buy a second Vera then. Thanks again.
How can I check the zwave version online? If I open the device configuration box (with wrench) and go to the “Advanced” tab, does the “version” list the zwave versions or is it somewhere else?
Thanks
The versions quoted above are the GE/Jasco gear specific version indicators that translate to certain Z-Wave versions.
See here for actual Z-Wave version information.
The versions quoted above are the GE/Jasco gear specific version indicators that translate to certain Z-Wave versions.
See here for actual Z-Wave version information.[/quote]
How do I find the GE/Jasco gear specific version indicators?
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