I just set up my home-automation in the last 2 weeks. And it seems I am having a serious issue with my brand new Vera Edge.
I also sent support a ticket, but so far no response at all.
So far my conclusion is that the Vera can’t reach devices which are away more then 8-9 meters.
It makes no difference where the Vera is placed and also no difference where the devices are.
As soon as the distance is over 9 meters the UI is saying Can’t connect to device. And off course I can’t control them anymore.
Sometimes it helps to unplug the device, plug it in again and then sometimes I just can switch it on, but right after that… connection lost again.
I also thought about interference, but as I moved both Vera and devices, I think that’s not the issue.
So far my only conclusion is that the Vera Edge has a problem, maybe antenna or something like that. As 9 meters should work.
So far very disappointed…
While the theoretical and often advertised Z-Wave range is as high as 100 meters, that range is a maximum achievable only in an ideal and open air environment. I think that a much more real world range expectation is around 10 meters and you’re close to that. Some environments(homes) will experience greater distances and some will experience lesser distances.
I’m willing to bet that there is nothing wrong with your Vera. To me, it sounds like you have an environmental issue that is reducing your Z-Wave signal range. The following items can all impact a Z-Wave network and significantly reduce range.
[ul][li]Metal gang boxes.[/li]
[li]Concrete, brick, stone, tiled walls.[/li]
[li]Mirrors, window tint film.[/li]
[li]Other devices on nearby frequencies. (908.4MHz Baby monitors are a common cause. No baby; what about neighbors?)[/li][/ul]
If the item impacting your environment cannot be eliminated, then there will be no means of increasing the range limit, you will have to add intermediate nodes to expand the Z-Wave network.
Also, remember that when trying to increase the footprint of your Z-Wave network mesh with intermediate nodes, battery operated devices do not route. This means that they will not be effective intermediate nodes for increasing the size of your network mesh.
Edit: Z-Wave frequencies vary by region.
908.4MHz (U.S.A)
868.4MHz (E.U)
Hi and thanks for your reply. Of course I agree the ranges are theoretical.
But almost everywhere I read is that in house should work for 30 meter. So with the tests I did, just one floor difference, with open doors and open stairs, I would expect
it should work for a distance at 9 meters…
Just to show how walls can make a difference I can reach anywhere in my 3 story house with no problem but I cannot get 3m through one brick garage wall due to the type of brick. You should try direct line with nothing between just to prove your unit.