I have had purchased three Verde 3 units to set up three Schlage LiNK locks (each at a different home). These have never worked reliably, although they are advertised to do so. Initial setup is fine, but they either disconnect over time with the infamous “failed at getting information”(despite heal attempts, etc.) or if you move the lock in your profile to a “new room”, it then becomes disconnected with same error previously stated. I have been through all the typical things, resets, bringing the unit right up to the lock, etc. No avail. It seems that the issue is a software issue.
I have contacted customer service to no avail. Customer service for this company is quite a joke. I think there is one person who runs all of customer service, and is not all that helpful. Take a script away from him, and I think he’s dead in the water. Any time I call, all I get is the “It will be fixed in the next update” routine - I’ve now been waiting over 3 months for these to work properly. These units are being used for business purposes and I can’t sit idly by on a whim.
My question is the following: Is there a link/update page that can instruct me on how to perhaps install software/firmware for a version that will actually work ? I am really at my wits end, as I am stunned that something so simple as getting a single lock to work with Verde 3 is such a chore.
Have other customers been this frustrated ? I would never have purchased this if I knew how poorly they seem to work - The reviews on most of verde’s equiptment was pretty good. I feel like everything is a BETA test.
Thanks - Any advice is welcomed.
P.S. If I have to type the answer to “which gives us honey” one more time…
Are you just running the one lock and a Vera 3? You might consider adding in a couple of inexpensive z-wave devices to make the mesh a big bigger and perhaps more reliable.
I concur with Abscam. Originally, I purchased a Vera 3 and a Schlage lock for one of my doors. I experimented with the lock before I installed it and found that even if it is sitting within a foot of the Vera, it will sometimes just lose connection. I don’t know which device is responsible, or if it is the result of other 900Mhz traffic in my house. (A 900Mhz baby monitor pretty well killed everything else in the house, including the communication for the Schlage lock.)
Another thing I discovered while working on things is the Schlage locks don’t seem to have any NVRAM. If the power is disconnected in any way from the lock, you will lose your connection to the Vera. That includes things like taking all of the batteries out at the same time, or disconnecting the wire that runs through the knob hole.
Pairing was also painful, but it sounds like you had that working and tested.
I will say that the latest firmware has resulted in some weirdness with my lock. It now claims that it is always unlocked, even when it isn’t. The previous UI5 firmware seemed more stable in that respect.
As far as it being a pain, Home Automation seems to be like that. Which is probably why companies like Control4 require that you use an installer, and set it all up for you.
I have been using a schlage lock with my Vera 2 for a bit over a year, and it is has been completely reliable. BUT, I have about 20 other GE devices in my z-wave network which support beaming to the lock. In fact, until last weekend when I added a bunch of Intermatic equipment my network was all GE.
You might want to check out the ‘GE 45604 Z-Wave Technology Outdoor Module for Lighting Control, Black’, it is about $24 on Amazon right now and I think it will work as well, it is just a bit cheaper than the appliance modules.
Either way keep in that the last device in the chain to the lock needs to support Z-Wave beaming.
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