I have three Trane Thermostats in my Vera 2 system. I am using UI4 with the latest firmware available. Two of the thermostats work fine but one is pushing the signal limits and it rarely functions remotely. I added a couple zwave plug in outlets that repeat the signal in an effort to deliver a better signal to the thermostat in question. The system sees the plug-ins with no problem. One of them is right under the thermostat. I have run all of the diagnostics and heel tests but it still is hit or miss. Is there a way to improve the range?
Sounds like the the routing still isn’t working very well. You could always try it again and if that doesn’t work then perhaps exclude the thermostat and re-include it. I’ve had to run a heal several times previously though to get rid of latency issues I was having so it may help to run it again.
You may have a bad Trane unit. Try swapping it into one of the other locations and see if the issue is with the location or the device. I have (6) of these and my farthest is in the finished basement, while Vera is in the office on the second floor. It is the only node in the basement at present and is the farthest device away from all other nodes. I have no issues with it at present.
How far is the problem thermostat from Vera ?
It is only 60 feet but it is located in the space above the garage. The garage is separate from the house where Vera is located so it has to penetrate two exterior walls. I have two outlets in that garage space that respond fine but this unit is hit or miss, mostly miss. I was hoping the outlets would repeat the signal.
60 feet is pushing it. The lamp modules may work but I don’t think that it is a good idea.
Zwave is rated to work about 75 feet in open space. Home materials, and funishings degrade the signal.
I would put one of those plug in modules closer to vera so that the signal would be routed through.
I would also do update to neighbors to the devices closer to the problem stat.
Just to clarify for myself, it’s 75 feet module to module in addition to 75 feet from Vera to module, correct?
A bit off topic, but do all Zwave modules (switches, outlets, etc) talk to each other? I have a Schlage door unit that is about 30 feet line of sight from another Schlage door unit. I can ping and manipulate the close one, but not the furthest one.
It’s 75’ feet in open space from one device to another regardless of type. . In real world conditions expect Less.
Battery devices expect less as battery power goes down.
Battery devices like motion dectectors and the Schlage Locks ‘sleep’ most of the time to conserve battery and as such are not broadcast nodes on your home net. You are able to talk to your nearest one because a fixed node woke it up. You would be able to reach the furthest lock if you added a plug-in or other fixed device somewhere nearer to its path.
ballroller,
You dont mention how far from Vera your 1st lock is. My assumption is its close enough to Vera to communicate directly. The Schlage lock will not communicate through another lock and the lock will only communicate through another device if it supports beaming.
JOD.
[quote=“JOD, post:10, topic:166670”]ballroller,
You dont mention how far from Vera your 1st lock is. My assumption is its close enough to Vera to communicate directly. The Schlage lock will not communicate through another lock and the lock will only communicate through another device if it supports beaming.
JOD.[/quote]
Where not talking about a shlage lock here sorry.
You can look at the wikki on Zwave but here it is in a nutshell
- zwave is a Mesh network. think of it as a web or fabric mesh.
- all nodes are repeaters except for battery nodes as they sleep to conserve power.
- in a basic network the signal can hop 4 times. That means vera being the first hop if the signal starts at Vera.
- this signal hoping extends the network to a greater distance than 75 feet in open air.
I think Zensys is devloping a protocol that will extend the number of hops.
There are many ways to extend a network. A lot of times it is a matter of configuration.
I beg to differ zmistro. ballroller asked a question about a Schlage lock which is just as relevant in this thread as far as my answer to the questoin of the thermostat.
[quote=“ballroller, post:7, topic:166670”]Just to clarify for myself, it’s 75 feet module to module in addition to 75 feet from Vera to module, correct?
A bit off topic, but do all Zwave modules (switches, outlets, etc) talk to each other? I have a Schlage door unit that is about 30 feet line of sight from another Schlage door unit. I can ping and manipulate the close one, but not the furthest one.[/quote]
I also added a factual comment that to repeat a device that uses encryption like the Schlage lock needs to “hop” through devices that support beaming. My question is also relevant as far as distance to the first lock as it is to the first t-stat.
If you dont think its relevant you should respond to ballroller and say. “post your own thread regarding the lock”
JOD.
From my understanding the beaming device is only required to wake the lock, it should be the last node and nearest neighbor to the lock; the beaming is nothing really to do with encryption.
Sorry zmistro for now getting into a topic on the locks but. strangely, if your statement were true.
Are you saying a beam capable device would not be needed if the lock were woken from the keypad and the lock were not in direct range of Vera to update the dashboard or trigger scenes?
JOD.
I don’t know for sure about the schlage lock, but I assume it “should” wake up (the kwikset does) and send it’s status to Vera as soon as the keypad, lock barrel or throw are used, and beaming nodes would not be required for this to be updated back to vera. There are however some issues at the moment anyway in general with status reporting, and this has not been confirmed either way as a lock issue or a Vera issue and this currently under investigation.
Beaming is only required to wake a Zensor net node such as a battery operated Lock.
"Any regular node "should pass infomation along to a Beam capable node to wake a device such as a lock.
The execption may be some early Zwave devices from a couple of years ago. such as the old Intermatic 300 watt dimmers.
If you would like I can email you a PDF on the Zwave network or you can get a copy from the www.Zen-sys.com website
As I said the OP did not ask about a lock :
[quote] I have three Trane Thermostats in my Vera 2 system. I am using UI4 with the latest firmware available. Two of the thermostats work fine but one is pushing the signal limits and it rarely functions remotely. I added a couple zwave plug in outlets that repeat the signal in an effort to deliver a better signal to the thermostat in question. The system sees the plug-ins with no problem. One of them is right under the thermostat. I have run all of the diagnostics and heel tests but it still is hit or miss. Is there a way to improve the range?[qote]
The Schlage Lock does wake on keypad entry, however; it will not communicate with just any device in the hop back to Vera. The device it communicates with MUST support beaming.
Also, the lock unlike regular devices is subjected to a max distance of only 30’ (open air)
Back to the T-stat issue. Have you checked the list of neighbors for this device?
No need to re-configure, do a neighbor node update of the devices leading up to your furthest T-stat to find the T-stat first. Then do a neighbor update of your furthest T-stat to update the route back to Vera.
JOD.
@JOD,
“Also, the lock unlike regular devices is subjected to a max distance of only 30’ (open air)”
If all that’s true, my lock shouldn’t be working. . . . . . . .but it is. (40’ + 2 walls)
Good info thanks. Assuming I can add a fixed device (which I think I can) and the Schlage is “sleeping”, how is it forced to “wake up” and respond" Is there something I need to do to enable this to happen?
I assumed that all devices talked to each other regardless of their method of power.
Battery devices like motion dectectors and the Schlage Locks ‘sleep’ most of the time to conserve battery and as such are not broadcast nodes on your home net. You are able to talk to your nearest one because a fixed node woke it up. You would be able to reach the furthest lock if you added a plug-in or other fixed device somewhere nearer to its path.
[/quote]
I am away from the house for a bit, but I estimate that the 1st lock to Vera is approx. 50 feet or so.
Now you’ve introduced a new term-what is “beaming”?
Thanks.
[quote=“JOD, post:10, topic:166670”]ballroller,
You dont mention how far from Vera your 1st lock is. My assumption is its close enough to Vera to communicate directly. The Schlage lock will not communicate through another lock and the lock will only communicate through another device if it supports beaming.
JOD.[/quote]