So I've had an ISY setup with a dozen or so Z-Wave devices running flawlessly for a couple of years.

A few days ago all of my devices stopped working.

I tried a variety of things. Deleting all of my devices and re-adding them.

Restoring my configuration from a backup file.

In no circumstance was I able to add back any of my original devices. I was however able to add a new (never added to my original setup) GE Z-Wave Outdoor switch:

https://www.amazon.com/GE-Wireless-Lighting-Control-Outdoor/dp/B0013V8K3O/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1505955217&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=ge+z-wave+outdoor&psc=1

Noting that I added it from close range I physically moved my ISY to within a few feet of one of my non working devices, but was still unable to add it.

All of the devices in question were either an in-wall dimmer or outlet:

https://www.amazon.com/GE-Wireless-Lighting-Receptacle-12721/dp/B0013V1SRY/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1505955458&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=ge+z-wave+outlet&psc=1

 

https://www.amazon.com/GE-Wireless-Lighting-Receptacle-12721/dp/B006LQFHN2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1505955458&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=ge%2Bz-wave%2Boutlet&th=1

and I tried removing the air gap thing from the dimmer.

I still can't add anything and I feel like the only conclusion that makes sense is that these things were all fried simultaneously by some kind of surge.

Is there something else I could try? Is there an easy way to test the Z-Wave devices themselves? I do have some new devices laying around I could replace one of the busted devices with, but I don't really want to go there yet.

When you attempt to include and/or exclude a Z-Wave device to the ISY, a panel pops up indicating that it's listening for a Z-wave device. If it finds one, then the panel closes. What's the result if you try to exclude an errant devices at least twice (after closing the panel if a device is not found the first time).

I never tried to exclude any of the bad devices. I simply deleted them (from the right click menu) so perhaps that is my problem.

 

I can try restoring my config from earlier this year, then excluding things individually, then re add them.

If you didn't exclude them, then a zwave synchronize should bring them back.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

The correct method for removing Z-Wave devices is using Z-Wave tools. Although instructions included with Z-Wave devices explain including/deleting devices, the ISY deletes the icon of the device, but he Z-wave module is unaware of any device removed that wasn't deleted through Z-Wave tools. The ISY and therefore you can't see the deleted device the device, but the Z-Wave module can.

 

Using the ISY to delete Z-Wave devices will cause problems, but you can recover from that. Start with Z-Wave, Tools, Synchronize Nodes, All. Then exclude devices. See post t#2. You may need to force remove some devices.

So I restored from my backup and synced all my Z-Wave devices. That brought me down to just the one outdoor switch I had previously added in my first description.

At some point during all of this I had reset the Z-Wave dongle which would explain this.

However I am still unable to add or exclude (though presumably the reset makes this unnecessary) any of my existing devices.

So after a number of restore from backups, firmware upgrades, dongle resets and attempts to exclude devices I was able to coax one wall outlet back to life.

So all of my devices being killed off by some surge now seems unlikely but I have been unable as of yet to add another device back to my network.

Do the devices themselves carry state that I might need to wipe about which networks they belong to?

...

Do the devices themselves carry state that I might need to wipe about which networks they belong to?

 

That's what the exclude does... clears that state.