Z-Wave, GE Fan Controller, Aeotec Range Extender

[Chevelle]

I recently moved to a new house and am starting from scratch with a new installation of EISY.  I have left over Aeotec Range Extender 6 devices as well as several GE Smart Fan controls.

After adding the USB Z-Wave dongle, I was able add one fan to the system.  It happens to be in the same room as the EISY.  I have not been able to add the two additional fan controllers to the system.  They are farther away but I would still think they would be close enough.  I have not been able to add the Aeotech Range Extender 6 units either.  Any thoughts?

As a bonus help question,  When the fan controller was added, the list includes the dimmer, scene responder, switch all, basic assoc 2, and basic assoc 3.  I get the dimmer.  That is the fan and it works fine.  What are the others?

Thanks.

[oberkc]

I have had some luck adding zwave devices when close to the ISY, then moving to the final location.

Many of my zwave devices have additional nodes for which I have no known use.  I think some can be used to build zwave scenes, but have never had much luck with this.  I suggest ignoring them if you can otherwise make your device function as desired.

Edited August 3 by oberkc

[Techman]

The Aerotec range extender doesn't add to your Zwave network, you just need to plug it in.

Another, and probably  better, option is the Zooz 800 range extender / amplifier. This unit will add to your zwave netwoek and has a battery backup. It also has a node to show if A/C power is on or off

Zooz 800 Series Z-Wave Plus Range Extender ZAC38 - The Smartest House

The fan controller will install numerousl nodes, some of which you probably don't need. you can just ignore them or place them in a folder to get thm out of the way

 

Edited August 2 by Techman

[Chevelle]

Thanks for the replies.

I am dealing with fan controllers so they are installed in the walls.  I can't move them around.

The first fan controller is located in the same room as the EISY and Z-Wave dongle, about 18 feet away.  This is the controller that IoX can see and it all works fine.

An Aeotec Extender 6 is in the next room about 10 feet away from the first controller.  The second fan controller is 12 feet way from that extender.  Another extender is 12 feet way from the second fan controller.   The third fan controller is 10 feet away from the second extender.

These distances don't seem all that long.  Leaving out the extenders, there is 18 feet between the dongle and first controller, 22 feet between the first and second controller and 22 feet between the second and third controller.  I would think the controllers are close enough to talk to eachother, even without the extenders.

Interesting observation...

When I am at the second controller (living room ceiling fan), when I press the switch to turn the fan on or off, the green light on both extenders go on for about a second.  That would seem that the extenders see the controller.  (I cannot see the extenders if I am in the room with the first fan controller.)

Any ideas?

Edited August 3 by Chevelle

[Techman]

@Chevelle

Being that Zwave is an RF only protocol its range will be adversely affected by walls, enclosures, etc. 

Another factor is the Zwave chip version of the fan controllers, i.e. 300, 500, or 700. The later versions have an improved range. Zwave is a mesh protocol that operates in the 900 Mhz range. If you have other Zwave devices in your network that aren't battery powered they will act as repeaters.

The eisy zwave dongle has an effective range of about 20 feet.  Even though your distances aren't that excessive, they could  be limited by other factors i.e. obstructions. Take a look at the Zooz range extender I mentioned in a previous post.

[Chevelle]

Honesty, I now think it is an issue with the EISY/Dongle.

I moved the EISY into the living room.  It is now probably 30' from the first fan controller although there is an extender between them.  That controller still works fine within IoX.

The second controller is about 12' from the EISY and line of sight.  No obstructions or walls.  IoX can't discover it.  There is an extender about 10' away down the hall and it blinks when the second controller buttons are pressed.  That means that the controller is putting out Z-Wave and it is being seen by the extender.  It is just not being seen by the EISY/IoX.

Awfully frustrating.

[Chevelle]

Oh bloody hell!  I have finally figured this out. It was at the EISY end.

For the record, I tried everything that seemed to make sense.  I "healed" the network.  I did the factory reset on the GE devices.  Nothing.

Finally, I looked at the Synchronize options.  I have no idea what that means or does.  For the hell of it, I selected New & Deleted with Interview.  No idea.  I then went and selected the option to remove devices and hit the buttons on the second controller.  I did it again and hit the buttons on the third controller.

I then attempted to add a new Z-Wave device and viola, the second controller added.  I then added the third controller.

What a pain and I still don't know what the syncrhronize stuff is or if that had anything to do with the solution.  I should also point out that the first controller, the one that added just fine in the beginning, was a new one, right out of the box.  The second and third were ones from the previous house.  I don't know if that had anything to do with this, especially since I did a factory reset on them, several times.

Anyway, I am back in business, until I hit another wall down the line.

[Guy Lavoie]

Sounds like the devices already belonged to another Z-Wave network, and needed to go through an exclusion procedure in order to allow them to join a new network.

[Techman]

@Chevelle

Synchronizing ensures that the EISY and the Z-Wave network have the same device information and that all devices in the network are recognized and their information is up-to-date, so it's possible that your zwave network was not current