Issue with randomly dead nodes

[Koi]

Hi - new to the forum, and to the world of home automation. I ordered a raZberry 10 days ago after comparing many different solutions, but I've been having a lot of problems with it...

Issues:

• Inclusion/exclusion process often requires many tries before it works
• Software randomly reports dead nodes

Hardware bought (all within the last 10 days):

• Raspberry Pi B with raZberry kit (from Quantum Wireless)
• Zipato Multi Sensor Trio (PSM02-1)
• Aeon Labs Aeotec Smart Energy Plug-In Dimmer, 2nd Edition (DSC25-ZWUS)
• Aeon Labs Aeotec Z-Wave Range Extender/Repeater (DSD37-ZWUS)
• Remotec Plug-in Dimmer (ZDS-100)

History:

• Configured the Raspberry with the image downloaded via z-wave.me (v1.7.1)
• Included the Zipato sensor and Aeon dimmer after dozens of tries
• Aeon dimmer node reports "dead" from time to time

(a few days pass, while I wait for 2 extra pieces of hardware to arrive)

• Added the Aeon repeater and Remotec dimmer, which also took about an hour of trying to include them
• The 3 plugged in nodes all report "dead" randomly but then sometimes revive after reboot or after eg. switching the light on/off which would trigger a voltage report (which apparently made the system realize the node isn't dead?)
• Tried excluding/including, force interview, soft-reset dozens of times, also hard-reset and re-including everything
• Tried alternative software: Domoticz, which had the same issues with nodes randomly "dying"
• Tried putting the raZberry on Raspberry Pi B+ instead of a B
• Tried installing zwave server v2.0.0-rc20, but this also has the same issue with dead nodes

Possible issue:

• Noticed in the Domoticz log that the same messages (eg. electric usage messages) would show up multiple times
• Googling brought me to this issue reported by OpenHab users: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... Wh_iurrIIo
• Which was also posted on this forum: viewtopic.php?f=3422&t=20336

Additional clues:

• The problem with duplicated messages seemed to be worse when on the B+ than when on the B: the same message would appear 10+ times vs about 4-5 times when on the B.
• There are times when ALL nodes report alive and work perfectly, so none of them are actually really "dead"
• In v2.0.0, using "pingDevice" on the device status page always brings a dead node back "alive", though the configuration will still say it's dead

How do I fix this?
Is there a bad raZberry board, a bad node, or is it software?
Is there anything I can do to troubleshoot this further?

Thank you for any help.

[pofs]

It is more likely you have some radio connectivity issues. Because of bad connectivity packets get resent (so you see duplicate messages) and sometimes not delivered (devices seem as dead).

Are devices located far away from RaZberry? Also walls may decrease wireless range drastically.

[Koi]

The Aeon dimmer is about 4m from the raZberry (but with a wall in between). Then the repeater is about 8m from that (no walls in between), and the Remotec switch another 5m from that repeater.

The door sensor is in between the Aeon dimmer and the repeater, but since that one's battery operated I imagine it doesn't repeat messages?

I read (on http://getvera.com/z-wave-repeaters-exp ... ems-range/) that devices should still get about 15m/50ft range with walls in between. If I need to put devices even closer together than 5-10m, I'll have to buy a lot of repeaters and the z-wave system is a lot less useful than I thought it would be.

Could there be another cause?

[pofs]

You should look into routes. Probably updating routes between devices will help.

You're right, battery devices do not participate in routing. And I think not every AC-powered devices is capable of this. Need to look into specific device manuals.

[Koi]

Attached is a screenshot of my routing table.

Note: device 6 is currently reported as dead and 8 doesn't have its interview completed.

If I read this right:

• The controller can reach all nodes except the furthest one.
• Devices 6 & 8 can talk to each other
• Device 4 can't seem to reach anything except the controller

I also tried a "Network Reorganization":

16:18:01: reorg_started
16:18:01: reorg_all_mains: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8
16:18:01: reorg_reorg 1 . reorg_done
16:18:02: reorg_reorg 2 ...... reorg_timeout
16:18:19: reorg_reorg 4 .. reorg_done
16:18:23: reorg_reorg 6 ..... reorg_timeout
16:18:39: reorg_reorg 8 ... reorg_done
16:18:47: reorg_reorg 2 1. reorg_retry ..... reorg_timeout
16:19:03: reorg_reorg 6 1. reorg_retry ..... reorg_timeout
16:19:19: reorg_reorg 2 2. reorg_retry ..... reorg_timeout
16:19:35: reorg_reorg 6 2. reorg_retry ..... reorg_timeout
16:19:51: reorg_reorg 2 3. reorg_retry ..... reorg_timeout
16:20:07: reorg_reorg 6 3. reorg_retry ..... reorg_timeout
16:20:23: reorg_completed:
16:20:23: 3 reorg_mains_powered_done
16:20:23: 2 reorg_mains_powered_pending

Tonight I'll try adding a wifi dongle to the controller so I can put it in a different room and see if that fixes anything

[Koi]

UPDATE: I put the controller in a different room (in between nodes 4 & 6, no walls in the way to either node), and now nodes 6 & 8 both report dead.

So I don't think it's a range issue.

[Henrietta]

I am currently having the same problem with "Aeotec Z-Wave Range Extender". It did drop out during test a couple of times, but now I have this problem on a remote site, and no amount of magic seems to be able to bring it back. The network is about 14 Danfoss thermostats and 2 Aeotec repeaters.

[elvizgz]

I'm having the same problem as well with AEON Gen5 Multisensors. In my installation I've got x3 AEON Gen5 Multisensors and x1 AEON Gen4 Multisensor. The Gen4 doesn't fail but Gen5 ones do it a lot. I'm doing data polling every 5 minutes and seems to be when sensors fail.

I have as well an Aeotec Range Extender and doesn't seem to affect. I've tried with and without it but failing still happens.

I'm using z-way server v2.0.0 but I've tried with v1.7 and v2.0.1-rc25 but there is no difference. I've tried as well with only 2 sensors but problem still happens.

Any idea?

[shrikant]

i have zwave.me zwave stick and zm1701 door lock .
My door lock not completing inclusion process properly, if completed continuously getting node is dead message.
what may be the reason....?