Vesternet 8 Button Wall Controller – associations not working with Homey Pro 2023

Devices
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1

Objective:
Replace my two ZME WALLC-S2 wall controllers that have served me well for many years, controlling a few Fibaro switches and dimmers via associations. Unfortunately they now drain the batteries very quickly and are no longer produced.

Solution:
After some research (including ChatGPT), I decided to try the Vesternet Z-Wave 8 Button Smart Wall Controller because I liked the physical design and it appeared to have a solid build quality.

Problem:
I haven’t been able to get associations to work (using Homey Pro 2023), even though I can configure associations for groups 2–5 (which correspond to the four on/off button pairs).

After many hours of troubleshooting and consulting both the rather sparse manual and ChatGPT, I contacted Vesternet support and received a short reply saying that Homey isn’t supported…

Workaround:
I can create flows to connect a button press to the desired actions, but I’d prefer not to rely on the central controller just to connect a button and a switch. It introduces extra delay, feels less robust, and honestly just seems like an “ugly” solution. For example, when pressing several buttons in sequence, typically only about 2 out of 4 presses are actually registered.

Question:
Has anyone successfully used associations with the Vesternet wall controller?

Since the association groups exist and the device class etc. appear identical to the old wall controllers, I still believe (or at least hope) that it should be possible to get this working.

Configuration:
Wall controller: Vesternet prod id: 4512714/22 – Z-Wave 4 Channel Switch (8-button)
Switches: Fibaro single and double switches, plus a wall plug
Central controller: Homey Pro 2023 (latest firmware)

Meanwhile I have ordered two Aeotec WallMote Quad units, but I would still prefer to use the Vesternet controllers if they can be made to work properly.

Additional question:
Is there a known limitation with Homey and association groups for this device, or am I possibly missing something like wake-up, secure inclusion, or multi-channel associations?

2

You can try asking Homey bot? Who knows..

Screenshot_20260312_200050_Ecosia
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3

Update:
Tested with Fibaro HC3. Same result.

HC3 did however “prevent” me associating with my fibaro devices unless I unchecked the “Equal security level devices“

So I conclude/assume that the Vesternet device does not support high enough security class (S2) to talk directly to my devices that all use S2.

4

Thanks, was not aware of this. I’ll give it a try

5

Thanks again. Very useful function. The result was however that it is either that the Vesternet driver does not support direct associations at all, or a security level mismatch. It suggested re-including the fibaro device in unsecured mode. However, I don’t like messing around like this in general, so hope that the Aeotec controller has the right security and driver… Funny that the 8 y old simple wall controller with its old firmware works like a charm…