Z-wave range problem

Questions & Help
,
1

hello,

I have homey pro 2023. I bought also Fibaro Walli Roller Shutter. I installed fibaro walli roller shutters, but they work only when homey pro is in the same room. I thought that z-wave network is so week, but bought also fibaro home center 3 lite and paired all fibaro roller shutters whith fibaro hub. And everything is working like a charm, wherever I position fibaro home center lite.

To test everything I put homey pro 2023 next to fibaro home center. I paired one walli to homey, one to fibaro hub. The outcome: fibaro hub change shutter position, but with homey pro 2023 I got message: TRANSMIT_COMPLETE_NO_ACK.

CONCLUSION:
Z-wave antenna in homey pro 2023 is much worse than in simple fibaro home central lite.

QUESTION:
Can it be imporved by code, or it is hardware problem. If hardware is it possible to attach external z-wave antenna to homey.

2

You shall pair more ZWAVE devices (non battery powered), so they can create a mesh, then you will be not limited by distance.

Btw, looking on my mesh, seems that my ZWAVE devices shows direct connection between Homey and ZWAVE devices, which is aprox. 10m away and behind 3 brick walls (but the mesh is not 2D, Homey is not showing all the routes at once).

Just to be sure, which HP23 firmware you are on ?

3

Well, I know. This is some kind of solution. But it seems that problem is in the strength of z-wave signal in homey pro 2023. As I wrote, fibaro home center lite 3 works perfectly.

Today I updated to 10.2.1-rc.2. Thought that experimental updates can fix this, but it didn’t work.

4

Unless you lives on castle, even Homey antennas are not so bad that it would work only within the same room - like I wrote above. But the ZWAVE antennas are located on the mainboard, so I doubt it could be hardware related.

"version":string"Z-Wave 7.20"
"versionMajor":int7
"versionMinor":int20
"libraryType":int7
"protocolVersion":{...
}5 items
"ver":int10
"capabilities":{...
}4 items
"chip_type":int7
"chip_version":int0
"SERIAL_APPL_VERSION":int7
"SERIAL_APPL_REVISION":int20
5
  • HM23 is located on the cabinet
  • state
{
  "logEnabled": false,
  "stats": {
    "node_6_network": {
      "tx_queued": 17,
      "tx": 18,
      "tx_err": 0,
      "tx_ok": 18,
      "rx": 16
    },
    "node_2_network": {
      "tx_queued": 4,
      "tx": 6,
      "tx_err": 4,
      "tx_ok": 2,
      "rx": 30
    },
    "node_4_network": {
      "tx_queued": 9,
      "tx": 11,
      "tx_err": 9,
      "tx_ok": 2,
      "rx": 29
    },
    "node_3_network": {
      "tx_queued": 4,
      "tx": 4,
      "tx_err": 4,
      "tx_ok": 0,
      "rx": 6
    },
    "node_5_network": {
      "tx_queued": 12,
      "tx": 12,
      "tx_err": 12,
      "tx_ok": 0,
      "rx": 0
    }
  },
  "nodeId": 1,
  "homeId": 3558903051,
  "nodes": [
    1,
    2,
    3,
    4,
    5,
    6
  ],
  "currentCommand": null,
  "currentProcess": null,
  "availableRegions": {},
  "hardwareRegion": "AE",
  "networkKeys": {
    "S0": {},
    "Unauthenticated": {},
    "Authenticated": {},
    "Access": {}
  },
  "methodsAsync": [],
  "version": "Z-Wave 7.20",
  "versionMajor": 7,
  "versionMinor": 20,
  "libraryType": 7,
  "protocolVersion": {
    "protocolType": 0,
    "majorVersion": 7,
    "minorVersion": 20,
    "revisionVersion": 93,
    "appFrameworkBuildNr": 43981
  },
  "ver": 10,
  "capabilities": {
    "api": "controller",
    "timerSupported": false,
    "controllerType": "primary",
    "sis": true
  },
  "chip_type": 7,
  "chip_version": 0,
  "SERIAL_APPL_VERSION": 7,
  "SERIAL_APPL_REVISION": 20,
  "SERIALAPI_MANUFACTURER_ID": 0,
  "SERIALAPI_MANUFACTURER_PRODUCT_TYPE": 4,
  "SERIALAPI_MANUFACTURER_PRODUCT_ID": 4,
  "FUNCID_SUPPORTED_BITMASK": [
    1,
    2,
    3,
    4,
    6,
    7,
    9,
    14,
    15,
    16,
    19,
    20,
    21,
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  ],
  "CONTROLLER_IS_SECONDARY": false,
  "CONTROLLER_ON_OTHER_NETWORK": false,
  "CONTROLLER_NODEID_SERVER_PRESENT": true,
  "CONTROLLER_IS_REAL_PRIMARY": true,
  "CONTROLLER_IS_SUC": true,
  "NO_NODES_INCUDED": false,
  "sucId": 1,
  "noAckNodes": [
    3,
    5,
    2,
    4
  ],
  "softwareRegion": "EU"
}
6

It’s always better to put that result into
obrazek

Seems you have the same version of ZWave chip like a do.

Last attempt, as you have no devices connected to HP23, I suggest to do RESET :
obrazek

If it will not help, please contact Athom support (or apply for warranty replacement describing the issues and steps performed)

1 Like
7

My bad. Sorry.
Dod reset and didn’t help.
Do you know how to contact athom dirextly ?

8

Only via Support | Homey - if you will submit is as issue, it will take up to 3 weeks for them to reply. If you will ask for warranty replacement, they might reply sooner.

9

Thank you. Will try this way. However still think might be hardware problem and low strength of antenas. Fibaro hub located in the same place works great.

10

I’m experiencing problems with Zwave and my Fibaro modules, which might be related. I’m still trying to gather more evidence to work out exactly what is happening.

It seems that my zwave devices do not always receive the switch message that I send through the app. For example homey says a light is off, but I need to switch it on and off again before it actually switches off. This was all working fine with my Fibaro home centre hub, so I’m comfortable that it’s not a device issue.

Is your problem similar? You’re presuming it’s an antenna problem, but it could be a software issue.

11

Where did you get these metrics from? Is there any way to get homey to return history on how their evolution?

12

Can you share https://tools.developer.homey.app/tools/zwave nodes view ?

13

I had a similar problem with the 2019 hub I just bought (run out ) the z wave isn’t very strong I have a vera hub about 15 years old with a lot more range .
I put an extra switch in and did a node update with the homey hub a bit closer then took it to its normal position and did another node update on all z wave devices that fixed it., hope this helps

14

I also can confirm the same problems. Zwave Fibaro modules not working good with homey pro 2023 when they are more longer distance but with hc2 no problem at all.
Did also test with latest firmware fixes but didn’t fix it, yes it is better but no way as good as with hc2. Distance is 3 to 5 times longer than with homey pro.
As I could not fix it I replaced the modules for zigbee modules (had to switch to homey for other items and things I wanted that hc2 does not have).

15

I’m sure its zwave strength in HP23 problem. Don’t know if its hardware problem and whether it can be solved with updates. I changed position of HP23 and fortunetly all is working. One switch sometimes has problems. But still Fibaro Home Center Lite has much stroneger zwave anthenas !

16

Interesting, I just paired Fibaro Smoke sensor on the distance of aprox. 15m (1st floor Homey, 2nd floor Fibaro Smoke sensor), on the first attempt. But true is that when I did re-pair Danalock 2 months ago, it was misbehaving and when I bring it closer, it was OK. Others devices, like Aeotec ZWAVE extender or Aeotec 3 clamps power meter - even able to pair it behind 2 walls few weeks ago.

As far as I remember, during pairing it do not use mesh, to I wonder what/which specific problem you guys have (eg. what could be so HW specific that you observe such difference).

17

both are using PCB antenas, however HP23 does use extra switch/filter, so “bit” less range, 20-30%. HP23 antenna is on left bottom side (back side is usb connector), with worst characteristics for right side, so when you wish best experice turn HP23 left side to “front of your network”, and not to walls etc.

HC3L has front/right antenna, with good characteristic for front, right, back, bit worse connection for left side, but not that tragic in compare to HP23 right side.

Edit: actually one can see the HP23 antenna characteristic on FCC page, however, they measured (haha how useless) without enclosure and raspi, with external signal, so pure antenna is -4.8dBi, that definitely worse than HC3L antenna specs

1 Like
18

obrazek
obrazek782Ă—103 10.4 KB

obrazek

So it’s 1.7dBi vs -4.8 to -3.2dBi ?

19

if one trust the data, yes.

Another thing is, the max power output, which can be set on the z-wave chips. Haven’t found any HP23 specs, HC3L is +9dBm for EU

1 Like
20

I also got problems with z-wave and Homey 2023.

I haven’t changed anything in my home layout, just replaced the Homey 2019 to a 2023.
The new one doesn’t reach to my Fibaro switch where the old one actually never failed to get to.
If I place the Homey 2023 in the same room as the Fibaro switch, it works perfectly.

But the problem above is just one of the smaller things that doesn’t work for me with the 2023 version. :slightly_smiling_face: