Z-wave Nodes die for no reason Topic is solved

[Eraser]

Domoticz version 3.5877 on Windows 7

I have been using a MiCasaVerde Vera 2 controller for years but new Z-wave devices aren't supported since stopped providing updates. So no more Vera's for me. I decided to switch to a better supported platform, Domoticz. I excluded all devices from the Vera and included them on my Aeotec Z-stick (not the Gen-5, but the earlier version). Everything has been setup in Domoticz and they seem to work nicely. But... sometimes the devices do not listen fast enough and Domoticz (or the Z-stick) says they are dead! I found this in the log:

2017-01-13 08:15:02.062 Error: OpenZWave: Node has failed (or is not alive), Switch command not sent! (NodeID: 10, 0x0a)
2017-01-13 08:15:02.605 OpenZWave: Received Node Dead notification from HomeID: 25488390, NodeID: 11 (0x0b)

Some of these devices like Fibaro Switches can be fixed by turning them on or off manually with the wall switch. They report themselves to the Z-stick controller that way and are alive after that. But devices that have no wall switch are a bigger problem. And fixing them is only a temporary solution since they fail again at a later moment. They do not always fail. Most of the time they work fine, but once every while they just stop working.

How is this possible? Is there some sort of timeout setting I need to change to give the devices more time to respond?

[harrykausl]

I have the same problem. I have a Fibaro FGS-222 and sometimes it is dead. In domoticz I see a red symbol for status. Switching of the connected wall plug hardware switch doesn't help. I found it works again, when I plug in an additional switch (I'm in testing mode with this switch). So the problem switch is found again. It seems, that sometimes connection to the switch is lossed and after inserting another switch, which automatically works as z-wave repeater the problem switch is reconnected.
But this is not understandable for me. If it normally works and I don't change anything, it has to work always.

[Eraser]

I tried reinstalling Domoticz from scratch. The devices are still included in the controller so importing them wasn't a problem. But the problem remains. Even with a clean install the nodes keep dying. This tells me that the problem is between the OpenZwave driver and the controller, of between Domoticz and the OpenZwave driver. Next thing I want to try is a soft or hard reset. But then I have to exclude all devices first. Some of my devices are build-in without an external switch. Lucky me. I should have stayed with Vera...

I searched some more on this forum and there are actually quite allot of people with the same problems. How is it that some people don't have any of these problems while other people can't get a reliable setup with Domoticz? Is there any official word from Domoticz on this?

[Domosapiens]

Are you running the latest FW?

Z-Stick S2 V3.08 firmware update
Modified on: Sun, 3 Apr, 2016 at 4:23 PM
If you are having issues with nodes freezing and losing connection, this is the latest firmware update for the Z-Stick S2 that will solve those issues.

https://aeotec.freshdesk.com/support/so ... are-update

[harrykausl]

I have the problem with the gen5 stick. I hope, there will be a domoticz update with newer open zwave integration.

[Cluedo]

Hello!

I have the problem with the gen5 stick, raspberry pii 3.
it has worked fine util know. the nod goes dead? and cant recover.

I have
Version: 3.5877
Build Hash: 15b013c
Compile Date: 2016-11-10 16:44:33

Is there anything i can do?

plz help me!

//Cluedo

[harrykausl]

Normally I don't like to use beat versions. But if somebody can confirm, that zwave problems are fixed within a beta, I would switch. Or is there a date, when a new stable domoticz verson will be published.
I don't understand how a system can work correct one day and then gets errors without having anything changed.

[ben53252642]

I've observed the same issue with latest Domoticz Beta running a on a Raspberry Pi with Z-wave Me card. OpenZWave needs to be able to recover from node failing (ideally simply queue the transmission until the node comes back in range if the signal is weak).

[harrykausl]

But power connected switches normally don' t sleep. They are disconnected ore dead or something else. In domoticz they are red. My battery-driven windowsensor and motion sensor are always online.

[harrykausl]

Today I included an aeotec repeater to my zwave-network. It didn't help anything, my switch was dead (I healed the network). Then I plugged in my additional test switch and the problem switch was online. Then I plugged the test-switch off, and the problem switch is still online. But after some time, it will dy again. Perhaps it will be better, when I have the second switch really installed. But this will be in a wall and then everything has to work. So I would like to solve the problems before installing.

[harrykausl]

Yesterday my 2 fgs222 were damaged, when I switched them. Perhaps I'll change to another manufactorer / protocol.

[Eraser]

As a final solution to the problems i did a hard reset on the controller and included all nodes again. Some nodes even needed a reset because they couldn't be excluded properly before the hard reset. But everything works again. I haven't seen any dead nodes since my hard reset. I don't know what the problem was but it was definitely something in the controller itself.

[Ericv]

Same problem here. I have a Razberry v2, with fgs222 and fibaro motion sensor.
Did a hard reset, as you suggested. After re initialisation the motion sensor is ok, but the fgs222 reports as 'dead', after 3 or 4 switches in a sort interval.
Distance from controller seems to have an effect on this: when the fgs 222 is close to the controller ir works fine. But when it is in the next room the problem occurs.
The motion sensor is ok even when it is in a room on a diffent floor. So i think the razberry is ok. And the problem is in the fgs 222.
Any thoughts?

Eric

[jvdz]

Do you have just 1 powered unit in your ZWAVE network?
This likely will not provide a stable MESH network and in general some 3 or 4 powered units are needed to provide this stable ZWAVE MESH.

Jos

[Ericv]

Yes, only one powered unit, for now. Just started with z-wave, to get a more reliable network then with kaku.
Nevertheless: the range for the fgs222 should be much better then 6 meters and a thin wall. The motion sensor can easily bridge a much larger distance, including a concrete floor.
The fgs222 works for some time, up to a few days. And then, suddenly, is found to be 'dead'.

[jvdz]

Well as I stated: You need enough powered ZWAVE units to create a stable network!
Those units will act as routers in the Zwave network and create that stable network.

Jos

[Ericv]

I do understand that. For a stable network.

But why can't there be a stable connection between the controller and one powered unit? Which will most likely be the unit closest to the controller?

[JC38]

I've got also some problem with dead nodes.

When Domoticz is updated through the UI, it restarts and I often see this some minutes after.

Capture.JPG (19.17 KiB) Viewed 9772 times

I try to heale the node or the network but this doesn't solve anything.

And if i use the Restart System option from the menu, I've got this :

Capture2.JPG (14.74 KiB) Viewed 9772 times

So, I see that a full restart is better than a stop/start domoticz.sh but i don't understand why. Is it possible to try specific commands between the stop and the start commands to reinit the Z-wave dongle ? Mine is an Aeotec DSA02203 Z-Stick S2.
And if I remember, I've already done this last year https://aeotec.freshdesk.com/support/so ... are-update. Anyway, is there any command to check the firmware version from the Rpi ?

[Ericv]

Check this: http://elinux.org/R-Pi_Troubleshooting# ... re_version

[Ericv]

I noticed that the fgs 222 did not have an association to the controller in group 1. Could that have something to do with the problem of the switch getting 'dead' after a while?