Aeotec / SiliconLab released new firmware for the Gen-7 (700 series) stick.
After two days of testing this new firmware on my Aeotec Gen-7 with 66 devices (40 direct powered, 26 on batteries):
still 2 jammed controller occurrences each day.
still “dead” devices, a few per day, lights not switching, not reacting to motion, etc.
In the release notes for 7.21.3, SiliconLab also mentions that the “locked-up controller issue” is still not resolved.
So after months of struggling with the Gen-7, I’ll change to a Gen-5 stick, just bought one, so now I have to transfer NVM data from the Gen-7 to the Gen-5, and hopefully my ZWave problems will be solved then.
I made that exact move around the 7.18 firmware timeframe (Early last year?) and have never looked at a 700 series stick again. My next one will be an 800 based controller IF I need LR capability. (And that’s a big IF). I get the occasional generic zwave weirdness on occasion, but the plague of lockups stopped.
When I made the move, I also went and made sure all my S0 stuff was joined non-secure (unless it was a garage door opener or a lock - old Schlage and a Linear GDO require S0) and tuned down any power reporting devices (Zooz heavy duty switch) to not report more than once every second. All that was to clear the network chatter to give the system it’s best chance. Since then, its been pretty reliable.
I’ve been running on 500 series fine. I bought 2 700 series sticks as I was thinking of upgrading, then saw all the issues. Then I bought 2 800 series sticks, and then saw there was issues with those. At which point I bought several 500 series sticks to make sure I have a viable replacement if the 500 stick fails.
Silicon Labs is not at the top of their game (or maybe they just have no game)
Moved to a Aeotec Gen5+ stick last week, and what a relief!
No jammed controller, no dead nodes, no unresponsive devices.
All working flawlessly for six days now. So just bought a spare gen5+ for backup, and trashed the Gen-7 stick. Should have done this much earlier, but better late than never.
I have the same issues with the Aeotec Gen 7 stick. It so bad, It’s almost not usable. I think I have to promote it to another piece of e-waste… How can they even sell a product performing so badly?
What would be a good alternative? I had the Gen5, but that one doesn’t work on the Pi 4.
I did the same as that poster and went to the gen5+ (as. You noted the original gen 5 is a no go) You need to make sure the stick is on a firmware NEWER than 1.2 before you can restore the network to it.)
I was having the same experience with the 7 and moving back to the 5+ using the nvr backup in JSUI fixed me right up.
I used that Gen5+ on a Rpi48b (using a usb2hub to filter the Pi bus interference) for over a year before moving the whole rig to a NUC10 early this year.
I currently don’t have any application for ZWLR so I’m sitting on it (and it’s identical brother in a drawer for DR purpose)
Thanks, maybe I will get a Gen5+ stick. Right now I set up a automation to reset the z-wave addon every night, to have a reset of the Gen 7 Stick. Works for now, but not optimal.
That’s what I did for a while, but it is a useless solution. You reboot your zwave system at night, one hour later system locks some or all devices and you are a full day without automations running properly (and have an upset family).
I changed from gen7 to gen5+ stick somewhere in June, have not encountered any ZWave issues since then, (while I was facing daily issues with the gen7).
So happy that I changed (and with zwavjs-ui with nvr transfer, changing went very smoothly).
Hi guys,
Lot of issues here as well with my Aeotec Gen7 so thinking to moving back as well on Gen5+.
One question ; how did you manage to peform that Gen7 → Gen5+ migration on HA using Z-Wave JS UI ? Is it possible to switch controller somehow or just need to exclude and reinclude everything to the new controller (20 devices here )?
I’ve seen on Aeotec website a procedure for controller switch but not sure it applies to controller of different generations:
I have also seen on Aeotec website that there’s a tool existing for backup / restore Gen5+ key:
But i don’t know if injecting a backup made from a Gen7 (using simplicity) will work.
Same what I did , use zwavejs-ui to make a nvm backup of the gen7 and upload this nvm file to the gen5+. That is all.
In case you use zwavejs instead of zwavejs-ui, there is an excellent guide somewhere on this forum to switch from js to js-ui. zwavejs does not include the nvm backup tool, while zwavejs-ui does, so zwavejs-ui is a must in order to switch sticks (and to make a backup of your stick, I have a second gen5+ just for backup, in case the connected stick fails for whatever reason)
)?