Yes, as an experiment I implemented this entire solution using a Waveshare ESP32-P4-Nano and Zooz 800LR stick with ZWAVEJSUI running in a docker container. Most of my time was spent looking at the P4 schematic and trying to get the ethernet working. In the end i just used wifi as a proof of concept. My friend has a fairly large old zwave network that fails with too many devices on one controller. So he is planning to use this moving forward.
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I have the ZWA2 on USB to a raspberry pi running Zwave JS in a docker container, and connecting via ethernet back to the HA box (also a raspberry pi). This seems like a substantially similar solution.
Iām curious if you will embed the solution directly into the ZWA2 hardware to skip the extra hop? a PoE port on the glowing blue stick would be a nice feature and Iād buy another oneā¦
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No. The ESP add another delay to the chain. Docker + RasPi >> HA is basically same as HA. Just all networking is on same host
In this case you have esp>>docker >> HA. The esp connection can add a fair bit of latency and other hiccups.
Maybe I didnāt explain my setup well. Iām running ZWaveJS in docker on a DIFFERENT raspberry pi than the raspberry pi running HASS. They are connected via ethernet on my local network (so HASS is connected to ZWaveJS via websockets, I believe).
Isnāt the internal hardware of the ZWA2 esp32 based?
The Z-Wave proxy only changes how Z-Wave JS communicates with the Z-Wave controller (USB serial vs. Protobuf over TCP). It doesnāt have any impact on how HA talks to Z-Wave JS. It means you can remove the RasPi+Docker from the equation, but you still need to run Z-Wave JS somewhere.
So Iām either using ethernet for the ZWaveJS ā ZWA2 connection (USB from a ESPHome device, and running ZWaveJS on the native HA host), or using ethernet to communicate HA->ZWaveJS (running ZWaveJS on a separate host with USB to ZWA2).
Which is likely faster?
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Zwave controller directly connected to host device running zwavejs/zeavejsui
Iām running ZWA2 with default firmware connected over USB to a rPi, running docker zwave-js-ui, connected over LAN to HA. Over the last few months since the upgrade to the ZWA2, Iām having performance issues in some situations and I wonder if the POE ESP32-S3 ETH Development Board solution with jwavejs running as a HA add-on would make anything faster/more reliable. If its the same, Iāll likely change to the POE it since its a bit cleaner and one less rpi to manage and deal with compared to a POE device.
What issues. I have same setup with Aeotec controller 6 yrs with no issue.
You can try WiFi to simplify install (remove need to manage pi) but technically current method should be stable
One room that has multiple devices (5 physical ā 9 light entities) sometimes work quickly, and other times like after a quick turn on and back off from the Zwave switch, can take a while for all devices in the room receive the commands (and sometimes the off never gets to ALL the devices in the room). Additionally another room typically responds quickly but sometimes after using the Zwave remote, the Zwave light wonāt respond, and the HA UI on/off for the light doesnāt properly trigger the device, potentially minutes later the light will seemingly reconnect (it never clearly drops but it becomes unresponsive) and behave correctly.
I would check device by device rx/tx stats and drops. Devices showing problems I would ārebuild routesā for.
Most likely when you switched controllers the routes for devices were messed up. I think I may have rebuilt routes for every device not directly connected with controller honestly.
Network was weird for one or two days but eventually everything is now much better than before
Devices that previously used multiple hoops are directly connected or maybe one hop
Maybe I missed it but havenāt seen any info for what Poe injector is required to run the ZWA2 and Waveshare? I have an in-wall Ubiquiti U6 that has a poe out port and is in a perfect spot to power the ZWA2 if itās compatible.
Look at PSU for zwa-2
Get poe with same voltage
zwa-2 is 5v 1a
So itās not 502.3af compatible?
Zwa-2 does not have POE
It is possible to connect using WiFi
POE hack provides power but I forget other details
Thanks. Found the info buried in the specs for the Waveshare on Amazon.
Blockquote Optional for PoE module to realize Power over Ethernet function (IEEE 802.3af-compliant)
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I just did this mod with the esp over POE and it works great. However, I noticed a couple things.
- there is a zwave device āhome-assistant-zwa-2-poeā that is detected. However, attempts to configure this device has always just ended in a spinning cycle.
- Iāve already configured the ZWA2 in my existing Z-WaveJS install (local on HAOS through the default configuration) and it is working great with all existing entities.
Overnight, my z-wave integration completely disappeared in HA, despite Z-Wave JS still reporting fine. Not sure what is going on there. I had to restore HA from a backup to get it to reappear.
Secondly, is it important to add back the new z-wave discovered device? Iād understand if it was something new I was configuring from scratch, but I want to use my existing configuration as the entities are already configured.
It has already been added via ESPHome integration, as Iād assume thatās how Iād update and manage the ESP POE adapter going forward.
Hi guys, i just installed the PoE solution.
The ESP immediately popped up as discovered integration in Home Assistant.
But after adding the ESP successfully, the ZWA-2 didnāt show up as discovered integration. i restarted several times and itās 2d since i added the ESPā¦no ZWA-2 is showing up. ZWA-2 is out of the box. I bought it brandnew and connected it as-is to the ESP32.
ESP gets power (LED is on).
Good thing is, the old Z-Wave Module keeps working without issues (AEON Labs ZW090), so i have no immediate pressure getting the ZWA-2 to work.
I followed the instructions on this page carefully:
Use Portable Z-Wave with Power-over-Ethernet ā Device Toolbox
What could be the issue?
Is it possible to add it manually?
How can i debug, what the problem might be?
Thanks a lot guys.
Did you already flash the ESP poe over usb? Thatās the most important part out of all those instructions.
I would also setup the ZWA-2 on USB first, as there are some pending updates to that as well.
so I think I figured out what caused my zwave integration to disappear. If I ignore the discovered ESPHome zwa-2 device, ignoring will actually remove the existing Z-wave integration that points to an existing Z-wave JS instance.
I suggest people that are attempting to migrate from USB to POE should not ignore the detected device. Thereās something wrong with the workflow here for people that are migrating from an existing install.
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