Trying to fix slow Z-Wave Network

I just two days ago changed all my devices (except locks) to non secure… I apparently missed that recommendation from the docs and my first devices were locks so secure was just what I thought I had to do with a network key set, a couple recent comments made me realize that was not right, so after switching all my random sensors, and outlets to non-secure the response time is nearly half of what it was previously… it was a pain… but I feel it was worth it.

Also, I used zwcfg__.xml and searched for secured=“true” to make sure I didn’t miss any devices…

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thanks for your input. Have to remove 14 nodes and add them again. Bigger pain in the ()()…
All entities rename to nicer ones… etc.

There will come a free days period, so will change them then :slight_smile:

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grrr… tried 1 to delete… ok, tried same add back, not ok. It won’t pair anymore…

2020-02-24 16:23:52.188 Detail, Queuing (Controller) Add Device
2020-02-24 16:23:52.188 Info, Add Device
2020-02-24 16:23:52.188 Detail, contrlr, Queuing (Command) ControllerCommand_AddDevice: 0x01, 0x05, 0x00, 0x4a, 0xc1, 0x7e, 0x0f
2020-02-24 16:23:52.189 Detail, Notification: ControllerCommand - Starting
2020-02-24 16:23:52.190 Detail,
2020-02-24 16:23:52.191 Info, contrlr, Sending (Command) message (Callback ID=0x7e, Expected Reply=0x4a) - ControllerCommand_AddDevice: 0x01, 0x05, 0x00, 0x4a, 0xc1, 0x7e, 0x0f
2020-02-24 16:23:52.243 Detail, contrlr,   Received: 0x01, 0x07, 0x00, 0x4a, 0x7e, 0x07, 0x00, 0x00, 0xcb
2020-02-24 16:23:52.243 Detail,
2020-02-24 16:23:52.243 Info, contrlr, FUNC_ID_ZW_ADD_NODE_TO_NETWORK:
2020-02-24 16:23:52.243 Info, contrlr, ADD_NODE_STATUS_FAILED
2020-02-24 16:23:52.244 Detail, contrlr, Removing current message
2020-02-24 16:23:52.244 Detail, contrlr, Queuing (Command) Add Node Stop: 0x01, 0x04, 0x00, 0x4a, 0x05, 0xb4
2020-02-24 16:23:52.244 Detail, Notification: ControllerCommand - Failed
2020-02-24 16:23:52.245 Detail,
2020-02-24 16:23:52.245 Info, contrlr, Sending (Command) message (Callback ID=0x00, Expected Reply=0x4a) - Add Node Stop: 0x01, 0x04, 0x00, 0x4a, 0x05, 0xb4
2020-02-24 16:23:52.297 Detail, contrlr,   Received: 0x01, 0x07, 0x00, 0x4a, 0x7e, 0x06, 0x00, 0x00, 0xca
2020-02-24 16:23:52.297 Detail,
2020-02-24 16:23:52.297 Info, contrlr, FUNC_ID_ZW_ADD_NODE_TO_NETWORK:
2020-02-24 16:23:52.297 Detail, Node006,   Expected reply was received
2020-02-24 16:23:52.297 Detail, Node006,   Message transaction complete
2020-02-24 16:23:52.298 Detail,
2020-02-24 16:23:52.298 Detail, contrlr, Removing current message
2020-02-24 16:23:52.298 Detail, Notification: ControllerCommand - Completed

I had a lot of grief removing and readding my fibaro dimmers in non-secure. The first removal (by clicking remove node in HA) often didn’t work completely, and when I tried to readd the fibaro it would be back as secure (even though I clicked add node rather than add secure).

The answer seemed to be to remove each node multiple times until it looked like it had worked in the log. Sometimes clicking remove node for a second time crashed HA though. All quite painful but got there in the end.

Etrig - do you find the responsiveness of the zwave devices is better with the Home Center 3 than with HA / Aeotec stick?

Have you got the HC3 integrated with HA?

Thanks

Pete

No I haven’t integrated HC3 with HA.

I run HC3 only now, I kinda gave up on HA after it working so badly and spending 2 days trying to make it work… :expressionless:

I have a HC2 running with the HA integration. Never looked back at zwave. Works like a champ and because of that i really like HA again since z-wave is and still remains a pain. If you have a few devices its fine, but if you are 40+ or so you will really start seeing the downside. Things are looking up on the zwave2mqtt setup and other new features in the future but for now i have no reason to switch back to HA with z-wave since with fibaro home center 2 connection i have everything working and fast too! A little plus is that i can actually upgrade my fibaro devices firmware too.

Since the HC3 came out, people are selling there HC2 too. You might get them for a nice price second hand and your problems “for now” are over.

Thats just my opinion, and i played a ton with zwave, mqtt, seperate addon even back with ozcwp and more…

I have 3 failed nodes. (3 modules I only use for chrismas) They are not connected but stored. This cannot create this problem that I cant add new nodes?

Hi, I’ve slow zwave network, some devices lagging. How you think, only HC could solve the problem? Or maybe smartthing hub? (It is math more cheaper)

Keep in mind this device requires internet connection to work properly.

A good portion of the time this is due to poor signal strength.

OK… this morning started with removing my nodes and repair them. To make sure everything was gone i did follow:

  1. Unpair all nodes inside HA
  2. my stick disconnect from HA and put in pair mode
  3. pushed of every node the button so it will reset back to factory
  4. reset the stick
  5. removed the zwcfg* file
  6. reboot HA without the stick connected
  7. plugges in the stick again and reboot ha again so it will start up again
  8. add every node again. this time without the secure way (first only the powered nodes)
  9. start heal zwave network
  10. add all battery powered nodes also.

Now everything is connected again. Fast and after heal network all nodes are added with neighbor nodes now as well.

What, if any, security implications are there to running switches in non-secure mode?

Apart from obvious things like logs - someone can see the traffic and see you just switched a light on/off etc. so the traffic is clear text. They could also inject packets into your network.

It’s a trade off you have to make about the risks versus benefit. Security adds a lot of overhead traffic wise and some devices take a while to respond (these are basic microprocessors in nodes - they take a while to decrypt and encrypt packets) so that adds latency. Versus someone being able to sniff your traffic.

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@Fishwaldo can I ask you what is Node: undefined undefined: https://imgur.com/a/lmkjivr

I guess I’m more concerned about injection than sniffing. If someone’s close enough to sniff they could observe a lot visually if they wanted. But I’m more concerned about the ingress and what might be done to the network if someone gets a beachhead on a vulnerable device.

They could toggle your lights on and off to drive you insane? :crazy_face:

You jest, but if a door lock is part of your Z-Wave network then someone could potentially let themselves inside.

Door locks use a network key to encrypt traffic, and as far as I am aware, replay attacks don’t work on secure nodes.

Just want to say thank you for this thread. I’ve been stumped for a while why one of my automations that used to trigger almost instantly was taking over 30 seconds to trigger. I added a “lock door” to it and didn’t think that was the cause, adjusting the syntax speed it up

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Can you show us the Graph? Because i had the same problem and the issue was that it was starting at controler and then it would jump to 1 node, and from that node it would jump to all others!

So i had to move the controler to a more central position. and voila ! perfect connection…

But i am going to give up on Z-wavei think… and move on to WIFI. my concern was the limitation of the number of IPs my Router could handle, but now with a Enterprise Router ( costed me 120 Euros) i can have over 4 million different IPS… no longer a problem :slight_smile: and i use Fiber connection so that inst a problem either