Z-Wave Interference: ZWA-2 Controller Causing Ring Security System Devices to Drop

Setup:

  • Home Assistant with Z-Wave JS UI
  • Recently upgraded to ZWA-2 Z-Wave controller
  • Existing Ring security system with Z-Wave door/window sensors
  • Previous Controller - Aeotec Z-Stick 7

Problem: After switching to the ZWA-2, my Ring Z-Wave devices began experiencing significant issues:

  • Door/window sensors frequently dropping from Ring network
  • Sensors showing as “unavailable”
  • Missed events (doors reporting closed when actually open)
  • Issues began immediately after ZWA-2 installation

Troubleshooting Attempted:

  • Waited 1 week for automatic route optimization
  • Restarted all Z-Wave devices and services
  • Problem persisted throughout testing period
  • Reverted to previous controller → Ring system returned to normal operation

Technical Questions:

  1. Has anyone experienced similar interference between ZWA-2 and other Z-Wave networks?
  2. Are there configuration settings in Z-Wave JS UI to reduce transmission power or adjust interference mitigation?

Suspected Cause: The ZWA-2 may be transmitting at higher power levels, potentially interfering with the Ring network’s mesh topology or causing communication conflicts.

Looking for:

  • Similar experiences with ZWA-2 and multi-network Z-Wave setups
  • Recommended configuration changes
  • Alternative solutions to run both networks simultaneously

My planned next steps are to separate the two controllers. Today, they are a shelf apart in my home-lab.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Did you unplug (power off) the Z-Stick 7 after migrating?

No i don’t think i did. Could you let me know how this would help so I can bake it into my troubleshooting steps in the future?

Thanks!

The old controller will respond to commands.

The various instructions aren’t exactly consistent, but it’s there.

https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/zwave_js/#to-migrate-a-z-wave-network-to-a-new-adapter

It is important to remove the old device now, as it might interfere with the new one. Even though it might not throw an error immediately, it might cause issues.

Also at (without explanation):
https://support.nabucasa.com/hc/en-us/articles/29529265751965-Migrating-an-existing-Z-Wave-network-to-Home-Assistant-Connect-ZWA-2

Unplug the old Z-Wave adapter and connect Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2.

No mention at:

https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/zwave_js/#how-to-migrate-from-one-adapter-to-a-new-adapter-using-z-wave-js-ui

I’m seeing the same symptoms with my ZWA-2 and Ring Alarm. My Ring sensors randomly disconnect/reconnect to the base station now. Did you ever make any progress on this?