Z-Wave network failing suddenly - looking for insights

Configuration Z-Wave
1

I am running HAOS on Proxmox and have been doing so for about 18 months with little to no issues. Last week when the supervisor update problem occurred, I lost my z-wave network. After much fiddling, it eventually seemed to come back on its own.

Yesterday I did the 2024.11.2 Core update and it failed again, and also seemed to come back on its own. I did remove a Zooz ZEN32 Scene controller that always seems to be in the middle of the problem, as I thought perhaps its hardware had/was failing. But now I’m not so sure.

Looking at the logs, I see the following has gone on constantly for hours and hours. “The Serial API restarted unexpectedly” makes me suspicious now of either some Proxmox hardware or the Z-wave controller itself.

Any thoughts from anyone who either has experienced this or similar, or who has a better understanding of the guts of z-wave than I do?

Thanks in advance!

024-11-15T23:10:54.850Z CNTRLR Switching to 16-bit node IDs successful
2024-11-15T23:10:56.063Z CNTRLR Serial API restarted unexpectedly.
2024-11-15T23:10:56.063Z CNTRLR Currently active command will be retried…
2024-11-15T23:10:56.063Z CNTRLR Starting hardware watchdog…
2024-11-15T23:10:56.065Z CNTRLR Switching serial API to 16-bit node IDs…
2024-11-15T23:10:56.081Z CNTRLR Switching to 16-bit node IDs successful
2024-11-15T23:10:57.293Z CNTRLR Serial API restarted unexpectedly.
2024-11-15T23:10:57.293Z CNTRLR Currently active command will be retried…
2024-11-15T23:10:57.293Z CNTRLR Starting hardware watchdog…
2024-11-15T23:10:57.295Z CNTRLR Switching serial API to 16-bit node IDs…
2024-11-15T23:10:57.310Z CNTRLR Switching to 16-bit node IDs successful
2024-11-15T23:10:58.522Z CNTRLR Serial API restarted unexpectedly.
2024-11-15T23:10:58.523Z CNTRLR Currently active command will be retried…
2024-11-15T23:10:58.523Z CNTRLR Starting hardware watchdog…
2024-11-15T23:10:58.524Z CNTRLR Switching serial API to 16-bit node IDs…
2024-11-15T23:10:58.541Z CNTRLR Switching to 16-bit node IDs successful
2024-11-15T23:10:59.755Z CNTRLR Serial API restarted unexpectedly.
2024-11-15T23:10:59.756Z CNTRLR Currently active command will be retried…
2024-11-15T23:10:59.756Z CNTRLR Starting hardware watchdog…
2024-11-15T23:10:59.758Z CNTRLR Switching serial API to 16-bit node IDs…
2024-11-15T23:10:59.774Z CNTRLR Switching to 16-bit node IDs successful
2024-11-15T23:11:00.987Z CNTRLR Serial API restarted unexpectedly.
2024-11-15T23:11:00.987Z CNTRLR Currently active command will be retried…
2024-11-15T23:11:00.987Z CNTRLR Starting hardware watchdog…
2024-11-15T23:11:00.989Z CNTRLR Switching serial API to 16-bit node IDs…
2024-11-15T23:11:01.005Z CNTRLR Switching to 16-bit node IDs successful
2024-11-15T23:11:02.218Z CNTRLR Serial API restarted unexpectedly.
2024-11-15T23:11:02.218Z CNTRLR Currently active command will be retried…
2024-11-15T23:11:02.218Z CNTRLR Starting hardware watchdog…
2024-11-15T23:11:02.220Z CNTRLR Switching serial API to 16-bit node IDs…
2024-11-15T23:11:02.236Z CNTRLR Switching to 16-bit node IDs successful
2024-11-15T23:11:03.449Z CNTRLR Serial API restarted unexpectedly.
2024-11-15T23:11:03.449Z CNTRLR Currently active command will be retried…
2024-11-15T23:11:03.449Z CNTRLR Starting hardware watchdog…
2024-11-15T23:11:03.451Z CNTRLR Switching serial API to 16-bit node IDs…
2024-11-15T23:11:03.467Z CNTRLR Switching to 16-bit node IDs successful
2024-11-15T23:11:04.680Z CNTRLR Serial API restarted unexpectedly.
2024-11-15T23:11:04.680Z CNTRLR Currently active command will be retried…
2024-11-15T23:11:04.680Z CNTRLR Starting hardware watchdog…
2024-11-15T23:11:04.682Z CNTRLR Switching serial API to 16-bit node IDs…
2024-11-15T23:11:04.698Z CNTRLR Switching to 16-bit node IDs successful
2024-11-15T23:11:05.914Z CNTRLR Serial API restarted unexpectedly.
2024-11-15T23:11:05.915Z CNTRLR Currently active command will be retried…
2024-11-15T23:11:05.915Z CNTRLR Starting hardware watchdog…
2024-11-15T23:11:05.917Z CNTRLR Switching serial API to 16-bit node IDs…
2024-11-15T23:11:05.932Z CNTRLR Switching to 16-bit node IDs successful
2024-11-15T23:11:07.145Z CNTRLR Serial API restarted unexpectedly.
2024-11-15T23:11:07.145Z CNTRLR Currently active command will be retried…
2024-11-15T23:11:07.145Z CNTRLR Starting hardware watchdog…
2024-11-15T23:11:07.147Z CNTRLR Switching serial API to 16-bit node IDs…
2024-11-15T23:11:07.163Z CNTRLR Switching to 16-bit node IDs successful
2024-11-15T23:11:08.375Z CNTRLR Serial API restarted unexpectedly.
2024-11-15T23:11:08.376Z CNTRLR Currently active command will be retried…
2024-11-15T23:11:08.376Z CNTRLR Starting hardware watchdog…
2024-11-15T23:11:08.379Z CNTRLR Switching serial API to 16-bit node IDs…

2

Have you power-cycled the hardware that Proxmox is installed on? I’ve had several issues with my Zooz controller after updates that I resolved by shutting HA down, shutting down the HA VM and the PVE in Proxmox, and then power cycling my Intel NUC. In my case I believe it was related to the USB stick changing its device ID after a reboot.

I’ve found success by passing through the USB by “Vendor/Device ID”, and in HA (Z-Wave JS UI) also selecting the serial port by Device ID.

3

Thank you! I have done the reboots EXCEPT for physically powering off the NUC. I’ll give that a try. And I’ll have a look at my passthrough.

What is so frustrating and odd, is that everything worked flawlessly for over a year. Now all of a sudden the issues arose, specifically around the failed supervisor update and rolling back a virtual machine.

4

You didn’t mention which controller you are using. Try disabling the hardware watchdog (in the settings of whichever application you are using), some controllers don’t like it.

5

I am using the Zooz 700 stick. I’ll try that.

6

I’m having the EXACT same errors that started today with the exact same set up - Intel NUC + Proxmox + HA OS with a Zooz 800 stick. I can’t find much about these errors out there and feel a bit at a loss.

7

I will say that disabling the hardware watchdog did seem to fix the issue, for what that is worth. Hope the change is durable. I did have it turned on prior and have never had issues and have had stability for months, so I’m not sure what suddenly changed that made it not like the watchdog being turned on.

8

How do you actually disable it? I haven’t been able to find that setting, nor any direction as to where to find it?

9

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Open Z-wave-JS-UI web interface (the far left highlighted blue icon in the above screenshot)
Then open settings (the highlighted gear icon)
Then scroll down to Watchdog and remove the checkbox.
Click save (not shown) in the bottom right.

10

Thank you. But now I see why I can’t find it. I am using Z-Wave JS (plain old) not -UI. Is there a way to do it in the plain version?

EDIT: Would I benefit greatly by upgrading to -UI?

11

I don’t think it exists in the default Add-on.

12

Ah… thanks! Would I otherwise benefit greatly (or risk issues) by upgrading to -UI?

13

It’s hard to say. Z-Wave-JS-UI has more functionality, but if you don’t use it, is it better? Personally, I would take the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach". Converting depends on your technical experience and level of care when following instructions, there is a document available with step-by-step instructions that I have seen multiple people fail to make it through successfully for whatever reason.

1 Like
14

:slight_smile: Well, it kinda is broken! Sort of. I can follow instructions, and I do like to have the “power” so I will probably do that.

I have never be enamored with Z-wave, going back to my ISY-994i / Insteon days. Meanwhile, I am already starting to find Zigbee and/or other solutions to some of my most mission critical Z-wave devices.

Thanks for all insights!

15

Ah, dumb luck is all I need!!!

At the bottom of the Z-wave JS Add on there is a toggle for “Show unused optional configuration options” Turning that on, gave me several other options including to “Disable Z-Wave JS (hardware) watchdog”

Trying this now!!!

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