I have an existing z-wave network with a handful of devices:
2 Leviton VRI06-1LZ dimmers
Leviton VRI06-1LX dimmer
Leviton VRCS2-MRZ 2-button scene controller (configured such that the buttons control the built-in relays)
GE45601 remote control
I’m adding a Raspberry Pi with a Zooz ZST10 USB stick, running Home Assistant OS.
What’s the best way to get Home Assistant OS working with this network? Is there some way to add it to the existing network, or should I reset everything and re-add all the devices to a new network?
Do I need to figure out a way to get my RPi near my z-wave devices for setup? (I’m thinking wifi and extension cord for power.)
The title states “existing network”. Is this existing network currently using HA with the ZST10 stick? what is the existing environment?
Except for the encryption key for secure inclusion (usually used mainly for door locks), the network exists on the controller stick. You should not need to move the stick at all.
No, the existing network is just the devices in the list. The RPi with HA and the ZST10 stick are what’s new. I probably could have worded that more clearly! I updated the first post to make that clearer.
It seems like, if I start over and create a new network, the stick will have to move. Is my understanding correct?
How do you folks usually handle that? Can I take the stick out of the RPi and put it my laptop, and use some other software to setup the network? (What software?)
Are there easier alternatives, such as transferring the primary controller config to the stick? Or making the stick a secondary controller? (Not sure if either of these options is supported, yet.)
If none of the devices need secure inclusion you can usually just leave the Pi & stick in its central location. For some battery operated sensors i sometimes bring them closet to the controller mainly for my personal convenience.
Secure inclusion has its own issues and you would need to move the Pi close to the lock or other device. IT needs to be included after a fresh factory reset and the inclusion process needs to be completed within 15 seconds. They usually require a very strong signal for that to happen.
I’m still not sure how I will get the GE remote to work as a secondary controller, after I put everything else in a new network with the stick ZST10 as the primary controller. Somehow I have to convince the ZST10 to send the network info to the remote, but I don’t see an option to do that in the HA interface.
You are directly associating the devices to the remote? If so, that should still work the same way.
Association groups (except Group 1, Lifeline) are how devices associate without a controller. The remote can also be associated to the controller, if you wish, bit I do not think that is required.
A zwave network can only have one primary controller, and then other controllers are secondary.
In your old setup, the GE remote was the primary controller. In you new setup, the Zooz USB stick will need to be the primary controller. Since you only have 5 devices, the way I would do it would be to unpair all your devices, reset them all, and start over, and reinclude everything to the USB Stick first so it is the primary controller. Pair it to Home Assistant using the Zwave JS integration (directions here) and don’t do it on a seperate laptop first. Z-Wave JS - Home Assistant Start with mains powered devices closest to the USB controller and work your way out as Zwave networks “mesh”. Ideally pair remotes in place so these devices know their “neighbors” and properly route through closer mains powered devices. I don’t see a door lock on your list which really is the only device that needs to be brought to the hub for secure inclusion.
Once you pair everything else, I would pair the GE remote control last. It would then act as a “secondary controller” in the network and then you can run automations off of its button presses, or do direct associations from it to other devices.
I think they were directly associated to that device without any controller using association groups… It is not a controller, according to the zwave alliance.
I think the term the alliance uses for these remotes are “portable controllers”. So its “sorta” a controller, but pretty limited to what it can do versus your traditional controllers like a hub or zstick. If that remote is all you have, it can establish a zwave network and will act as the controller, but most people use them as secondary controllers.
This article probably does a better job of explaining all the ins and outs of portable and multiple controllers then I can:
Ok, so I’m working through my devices one at a time. I’m just factory resetting them. I figure that excluding from the old network is kind of pointless, since old network is going away. Anyway, I successfully included two of the dimmers, and now I’m working on the VRCS2 (2 Scene Controller with Switched), and that one has me stumped.
The directions (https://usermanual.wiki/Z-Wave/450171.1514046206.pdf) seem to want me to put the VRCS2 into programming mode first, which I do. Then from HA, I choose “add node” and then “start inclusion”, at which point the amber LEDs on the VRCS2 begin to flash, and they keep flashing. Eventually, inclusion times out. (The amber LEDs keep flashing.)
This device is sort of interesting, because the buttons don’t have to control the built in relays, but they do by default, and that is the behavior I want.
That VRCS2 caused a lot of issues for people when I was a Smartthings user. Although old, take a look at this linked post for some ideas. Obviously instead of the Smartthings app step in step 6, go to the add node and start inclusion in Home Assistant. That device might also use the “whisper pairing” that locks use and lot of people say they need to be close to the hub while pairing - so that could create an added issue unfortunately.
I think I’m doing basically that, but it doesn’t work. I tried cutting the power when it says, but that doesn’t change anything. I’m assuming “adding from the SmartThings app” translates to “start inclusion”. That’s where it gets stuck. HA stays in inclusion mode until it times out.
If I were to get past that point, I’m not sure what to do about this “tap to configure” part. (I’m supposed to not tap to configure when adding the controller, but tap it when associating the buttons.) I don’t see an equivalent in HA.
Yes that would be starting inclusion. I also saw you want to start out with an “exclusion” in step one. Even though it was never connected to the zooz stick yet, performing an “exclusion” by any zwave hub/stick will cause any device in range to go into exclusion mode when the steps are followed. To do that, press and hold the button on the VRCS2 until it blinks amber. Then you would click “remove node” then “start exclusion” in Home Assistant.
I’ve seen some mention the wall causes interference. Is it in a wall with regular drywall? Or a lathe or concrete wall? Some have mentioned they had to take the switchplate off or let the switch dangle out of the wall even to get reception for pairing.
That should be a Smartthings specific thing. ZwaveJS should automatically do all the configuation for you after inclusion. Although the device is pretty old, I looked at the code for this switch on Github and it looks like there is code for this switch built into the integration and its supported 📢 Announcement: About supporting new device configuration files · Issue #1600 · zwave-js/node-zwave-js · GitHub . The key will be getting it to pair, which is tricky.
It worked! The VRCS2 is now included in the network. It just had to be closer to the stick. It was only 10-12 feet away, to begin with, but that wasn’t close enough, I guess. The walls are drywall, but the stick had almost line of sight to the front of the switch, except for a speaker right next to the switch.
With a little more experimentation, I was able to get the GE 45601 remote working, too. Per its manual, it can “send” the network info to a secondary controller, or it can “receive” the network info from another controller, and thus become a secondary controller. So what I figured out was to put the remote in receive mode, then from HA, start inclusion mode, and it paired right away. Then it was just a matter of adding the devices to the remote buttons, one by one.
So I think I’ve got everything working. Thanks for all the help!
Thank you for this thread. I decided on a whim to upgrade from my vera lite (2012) to a homeseer+ g3 and spent hours banging my head against the wall trying to get my VRCZ4-MRZ (the 4 button version of the VRCS2-MRZ) to join the new network. Put the g3 on an extension cable and moved it as close as I could get it and it joined the network first try.