Hi, I’ve got a new 2Gig GC3 on Alarm.Com with roughly 120 z-wave devices and the most current OS V3.1.3 on the GC3. The problem I’m having is after trying to add the 120 devices everything goes fine until between 75 - 90 devices and then the GC3 locks up. I’ve spent hours on the phone with Directors of H/W at 2Gig & Alarm.Com trying to get it to work and nothing works.
I’ve been told an alternative approach is adding a Smart Things Hub to the network to basically do device 1 - 80 on the GC3 and 81 - 120 on the Smart Things hub. My question is how do I connect the Smart Things Hub to upload the Smart Things devices (i.e. 81 - 120) to the GC3 to then send them onto Alarm.Com for control & automation. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Hi, I’ve got a new 2Gig GC3 on Alarm.Com with roughly 120 z-wave devices and the most current OS V3.1.3 on the GC3.
There is actually a newer firmware version 3.2 for the GC3. There is no specific detail alluding to such a problem in the release notes but there are often functional tweaks. It would be good to test on the latest version to be sure.
I’ve been told an alternative approach is adding a Smart Things Hub to the network to basically do device 1 – 80 on the GC3 and 81 – 120 on the Smart Things hub. My question is how do I connect the Smart Things Hub to upload the Smart Things devices (i.e. 81 – 120) to the GC3 to then send them onto Alarm.Com for control & automation. Any help would be greatly appreciated
I’ll preface all of this with the fact that we’ve not had reason to try adding 80+ Z-wave devices to a single network. That is a very large network. I am curious if you might be trying to add incompatible types. What models of devices are you using?
Also, when you say the GC3 locks up, when in the process is that occurring? Is it just when trying to learn a new Z-wave device? Or is it in normal operation after that many devices have been added? If it is only during the act of adding devices, is it always the same type of device that causes the panel issue?
Now, all that said, I’m not seeing how this suggestion would resolve any potential issue in this case.
There shouldn’t be any functional difference between sending the devices via a different primary controller and just learning them into the GC3 directly. You can only view devices in Alarm.com that are connected to your GC3. You would need to either learn all devices into the GC3 or learn all the devices into the Smart Things hub and then pair the GC3 as a secondary controller to the Smart Things hub. In either case if there is a rough memory or other resource limit being eclipsed by 80-90 devices and you added more devices you should see the effects of that limit.
You cannot split the total and have two primary hubs learning in devices that then communicate with one another. A network can only have one primary controller.
If you learn in some into the GC3 and some into the Smart Things controller, those would be two separate unconnected networks on two separate primary controllers. (that may be what they are suggesting, you wouldn’t be able to control 81+ through ADC, just Smart Things)
Hi Warren, Thank you for your reply. The devices are all GoControl / 2Gig / Linear (all the same company different brand names) and are a cross between on / off, dimmer, and 3-Way (i.e. Master / Slave to the Master Switches). Right now the panel GC3 won’t communicate (i.e. send light controls to previously added & working switches, codes to Kwikset Z-Wave locks) nor complete network rediscovery / healing of the network. Alarm.Com & 2Gig said it’s because there’s to many pathways for the devices to get from the GC3 to the devices. The GC3 controllers never seem to see s/w updates (I’ll try rerunning the Software update when I get home tonight) and the last controller was replaced after it couldn’t finish the s/w update and 2Gig replaced it directly. I flashed this current controller prior to adding anything via a USB flash drive version for the 2Gig GC3 software. Ironically the exact software / flash drive completed successfully on a separate house (also running alarm.com GC3) via a simple OTA update. Both places are connected via 1 GB FTTH connection and are about 3 feet from an access point so range & speed aren’t the issues. Long story short the switches are Z-Wave & Z-Wave+ and all compatible as they were removed from the original house (removed via the 2Gig GC3 (2X each) and then readded to the 2Gig GC3. Interestingly the closest lock works from the GC3 (lock/unlock) to the lock but NOT via the Alarm.Com app to the lock (i.e. add / remove codes) yet the GC3 won’t auto relockl that one door lock which worked fine prior to the battery dying about 2 weeks ago. I removed it (2X) and readded it but it still won’t pick up the codes.
Right now the panel GC3 won’t communicate (i.e. send light controls to previously added & working switches, codes to Kwikset Z-Wave locks) nor complete network rediscovery / healing of the network. Alarm.Com & 2Gig said it’s because there’s to many pathways for the devices to get from the GC3 to the devices.
This is certainly likely in a case with that many devices, but is this causing the panel to “lock up?”
To clarify are you actually seeing the panel freeze necessitating reboot or other action, or is the whole issue a Z-wave communication failure?
Any Z-wave device signal can only jump between 5 devices to reach its destination. If you have the network set up where the panel is not more or less centrally located, I am imagining a location with 120+ lights would be rather sprawling. Distance may be the biggest issue in that case rather than number of devices, and you might have devices which would need more than the max jumps. Adding another controller does not affect this limit and commands sent from ADC do not go through any controller other than the GC3 panel.
Is the panel centrally located in the home or is it off toward one end?
Interestingly the closest lock works from the GC3 (lock/unlock) to the lock but NOT via the Alarm.Com app to the lock (i.e. add / remove codes) yet the GC3 won’t auto relockl that one door lock which worked fine prior to the battery dying about 2 weeks ago. I removed it (2X) and readded it but it still won’t pick up the codes.
What model of lock is it? If you are unable to run a network rediscovery then this is expected. A network rediscovery is required after learning in the devices and installing everything in its permanent location.
Likewise, it is very important to learn most locks within 6 feet of the controller. Unless they and all surrounding devices support NWI (network wide inclusion) trying to learn them in from any farther away will usually result in complete or partial failure.
You can take the panel to the lock or the lock to the panel, but if learned in from farther away than about 6 feet there is no guarantee of full success. I know it may not sound intuitive, but it is possible to control it somewhat on the panel but have remote commands fail to route.
You would then need to run a network rediscovery after the devices are in their permanent location.
Hi Warren, Thank you again for the replies and guidance. I was able to update to the new software via flash drive (again the GC3 didn’t show a download available). From there it restarted fine so I’m now on 3.1.3 Build Version 6257 Z-Wave 4.05. The light commands now seem to be flowing from the app (iPhone X) to the lights & working. Lock commands (i.e. add codes back into the lock) are still failing I can run a rediscovery which I’ll do tomorrow during the day (3 kids & wife going in & out makes 240 minutes of non door opening difficult to say the least).
In answer to learning the locks in I took the shop door lock off the door and brought it to the GC3 and the backdoor lock (always worked before batteries died about a week and half ago when I deleted (2X / attempt) and then readded it to the system. The backdoor lock is less than 2 feet from the panel. Unfortunately placing the GC3 in the middle of the house isn’t an option as you’d never make it to arm / disarm the system in the minute prior to police dispatch. Interestingly though the panel seems to make it both to the farthest light (master closet) and lock (front door deadbolt) fine. It also gets the signal upstairs. What I don’t understand though is why say in my son’s room the light works to add, but the fan switch (right next to the light) does NOT add. Some, not all, of the Z-Wave light switches are: GoControl Smart Dimmer Switch 500 Watt (I’ve literally got a Z-Wave & Z-Wave plus box in front of me). Some of the switches ~ 60 of them are ~ 4 years old. I added these to my original Cadx system with no issues, and then removed and reinstalled them at the new place adding roughly an additional ~ 40 z-wave+ switches models: 2Gig: WD500Z5-1 (Dimmer), WS15Z5-1 (On/Off Switch), WT00Z5-1 (3-Way Dimmers). Is there a phone number to call you on or please schedule a call during the day Wednesday to discuss by phone? Other significant issues is that I’ve labeled all of the switches on the panel & in Alarm.Com but the panel continues to drop the names on the screen even though I’m hitting “Save” and waiting for the screen to come-up and say it’s completed.
Are you a current suretyDIY subscriber? If you have Alarm.com service through us we would be able to see panel and equipment details on the back end and assist with more direct troubleshooting. I’m not seeing a related account though.
Is there a phone number to call you on or please schedule a call during the day Wednesday to discuss by phone?
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What I don’t understand though is why say in my son’s room the light works to add, but the fan switch (right next to the light) does NOT add
Just to check, keep in mind if a device was previously enrolled in any network (even this panel) it would still have parent network data saved and must be removed first. If you run across any Z-wave devices that fail to add, go to Remove Devices instead and activate them. Does the panel indicate that a device has been cleared? That will clear the saved data within the device itself.
What model is the fan switch? Is it a variable speed switch? Some may not be compatible with the panel, but should be found during device addition.
Other significant issues is that I’ve labeled all of the switches on the panel & in Alarm.Com but the panel continues to drop the names on the screen even though I’m hitting “Save” and waiting for the screen to come-up and say it’s completed.
To clarify, you’re saying that when you name a device on the panel, the panel sometimes does not successfully save the name? Is there any pattern to which devices or after an amount of devices?
Originally your question implied that the panel was freezing and becoming unresponsive after a certain amount of Z-wave devices were added. Is that accurate?
To clarify are you actually seeing the panel freeze necessitating reboot or other action, or is the issue specifically just communication failures with Z-wave devices?