I wanted to share my recent experience with expanding my Z-Wave network, which might be helpful for others going through a similar process. After adding around 60 devices, including several energy monitors, I noticed a significant slowdown in responsiveness and some devices disconnecting temporarily. Here’s what I learned and how I worked through it.
Initially, everything was smooth as I added devices one by one. But as I approached the final stages, the network started to struggle. Commands took longer to process, and some devices would drop off, requiring a physical button press to reconnect. I checked the Raspberry Pi’s resource usage, and it was well within acceptable limits, so I knew the issue wasn’t with the hardware itself.
I considered whether the increased traffic from the energy monitors was overwhelming the Z-Wave controller or the Z-Wave JS to MQTT gateway. Since almost all devices were using S2 security, which adds an extra layer of overhead, that might have been a contributing factor. I also realized that the network strain during inclusion might have left some residual effects that persisted even after the setup was complete.
To address this, I started by optimizing the order in which I added devices, prioritizing critical ones first. I also made sure to test each device thoroughly after inclusion to catch any issues early. Additionally, I began monitoring the network more closely using the built-in tools in Z-Wave JS to MQTT, which provided insights into traffic patterns and potential bottlenecks.
One unexpected benefit was discovering how much smoother the network ran after giving it a bit of time to stabilize. By staggering the inclusion of devices and ensuring each had a chance to settle, I noticed a gradual improvement in performance. It was a bit frustrating at first, but breaking the process into smaller, manageable steps made it much more feasible.
For anyone looking to expand their Z-Wave network, I’d recommend starting with a clean slate if possible, thoroughly testing each device as you go, and keeping an eye on network health. It’s also worth experimenting with different inclusion strategies to see what works best for your setup. Happy automating! 