In my openHab system (version 4.0.1) running via Docker in an Ubuntu server, I would like to add Z-Wave devices. I bought the only USB dongle easily available in Italy, namely Aeotec Z-Stick gen 7, I configured it and I see the bridge online. But when I try to scan the network to add devices there is no way to enlist them.
Doing research on the internet I saw that the 700 series is not supported, but only the 500. At this point I would like to understand which hardware to use. I thought to try with ZMEEUZB1 and if it doesn’t work with Aeotech Z-Stick Gen5+, do you have any advice for me?
This seems to be an awkward time to get into z-wave. You are correct that the 700 series controllers are not supported by the z-wave binding. 700 hundred series devices are supported as they are all backward compatible with 500 series controllers; it’s just the 700 controllers that are the issue. However, other reports are starting to come in that 500 series controllers are getting difficult to find (see this recent thread). It’s not clear what the future of z-wave with OH is at the moment. There are some options but none of them are great and the uneven roll-out of Matter just complicates the situation even further.
I know users here have had success with the ZMEEUZB1. I, myself, have used an Aeotect Gen 5+ reliably for several years as have many others on this forum. The Gen 5 also works with a caveat about plugging it into some RPis (again, plenty of info on here about that). I think the Gen 5+ (if you can still get one) has the most reports of easy use, but the take home message here is that as long as it is a 500 series controller and it can connect to whatever you’ve got running OH, you should be fine. They all use the same API for accessing the controller’s function and information so the binding should work.
All European market devices should intercommunicate on 868.42 MHz. I suspect (but do not know for sure) that the difference in 868.4 and 868.42 is simply choice of number formatting for display/description purposes.
Once I’ll be able to get the USB dongle to work locally, I’d like to insert it into the openhab installation that I have on an azure virtual machine.
Do you think there are problems in using “usbip” to connect the serial port via IP to the server?
I’ve never tried it myself, but there are several how-tos and help threads on the forum for using zwave over ip (mostly with socat, if I recall), so it should be possible.
thanks for the advice, I’m waiting for the USB dongles to arrive and then I’ll do some tests and I’ll keep the thread updated, so maybe I can be of help to someone.
