I know this is not really SureTyDIY issue… but thought maybe you guys might be able to help…
I have two Kwikset 914 Z-WAVE locks hooked up to my Qolsys panel. Everything was working fine for several weeks. Suddenly out of the blue the “FRONT DOOR” Z-wave “goes offline” everyday at 6PM on the dot. I get a text alert message saying the lock is “offline”. However if I go over to the lock and manually unlock/lock and relock it, the Qolsys panel announces the unlocking and locking.
If I use the alarm.com app to try to unlock or lock the it, after that “offline” message. it doesn’t seem to do anything. It seems to hang. BUT… If I use the alarm.com app in the middle of the day before the “offline” message, the alarm.com app works to lock/unlock.
The back door Kwisket lock never has any problems at all…
Again, I know you guys are not Kwikset support but thought maybe you have some advice… I have not tried to uninstall/reinstall it from the Qolsys panel… maybe I should?
“Offline” means that supervisory or status messages failed to be acknowledged by the device reported as offline.
Typically this means that panel-device communication is weak. If you are seeing it around the same time every day (the events all look to be within a half hour or so of 6PM as you say, but not exact) this would be indicative of supervision.
In this case, I see only those two locks on your network as far as Z-wave devices go. Keep in mind Z-wave is a mesh network with relatively short-range transmission for individual devices. AC powered repeating z-wave devices strengthen the network. Adding a repeating device or two could help improve overall quality of communication locally.
Another thing to consider is how the devices are learned in. Always be sure to learn in the locks within a few feet of the alarm panel, then install them in their permanent locations and run a Network Rediscovery. Settings -> Advanced Settings -> System Tests- Z-Wave Tests -> Rediscover Network, selecting all devices.
Clearing and re-learning the Lock might help, especially if it was not learned in close by previously.
Just to note… both locks are Z-wave plus. The back door is only about 8 feet away from the panel and has no walls in the way and gives no problems. The front door is maybe 15 feet away from the panel and has a pretty clear line of sight to the panel. I would hope 15 feet is well within radio range?
Could this problem potentially be batteries a little low? Not low enough to give an alert, but low enough that maybe the radio signal is not strong enough to reach the panel all the time? Though the “same time of day” issue is odd, right? The text message I get always says “offline at 6pm”.
Just to note… both locks are Z-wave plus. The back door is only about 8 feet away from the panel and has no walls in the way and gives no problems. The front door is maybe 15 feet away from the panel and has a pretty clear line of sight to the panel. I would hope 15 feet is well within radio range?
Locks are battery operated devices which operate in a power save mode. While distance matters greatly with z-wave communication and 15 feet is within normal range, multiple locks without any AC nodes can still see inconsistencies, especially if they were not originally learned in near the panel. The devices are intended to be in a mesh network and functionally will always be more susceptible to error when used point to point.
Could this problem potentially be batteries a little low? Not low enough to give an alert, but low enough that maybe the radio signal is not strong enough to reach the panel all the time? Though the “same time of day” issue is odd, right? The text message I get always says “offline at 6pm”.
Swapping batteries would be a good easy test, and it is possible as an influence.
The time is less strange than you might think. I’m checking with Qolsys on it to be sure (they open at 12 EST) but any Z-wave supervision would be run at an interval (likely 24 hours). And those notifications are indicating when the panel sends a report to ADC that the device is “Offline”