If your ZEN72 Dimmer frequently drops offline from SmartThings, you may need to repair the network.
Your SmartThings hub has a helpful feature called Repair Z-Wave Network in the app. This repair feature will help refresh your mesh network's connections and help the hub find the most efficient communication route to the device. Remember: The hub is the device that reaches out and talks to each device to create a communication route.
Follow these steps to repair your SmartThings network:
- Open your SmartThings app and locate your SmartThings hub under Devices. Tap the hub to see the device details.
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Tap the three dots in the upper right hand corner and tap Settings
- Tap Z-Wave Utilities
- Tap Repair Z-Wave Network
- Tap Start Repair
You'll need to wait up to 15 minutes until you see the "Z-Wave Network Repair finished" message. Once the repair is finalized, try controlling your ZEN72 through the app.
If the dimmer still isn't responding, try excluding and re-including it to your hub. It's possible that the communication route between SmartThings and the dimmer wasn't established correctly the first time. Exclusion might help the hub find the best route to the device.
If possible, try moving the dimmer to a location closer to your hub or bringing the hub closer to the device. It's not always easy or possible, but it's a good way to see if the issue really is range or if there's a better spot for your dimmer. Once you've moved either the dimmer or your SmartThings hub, remember to exclude and re-include the device to give it a chance to pair properly.
Another important set-up detail to consider is the material of your switch box. Metal switch boxes, as opposed to plastic, can shorten range and make connectivity unreliable. While the ZEN72 uses the latest 700 series Z-Wave chip, metal is still pretty effective at disrupting Z-Wave signals, so if your ZEN72 Dimmer is inside a metal box this may be why it keeps going offline. If possible, try installing the dimmer in a plastic switch box or bringing your hub closer to it to see if it keeps dropping offline.
If you've given all of the above a try and are still seeing the same issue, please don't hesitate to reach out! Our team is always happy to help.
