Z-Wave Devices Not Responding to Hub Commands

Easy 15-30 minutes

If your Z-Wave devices stop responding to commands from your SmartThings or Hubitat hub, this guide covers the most common causes and fixes from the community.

Quick Diagnostics

First, determine the scope of the problem:

  • All Z-Wave devices not responding? → Likely a hub or Z-Wave radio issue
  • One or a few devices? → Likely a mesh, range, or ghost node issue
  • Devices report status but don't accept commands? → Often a Z-Wave network congestion issue

Restart the Z-Wave Radio

If all Z-Wave devices are unresponsive, try restarting the Z-Wave radio.

On Hubitat:

  1. Go to Settings → Shut Down (not Reboot)
  2. Wait for the hub to fully shut down
  3. Unplug power for 30 seconds
  4. Plug back in and let it boot

The official Hubitat documentation states: "If you notice symptoms like an empty Z-Wave Details table or all Z-Wave devices failing to respond, a full restart of the Z-Wave radio may help."

On SmartThings:

  1. Unplug the hub from power
  2. If it has batteries, remove them
  3. Wait 2 minutes
  4. Plug back in

Check for Ghost Nodes

"Ghost nodes" are the most common cause of Z-Wave mesh problems. They occur when:

  • A device is force-removed instead of properly excluded
  • A device is factory reset without removing it from the hub first
  • A failed inclusion leaves a partial device entry

How to identify ghost nodes on Hubitat:

  1. Go to Settings → Z-Wave Details
  2. Look for rows with:
    • No link to a Hubitat device
    • Nothing in the "Routes" column
    • "Pending" or "Failed" status
  3. These are likely ghost nodes

Removing ghost nodes:

  1. Click "Refresh" on the ghost node row
  2. If a "Remove" button appears, click it
  3. If Remove doesn't appear, try "Repair" first, then Refresh again
  4. Stubborn ghosts may require multiple attempts or a hub shutdown

Note: Removing ghost nodes can take several attempts. Be patient and don't create new ghosts by force-removing working devices.

Run a Z-Wave Repair

A Z-Wave repair rebuilds the mesh network routing tables.

On Hubitat:

  1. Go to Settings → Z-Wave Details
  2. Click "Repair Z-Wave"
  3. Wait for the repair to complete (can take 30+ minutes for large networks)
  4. Check logs for any errors

On SmartThings:

  1. Open the SmartThings app
  2. Go to your hub's settings
  3. Select "Z-Wave Utilities" → "Repair Z-Wave Network"

Best practice: Run repairs at night when there's less activity. Repairs can temporarily disrupt automations.

Mesh Network Issues

Z-Wave is a mesh network. Devices relay signals to each other. Problems occur when:

  • Too few repeaters – Battery devices don't repeat; you need wired devices
  • Devices too far apart – Z-Wave range is ~30-100 feet depending on obstacles
  • Poor placement – Metal, concrete, and water block signals

Strengthen your mesh:

  • Add Z-Wave repeaters (smart plugs are good for this)
  • Ensure there are repeating devices between the hub and distant devices
  • Avoid placing the hub in a basement or closet

Device Randomly Stops Responding

One community user reported: "For the first two weeks everything worked well, but sometime in the following week the control stopped working and I could not control the switches from the Hubitat interface."

Troubleshooting steps:

  1. Check device battery (if battery-powered)
  2. Verify the device is within mesh range
  3. Try operating the device manually – if it works, it's a mesh issue
  4. Check Z-Wave Details for the device's route information
  5. Refresh the device in Z-Wave Details

Devices Report Status But Won't Control

If devices send status updates (like power reporting) but won't accept commands, this often indicates Z-Wave network congestion.

One user reported: "Devices would still report status updates and power reporting worked, but none of the devices would accept control commands."

Solutions:

  • Reduce polling frequency for devices
  • Spread out automations that control multiple devices
  • Add repeaters to reduce routing hops
  • Check for devices causing excessive traffic

After Migrating from Another Hub

If you recently migrated from SmartThings to Hubitat (or vice versa), devices may have issues.

  • Z-Wave devices remember their previous network
  • You must properly exclude devices from the old hub before including on the new one
  • If you can't exclude (old hub gone), use the new hub's "exclusion mode" to clear the device

Firmware Considerations

Both hub and device firmware can affect Z-Wave reliability.

Hub firmware:

  • Keep your hub firmware updated
  • Check community forums before updating – some updates cause temporary issues

Device firmware:

  • Some Z-Wave devices support OTA firmware updates
  • Check manufacturer's site for updates
  • Update one device at a time and test

Properly Exclude Devices

To avoid ghost nodes and mesh problems, always properly exclude devices:

  1. Put your hub in exclusion mode
  2. Trigger the exclude action on the device (varies by device – check manual)
  3. Wait for confirmation that exclusion succeeded
  4. Then factory reset the device if needed

Never just factory reset a device without excluding it first.

When to Consider a Fresh Start

If your Z-Wave network has become unreliable after many changes:

  • Numerous ghost nodes that won't remove
  • Frequent random failures across many devices
  • Problems that started after a migration

You may need to:

  1. Reset the hub's Z-Wave radio
  2. Exclude and factory reset all devices
  3. Re-include devices one at a time, starting with those closest to the hub
  4. Build out the mesh gradually, testing as you go

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