Plugwise network range

[jrkalf]

Hi Guys,

Yesterday I got my plugwise set from a forums member here. Lovely set, works wonders in reporting back the power usage and switching works as well. (to the point where I flip the switch twice a second and it starts failing. (always test a system how much it will tollerate until it breaks down)

Which brings me to the following issue: how poorly is this magnificent device build by manufactorer?
On the website it seems to state a 5-10m should be usable, but at points I'm having communications issues with a simple drywall in between and only 2m range between a circle+ and a circle.

For example Stick ->(1m)-> Circle+ ->wall+(2m)-> Circle-> downstairshallway (3m) -> Circle
The system should be a mesh network, but the downstairshallway circle can't be reached. Even though this one is at the same range from the upstairs circle as it is from the Circle+.

Does anybody have a good experience or tips with this?
I'm new to this device type.

[Bwired]

Depends on how many circles you have, the more the better mesh.
I had some problems in the beginning also. First put them in range for a while and then split up.
If you have the smallest set, 3 circles and stick, that can give problems for sure.....
I have 35 and then you have no problem

[jrkalf]

Man, you sound like an oldskool IT architect/application manager: "If it doesn't work as designed throw more hardware at it, and it'll perform better!"

Still it's crap compared to the fs20 range and many other products.

I'll have to travel down two concrete floors and cover and area of 12x6m per floor.
Calculating that i'll probably need 2 more circle+ devices to cover what plugwise thinks of as a high bandwith connection to the stick and a lot of circles to cover the floor range in a at least 2+ connection mesh network. Not that I need that many devices monitored, but it would be purely to maintain a mesh network.

It's ofcourse a brilliant commercial solution; but that's not what where in for. We're techs looking for a great product.

Is there a way to have 2 sticks in the same network? I could run another stick in another part of my house.

[Post-IT]

Same issue here. I have a basic set and a extension set, so a lot of circles. I have a circle which is situated just behind a double-glass door in aluminium framing. 2 circles at 3m, another one at 4m and again another one at 5m. Still no connection.

However weirdly enough I can reach both my circle upstairs which have a 30cm hardened concrete floor in between. With other circles downstairs at least 4 to 6 meters away.

This is why I hope this type of functionality will eventually be incorporated in other (wired) products.

[Bwired]

Man, you sound like an oldskool IT architect/application manager: "If it doesn't work as designed throw more hardware at it, and it'll perform better!"

I sound?.......
Im just telling you about the plugwise mesh signal as is. Im not selling you the product or designed it

[Antoon]

I have my stick in the garage in a metal server cabinet together with 10 circles and the rest of the circles (30 pieces) in my house what is about 15 meters from my garage.
Everything is working perfekt without any communication issues.

[Henk]

Yes it is a known limitation .. In the specification on the plugwise website a Home Start (two circle+circle+ ) is a perfect solution for a one room situation, you need at least 5 nodes to cover multi rooms or even more to cover multi levels

Henk ...

[blb]

I have the same (bad) experience. I did plan to cover the most important devices( distributed from basement to 2nd floor) with a basic set (9 circles). The network wasn't stable at all. Now I have 19 circles (bought an extension set) and the network is very stable since then. It would be great to have a better range. I guess the 5-10 meters (as advertised) would be good range if it is valid in a normal environment (house).

[jrkalf]

I have the same (bad) experience. I did plan to cover the most important devices( distributed from basement to 2nd floor) with a basic set (9 circles). The network wasn't stable at all. Now I have 19 circles (bought an extension set) and the network is very stable since then. It would be great to have a better range. I guess the 5-10 meters (as advertised) would be good range if it is valid in a normal environment (house).

I'm guessing that's only an option in drywall situations with wooden beams in between. I have drywall with metal beams (struts). I guess they interfere as well. Plugwise is nice, but I'll have to seriously think if it outweighs the cheaper FS20 option. Although it's not that much cheaper if you buy plugwise in bulk (10 units at a time).


FS20 basically has no way to recover the device status (on or off) and has no validation the packet has been received. it's just a unidirection send from the sender to the receiver to go on or off.
How does plugwise work with this? I've only seen messages about mesh communication for sending around information and receiving the power-use. I've not seen any messages yet about the Plugwise also sending around device statusses so the system gets a confirmation a on/off switch has been done or what the device status is.

[Post-IT]

I have no problem with "Metalstud" -drywall.

[jrkalf]

I have no problem with "Metalstud" -drywall.

Thanks for the correct word in that. Metalstud indeed. I think the most of the errors will be the small 3x3m computer room I have packed with hifi, wifi, nas, server, enterprise switch and desktop and both FS20 and plugwise transmitters will cause some interference.

Although I must say I've gotten the stick in range of a circle and a circle+ with the them at least sharing a connection and now the off circle behind the wall is a bit more connected.

Sadly the installation poster of Plugwise looks very cool, but they forgot to create a little program that shows which devices are actually connected in the mesh. If that's even possible in with the current firmware code and zigbee protocol stack.

It would be cool to see which devices are in viewing range of the stick, and what their peers are. It might give consumers a better clue on what the weak spots in the network are and solve them.

[Post-IT]

I totally agree, that would be a nice software add-on.

BTW, I have 2 Wifi spots, a 2.4Ghz DECT station, UMTS router, 2.4Ghz keyboard/mouse set, EU and US RFXCOM set and several other wireless things next to my plugwise stick in my "server"-room.

[roheve]

In the specification on the plugwise website a Home Start (two circle+circle+ ) is a perfect solution for a one room situation, you need at least 5 nodes to cover multi rooms or even more to cover multi levels

Explain? Yes, a mesh can reroute traffic if a link is bad and other links are possible, but why would one link go bad if the distance is within design limits?

Why should a small network with 3 nodes be worse as a bigger network with more 8 nodes, assuming the distances in both networks between nodes is more or less the same (ignoring concrete walls or floors for now, that reduces that distance between 2 nodes). In that case a big network only spans a bigger area (and possibly there are more paths possible, depending on how you distribute those nodes).

[jrkalf]

Indeed, it's odd that it doesn't work well within the given parameters. The bigger the network, the better it can route/reroute it's network and avoid congestion on bad links.

[Digit]

I have 12 Circles and today I relocated the Circle+ from the south side to the north side of the house, which means 16 meters in relocation. I guess I must have meshed - eh messed up some routes by doing that, but the network was up and running in no-time; all circles (except 1) were online just as fast as normal, after a complete powerdown of everything. The Circle that took a bit more time to find its way, was back online after half an hour or so.
So in my case it all works very well. Just like my homebrew Zigbee network; the self-healing nature of Zigbee works great (here).