RaZberry 7 - Z-Wave Plug-On Module for Raspberry Pi, Great for DIY Smart Home. Compatible with Z-Way and Home Assistant

I recently purchased this product without realizing it was made in Russia. After discovering this information, I feel compelled to share my concerns and experience with other potential buyers, so they can make an informed decision before purchasing.As many of you may know, a bit more than 1 year ago Russia has started a full-scale war in Ukraine. This has resulted in the unnecessary loss of countless innocent lives, including children. By purchasing products made in Russia, we may inadvertently contribute to their war efforts, as businesses operating in Russia pay taxes which go to supporting their military.Additionally, I have concerns about the security of this product. Given that it's manufactured in a country under a dictatorship, there could be backdoors or vulnerabilities in the software that may expose users to hackers or other security risks. Since this product is designed for home automation, these concerns are particularly worrying, as they could potentially give unauthorized access to our homes.In light of this information, I have decided to return the product. Though it may function well, I cannot in good conscience support a company that operates in a country responsible for initiating and perpetuating the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. I strongly encourage potential buyers to consider the origin and potential security risks of this product before making a purchase.

For over a decade, I've been using a USB controller and the open source open-zwave library for a custom home automation system I wrote in C++. It appears that support of the library may end, so I decided to purchase this product, which comes with a license for their zway library. I'm now in the process of rewriting my home automation system in Python for integration with their server. While I'm impressed with the hardware, its the access to the library that has sold me on it.

First off if you are planning to install this on a Rasberry PI computer, support page on Z-Way.me will work great. If you are trying to install on a non Razberry pi ARM board with ARM64 OS, there Z-Way-server software will not work.I installed this on a Orange PI 5, I am using the current Home Assistant and installed the Razberry JS addon in home assistant to control the Z-Wave network.Fun Fact: there are 2 addons, basic and advanced. only run one at a time. I am currently using the Z-Wave JS, the Z-wave JS UI will be used to updat eteh firmware and advanced access.The other thing to watch out for is to make sure the UART is not being used as the boards console.

The producer of this item is based in Moscow and they've locked out changing the operating frequencies of the product to allow use in the United States. Additionally, they won't allow new support requests from US accounts. No explanations are given, but it's hard to not assume this is due to wartime politics.Very sad, but that's the situation.

Working great so far. I've had it up and running for 1-2 weeks opening and closing Bali blinds at sunrise/sunset via commands sent from my own weather station app written in Python to the ZWay API.A couple cons:- The few instructions that came with it had a link to more detailed documentation but the link didn't work.- The instructions provided to get the ZWay software running on the Raspberry Pi didn't work at first. Had to scour the z-wave.me forum for others with similar problems with the current version and apply those fixes to my installation.One other item I had to address before I could use this in my particular case was to solder a fresh header pin into the extra 5V hole provided on the RaZberry so I had somewhere to power the Raspberry Pi touchscreen from since the RaZberry blocks all the 5V pins on the Raspberry Pi.

Took a little while and another review to realize why this wasn't working for me: I'm in the US, and this was configured for EU frequencies.Unfortunately I ordered this right after receiving my Home Assistant Yellow without any ZWave devices at the time (just wanted my bases covered) so it's too late to send it back.Make sure to test it immediately and make sure it works in your region.

There are three variations of this product based on the type of external antennae filter installed, so that it complies with local regulations. Mine appears to be locked to the EU set of frequencies and I CANNOT change it to US compatible because this is a HARDWARE feature. It took me hours of tinkering and research to discover this, and there is nothing in the product description that explains this. How annoying. I will have to return.

Product is good.Lost parcel was resent and nice on time.