I purchased a Caseta Wireless Smart Bridge L-BDG2 along with a Caseta Repeater PD-REP and some lamp modules. I first installed the Smart Bridge and setup some lamp modules. When I had trouble adding a lamp module reasonably far from the bridge I decided to install the repeater. As I recall the repeater install went wonky and I eventually killed the Android App and restarted it. Then I had no trouble and went about installing more lamp modules and other devices with no trouble.
I then purchased a PD-5ANS switch and had trouble installing it, but eventually got it to work just fine. It replaced a PDW-6WCL dimmer. That dimmer, and one other, were part of a Schedule. I realized I would need to "delete" the dimmer (it was removed from service entirely) and then add the (new) switch to the Schedule. When I did I got an error message saying that the add operation had failed due to a "communication error". The Retry button did not fix anything. I did not think much of this at the time as communication in fact worked. The Android app could control the devices perfectly.
However tonight I noticed the PD-5ANS switch was not ON. The the other device, which is part of the Schedule, was on. I reached for the Android app and was able to turn on the PD-5ANS at a distance further from the Smart Bridge than I had ever been (outdoors in my front yard). I decided an interesting thing to try would be to delete the Schedule and recreate it. When I did so I got an error saying both devices were not responding (to the command to create the schedule). Yet both devices did respond to the Android app, as devices. The dimmer, but not the switch, responded to the schedule test command as well.
I then went back to my office to write up this post. The Smart Bridge is here on my desk and I am now unable to recreate the communication failures. Walking back outside things seem to be working OK now. As I understand it the Android app has no direct communication with either the Smart Bridge or the Repeater so this makes no sense.
In any case, somewhere along the line I read something which suggested a Repeater MUST be installed after the Smart Bridge and before any lamp modules are installed, as the "first" lamp module will take over the role of being a Repeater and any subsequent install of a Repeater would be pointless. I assumed this was some ancient firmware bug long fixed. But now I wonder.
Surely there is some diagnostic procedure which can confirm a Smart Bridge and Repeater pair are, in fact, in communication? Another potential source of trouble could be this: after I deleted the Schedule I recreated it with the same name. In this day and age I assume this cannot possibly cause any problems...but now I worry.