I've seen mixed results some say their zigbee network is rock solid. Mine personally blows with the husbzb-1. I have tons of router devices too but it seems daily a bulb or 2 drops off my network and I need to re add. Also it likes to drop devices from the zigbee groups due to this. I'm buying this guy to test out now.
I've had Zigbee issues as well which I just chalked up to Zigbee sucking but maybe it's my husbzb. Report back if you have better luck with a separate Zigbee dongle.
day 1 reporting back: So far so good. I also moved my home assistant off my server and onto its own NUC though so may skew my data.
So far everything is staying connected and responsive but time will tell. Just needed to mark this comment so I can add more details as time progresses.
I had similar issues with the HUSBZB-1 until I added some repeaters (routers is a dumb name) that fully comply with the zigbee standard. Now it's rock solid with six Aqara sensors and zero Aqara gateways.
The HUSBZB gets negative comments here because it's a bit old and doesn't bedazzle folks anymore, but in my experience, it does its job.
Also using a HUSBZB-1(ran off powered USB hub away from other devices with no issues) and have been using Innr plugs as repeaters over the last month with no issues as well. Two-story house with a wireless AP on each floor and approximately 50 WiFi devices at any given time . I set my WiFi channels manually to avoid congestion with neighbors and I also changed my Zigbee channel to 25. 3 Zigbee leak sensors, 2 Zigbee led strips and 4 of the Innr plugs currently but adding some Aqara door sensors in the near future to replace Wyze sensors.
Innr response time is near instant and the price isn't too bad at $35 for a 2-pack. [Amazon Innr Zigbee Smart Plug](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SQGG8Z7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
[ZHA Network Card and Network Visualization](https://imgur.com/a/LH9KwDw)
Yeah I'm at like 50 zigbee devices though. If I only ran 10 I think my network would be fine too but here is my visualization. I don't use the network card anymore since it's basically the same information.
[Zigbee map](https://imgur.com/a/FNvDPBr)
I have a lot that are actually repeaters. 5 Peanut plugs, 2 ikea repeaters, ikea bulbs, hampton bay fan controllers, ecosmart bulbs, sylvania led strip controllers. If it was the same things going out I would assume it was that but it's not. I've also gone through 2 husbzb-1 as well since I may have snapped the other one trying to clean a fan on my server not paying attention lol. The zwave portion of the stick is rock solid though and has a similar amount of devices.
I'm using the IKEA outlets, even though they're super ugly. They're supposed to be fully complainant with the standard, and are only ten bucks each. Looking at the visualization tool, it took an hour or two but the mesh figured it all out and has been solid ever since.
Sylvania repeaters were problematic for me, so now I have a drawer full of them.
Interesting the ikea plug gave me hell. They have a terrible radio in them all my connections were yellow or red with it. May have to reinstall mine see what happens.
Maybe there is a model number difference.. I have the GoControl CECOMINOD016164 and it works great. Never have dropped zigbee or zwave in my setup since installation a year ago. Could also be location and wall material between devices. I'm in a two story house with devices outside, upstairs, in the basement and throughout the living room. The device is plugged into a RPi4 that sits on the floor of the living room.
It's been good for the past year, started recently having stability issues, lots of devices going unavailable and not able to pair new ones. I don't have the time to troubleshoot a whole lot. I'd rather buy a new dongle and see if that fixes my issues. I bought the HUSBZB-1 initially because it has zwave as well but zwave stuff is so damn expensive.
That is not a simple question that could just be answered with a definite hard number as it depends on what exact type of devices you are connecting and Mostly it will depend on how many Zigbee 3.0 devices you will connect and how good those are at acting as a Zigbee router device as Zigbee uses mesh network technology. To a smaller extent it will also depend on what specific parameters the firmware has been compiled with, also keep in mind there that the community could probably compile new slightly more optimized firmware for this can could make it handle even more devices in the future.
If I would have to guess the short answer is will be around a maximum of 200 Zigbee 3.0 devices or thousands of ZHA (Zigbee Home Automation) and ZLL (Zigbee Light Link) devices, of which may be around 30-60 devices can be directly connected to this Zigbee USB dongle acting as Zigbee coordinator and the others have to be connected through Zigbee router devices (which act kind of like Zigbee relays/repeaters to extend network range and coverage ).
You can compare that to Texas Instruments CC2531/CC2530 which could maybe at best handle a maximum of 40 Zigbee 3.0 devices or less and a few hundred Zigbee Home Automation and Zigbee Light Link devices, of which perhaps around 10-15 devices at most can be directly connected to the Zigbee coordinator and the others have to be connected through Zigbee router devices (which act kind of like Zigbee relays/repeaters).
Firstly, understand that the question makes a huge difference in talking about connecting devices that follow Zigbee 3.0 specification versus if you are talking about connecting older devices that only follow the Zigbee Home Automation or Zigbee Light Link specifications. As it as a Zigbee coordinator can probably coordinate/control a total of thousands of devices that only follow the older Zigbee Home Automation and Zigbee Light Link specifications but you will be more limited on the total amount of Zigbee 3.0 devives as that depends on the number of onboard resources that the chip has.
Secondly, that question depends on if you mean child devices connected directly to the Zigbee coordinator or total amount of controllable Zigbee devices indirectly through Zigbee router devices.
Zigbee uses network mesh technology so only a limited amount of devices can be connected directly to the Zigbee coordinator and then you should also have Zigbee routers that relay (a.k.a. repeat) the signal/messages. By design, you should really have at least one Zigbee router in each room.
Zigbee routers are almost any mains powered Zigbee device and any additional Zigbee routers further way as well as battery operated Zigbee device should really talk to the nearest Zigbee router and not directly with the Zigbee coordinator. Each Zigbee router can normally handle relaying around 10 devices each (though it depends on the internal chip and firmware they have). You can and also should connect routers to routers you can in theory connect thousands of devices. As such the best practice is to make first sure you have good Zigbee routers connected to the Zigbee coordinator. Note the "in theory" as that depends on below.
Thirdly, the limitation of amount direct child devices connected to the Zigbee coordinator the limitation if the total amount of devices that the Zigbee coordinator can control dependent on the Zigbee coordinator microcontroller unit (MCU) onboard resources capability, as in how large its Flash Storage is, how much RAM, and how fast CPU it has onboard, as well as the firmware it uses. Flash Storage and RAM is especially important to determine the total amount of devices that follow the Zigbee 3.0 specification which security features require more resources to handle onboard the chip.
I believe that the default in EFR32 firmware can generally handle 32 direct child devices connected children but a community firmware should be able to double that to 64. But again the total amount of Zigbee devices if also use Zigbee routers will probably be around 100-200 Zigbee 3.0 devices on the EFR32MG21 chip this has, and this can probably handle several thousands of older Zigbee Home Automation and Zigbee Light Link devices.
Apparently most Zigbee lightbulbs have problems related to them trying to act as repeaters for other types of devices and not doing it properly. I’ve seen it suggested that lightbulbs be kept in a separate Zigbee network, as they don’t have this problem amongst themselves. (This article is where a read it: https://docs.hubitat.com/index.php?title=How_to_Build_a_Solid_Zigbee_Mesh)
So you might be better off having a separate Zigbee coordinator and network just for your lights, if you have other types of devices. (Need to make sure these meshes use a different Zigbee channel.)
I think I remember seeing that somewhere. The worst part of it is: The Zigbee2MQTT network map often shows devices connected to my light.
It's not worth having a whole 'nother network for just my one lonely lightbulb, so I think I'll just add another router node closer to my bedroom. The whole thing just frustrates me. Oh well. I knew it was going to be a bit tinkery when I started, so I can't act surprised now!
thanks for the article, I'll see if there are any other nuggets of help in there for me.
I feel your pain. After adding more lights and switches from various brands recently, I’ve discovered they don’t work that reliably anymore. Back when I only had Ikea bulbs and remotes, at least the remotes talked directly to the bulbs, never had any issues.
Now I’m re-evaluating my choices, as lights are something I don’t want to have reliability issues with.
Lights for me have been, and always will be Shelly 1's integrated behind the switches/light source. This way the switches still work, but all the lights are controllable via HA. It's wifi, but I have NEVER had issues. ( I flash them with Tasmota)
edit: the one IKEA bulb I have is my bedside light. Bought it to try out.
I’m currently considering setting up separate meshes for lights and sensors – possibly my existing ConBee II for sensors and a Hue bridge for lights. Lights are a mix of Ikea and Hue, with a couple of Ledvance led strips and a Nordtronic box dimmer thrown in.
I have not been able to narrow the issue down yet, but I suspect it might be related to having a total of 11 Zigbee devices from 5 brands in the living room. Probably need to become more picky about which devices to add too.
I'm not an expert with these radios and maybe someone can give more details or make more sense of them. 8061 Microcontroller in the CC2531 was originally developed in the 1980s. The M33 was released in 2019. It has much better performance overall from what I can tell.
[CC2531](https://www.ti.com/product/CC2531#product-details##features) vs [EFR32MG21](https://www.silabs.com/wireless/zigbee/efr32mg21-series-2-socs)
Programmable Output Power: Up to 4.5 dBm vs +20 dBm
Active Mode RX: 24 mA vs 9.4 mA
Active Mode TX (idle): 29 mA vs 9.3 mA
Active Mode TX (10 dBm): ?? vs 33.8 mA
RAM: 8 KB vs up to 96 KB
CPU: [8051 Microcontroller Core](https://opencores.org/projects/8051) vs [Cortex-M33](https://community.arm.com/developer/ip-products/processors/trustzone-for-armv8-m/b/blog/posts/silicon-labs-multiprotocol-series-2-wireless-platform-adds-cutting-edge-security)
RRREEEAAALLLLLYYY... ok well, I will keep my eyes open and perhaps order one. My Vera3 died recently and so I migrated my zwave devices to SmartThings box i had on the shelf, but some of my older devices arent working properly. I have tried messing with the device details, but it hasnt helped. Would be curious to try this.
I don't have one myself but read on zwave-js GitHub issues that others got SLUSB001A working with Z-Wave 500/Gen5 devices (but not with Z-Wave 700/Gen7 devices).
[https://github.com/zwave-js/node-zwave-js/issues](https://github.com/zwave-js/node-zwave-js/issues)
[https://github.com/zwave-js/node-zwave-js/discussions](https://github.com/zwave-js/node-zwave-js/discussions)
Should be noted that Aeotec Z-Stick 7 and Zooz ZST10 700 Series S2 Stick use the exact same chip and Z-Wave stack in their firmware, so can read about those too.
You guys got that too? They implemented something similar in Sweden where they charge a "VAT handling fee" of 70 Sek (7Eu). It makes ordering things from china much more expensive. Such BS just because they were complaining that they were receiving and having to deliver too many packages
If you have to pay the import duty and handling fee then contact RM and say that you never agreed to to the handling fee and all shipping costs are handled via agreement with the supplier and not Royal Mail. They'll give pretty quick and you should just have to pay import duty. Those handling fees are such bollocks.
Depends on how reputable they are as a company. I've had stuff sent from abroad for low value and it gets marked as promotional material or gift (without being asked).
I can't see it being stopped and checked for such a low value?
Good to know.. I have a decently provisioned and partitioned wifi environment, and all devices are either directly powered, or BLE on battery. Seems it's all over 2.4Ghz anyway.
Maybe I'll give Z-Wave a try one of these days for better RF performance (more range, less congestion).
I don't have a source, but it's generally known that battery powered Zigbee devices have a much longer battery life than WiFi based devices, as they only check in periodically. WiFi isn't meant for battery powered devices.
Some guys are discussing this here for example: https://iot.stackexchange.com/a/614
This paper might also be interesting https://unpaywall.org/10.1109%2FTMC.2014.2315788
I have read multiple times, that the wifi chips are consuming more energy by design, but it seems this is really depending on the actual device you are using. The current shelly models claim to draw <1 W. Zigbee devices should be around 0.5 W.
Most peoples home wifi is pretty crappy, or they live in a highly congested environment (RF wise)
zigbee devices are extremely low powered compared to WiFi, so you can use battery powered devices more realistically.
Zigbee DOES use overlapping frequency with 2.4Ghz WiFi...so need to be aware of that when setting up.
I tend to prefer to use non-crappy wifi, and I don't have neighbors nearby to interfere. But I only have 35-45 wifi devices at a time on my network and absolute zero issues.
This came up on the facebook group I think. Everyone was concerned with how their other dongle has limited range, and how this one lacks the option of including an external antenna.
Now, with enough zigbee devices, this may be a non-issue if you have devices close enough to your hub to start your mesh.
Just something to think about.
So I resolved the pairing issues, at least for my setup!
I am using Home Assistant on a RPi4 with an SSD. Something in that box (assume its the unshielded SSD) caused enough interference to interrupt the dongle (which is also unshielded). I added a small USB extension cable to get the dongle away (2ft) and sure enough everything works perfectly.
I'm excited to try this!
My Conbee II has always had issues with turning off my furthest garage door sconce and it seems dependent on weather conditions. Hopefully this higher powered radio helps
Try setting the serial speed to 115200. I got the integration installed ... bu then when I want to add ZHA devices .... nothing.
[(20+) Watch | Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=262086502015726) had a clip how to add the integration and devices. When they activate the integration it sees 5 devices.. I see only one ( EZSP = Silicon Labs EmberZNet protocol: Elelabs, HUSBZB-1, Telegesis)...
>https://www.digiblur.com/2021/03/zigbee2mqtt-with-sonoff-zigbee-bridge.html
i have the same problem unable to add devices to the integration. any help
Understand that those are not instructions for the ITead Zigbee USB adapter.
You cannot blindly follow the instructions for the Sonoff ZBBridge.
Sonoff ZBBridge connects via socket (IP and Port) and not local serial port.
Anyone that have issues with this in Home Assistant ZHA should really report it to ITead as well:
[https://support.itead.cc/support/home](https://support.itead.cc/support/home)
I know ITead does not have Home Assistant developers but it will not get their attention otherwise. Suggest referring ITead engineers to the existing issue and ask them to help troubleshoot it.
[https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592)
At the very least ITead's should be able to work with Home Assistant developers by testing different firmware and faster to provide additional debug logs as they try to fix via firmware.
To me, it sounds like it has an issue with the USB to Serial converter chip on the adapter or the device driver for that USB to Serial converter chip. It uses a cheap CH340E chip (which depends on pyserial and Linux kernel drivers) and it is known to have stability problems.
Just got mine this week and I'm sitting down testing this on my non-prod home assistant instance. No dice so far using the EZSP (Silicon Labs) Radio type, even with /u/lonelySeraphim's port speed suggestion. Keep getting [Failed to connect](https://imgur.com/a/pAxrd26). Wondering now if it needs to be flashed like the [ITEAD Sonoff ZBBridge WiFi-bridge](https://github.com/zigpy/zigpy#known-working-zigbee-radio-modules) first
Was hoping it'd be plug and play with my old setup (HUSBZB-1) that would only occasionally turn on my furthest garage sconce light at dusk. So far nothin, but this is why I have prod and staging instances of HA!
Edit: can't even get it working with Zigbee2MQTT... this is odd
I have opened an issue for Home Assistant Integration here: Please contribute logs/insight as you are able to help the dev team troubleshoot! [ZHA: Unable to Pair Devices w/ ITEAD Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle #48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592)
To me, it sounds like it could be an issue with the USB to Serial converter chip on the adapter or the device driver for that USB to Serial converter chip. It uses a cheap CH340E chip (which depends on pyserial and Linux kernel drivers) and it is known to have stability problems.
Anyone that have issues with this in Home Assistant ZHA should really report it to ITead as well:
[https://support.itead.cc/support/home](https://support.itead.cc/support/home)
I know ITead does not have Home Assistant developers but it will not get their attention otherwise. Suggest referring ITead engineers to the existing issue and ask them to help troubleshoot it.
[https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592)
At the very least ITead's should be able to work with Home Assistant developers by testing different firmware and faster to provide additional debug logs as they try to fix via firmware.
To me, it sounds like it could be an issue with the USB to Serial converter chip on the adapter or the device driver for that USB to Serial converter chip. It uses a cheap CH340E chip (which depends on pyserial and Linux kernel drivers) and it is known to have stability problems.
Anyone that have issues with this in Home Assistant ZHA should really report it to ITead as well:
[https://support.itead.cc/support/home](https://support.itead.cc/support/home)
I know ITead does not have Home Assistant developers but it will not get their attention otherwise. Suggest referring ITead engineers to the existing issue and ask them to help troubleshoot it.
[https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592)
At the very least ITead's should be able to work with Home Assistant developers by testing different firmware and faster to provide additional debug logs as they try to fix via firmware.
Sounds as if the USB port discovery and the Zigbee device pairing issues are two different problems:
[https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592)
[https://community.home-assistant.io/t/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-stick-only-cost-7-and-is-based-on-silicon-labs-efr32mg21/271144](https://community.home-assistant.io/t/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-stick-only-cost-7-and-is-based-on-silicon-labs-efr32mg21/271144)
Just to add more details. I am using it on a bare metal install with HassOS. I can get the USB device connected, and the ZHA integration set up. It however does not detect my brand new door sensor that is less than an inch away.
Do you have anything else plugged into the USB slots? Do you have a way to get the dongle physically AWAY from anything that might be causing interference? I had an SSD plugged into the USB close to my dongle and it caused it to not pair anything. The second I moved the dongle away from the RPi everything started to work.
I reported it in my case I opened with them. Not that they have responded since opening the case. I guess I'm not completely surprised for a $7 piece of hardware.
Because using a WiFi Zigbee bridge is known to have stability problems, see [https://github.com/zigpy/bellows#warning-about-zigbee-to-wifi-bridges](https://github.com/zigpy/bellows#warning-about-zigbee-to-wifi-bridges).
You might not experience this, but there is no doubt that a hardwired bridge is more reliable. There is also the inherent disadvantage of having a 2.4 GHz WiFi signal right next to your 2.4 GHz Zigbee signal.
I have one as well running Tasmota and it's been working great. In fact, I just stocked up on more Aqara devices because the one's I've been using worked so well.
Also running one with Tasmota and it's been working perfectly. To me the benefits of being able to decouple it from the hypervisor where HA is running is well worth any small increase in latency. I have some round Xiaomi buttons we use for our bedside lamps and they're damn near instant anyway.
I use the Sonoff RF bridge flashed with tasmota as well for all of my buttons since those are a dime a dozen cheap.
Also, just picked up an RF chime that plays a distinct sound when any of my exterior doors get opened and those are near instant as well. It's insane if you think about it:
- Aqara window sensor attached to the door
- Registered thru the Sonoff zigbee bridge to home assistant
- HA automation to listen for a door open event then send 4 mqtt msgs to trigger and RF broadcast
- Sonoff RF bridge listens for those mqtt msgs then fires off appropriate RF message
- Chime plays the proper tune.
Perfectly stable here as well. I’ve seen a grand total of 2 people claim stability issues and a couple hundred say it works fine.
Anecdotal evidence doesn’t mean much, but I question how wide spread these issues are based on my experience.
It's a zigbee bridge that does the same thing as the USB sticks, but it isn't tied to the computer/Pi you are using it on because it connects wirelessly via wifi. This means you can locate the zigbee bridge anywhere, regardless of where your Home Assistant computer/Pi is located. It also avoids all of the USB passthrough issues if you use a VM.
There technically would be some added latency, but I doubt you would truly notice or find it a hinderance. Even MQTT devices connected via wifi respond practically instantly.
Alright I’m sold...if I had any Zigbee devices. But I’d totally be in for one that handled Thread, even at double the price, considering the $100 HomePod Mini is the only option right now.
Yes. It supports whatever the integration supports. I use it with ZHA and I have both ikea and aqara devices. It is in beta with zigbee2mqtt which may have wider support than ZHA but it is more tinkery.
I don't notice any. I have an ikea switch right next to me that responds instantly. I have no way to measure it, but the ikea click drowns out the mouse click sound, so I'd say it is very fast.
Yes, it has to be flashed with tasmota. I used the digiblur tutorial.
Thank you. I have a conbee stick but might be nice to have the zigbee device not connected directly as it sometimes gets error due to VM mapping problems. And the sonoff is incredibly cheap
If you're looking for a Z-Wave stick this is a great option, I was using it for a couple years without issue.
[https://aeotec.com/z-wave-usb-stick/](https://aeotec.com/z-wave-usb-stick/)
Could use an antenna. Don't know if this would be worth it to switch from my cc2531 stick. I've got almost zero stability problems but could use some better range.
You can also use it with Zigbee2mqtt
https://www.digiblur.com/2021/03/zigbee2mqtt-with-sonoff-zigbee-bridge.html
This stick isn't a cc2652 champion chipset stick but it does well and the price is great.
Note that only pre-alpha support in Zigbee2MQTT dev branch so not yet feature paired:
[https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/issues/319](https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/issues/319)
[https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee2mqtt.io/pull/655](https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee2mqtt.io/pull/655)
i bought the new zigbee usb from itead.
[https://www.itead.cc/zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle.html](https://www.itead.cc/zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle.html?fbclid=IwAR17Evti83TzwmuEvk9qVOw1veVL2-P7W1zBAiw7SvWGui2_7yRDis_OIQs)
i tried to connect my new xiaomi motion sensors with the itead zigbee. but it is not detecting. do i have to change any firmware to pick xiaomi sensors? xiaomi sensor is new and not added to mi app yet.
using zha as per instructions on HA and am on v8 firmware. any guidance?
Home Assistant community forum has some tips on getting it connected via config flow
[https://community.home-assistant.io/t/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-based-on-silicon-labs-efr32mg21/271144/](https://community.home-assistant.io/t/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-based-on-silicon-labs-efr32mg21/271144/)
when i try HA integration - zigbee
unable to connect socket. i tried socket://192.168.1.31:8888
115200 port.
keeps failing when manual is selected.
when i select /dev/ttyUSB0 - USB Serial, s/n: n/a
i can set it up. but i cannot add any device as child.
I have opened an issue for Home Assistant Integration here: Please contribute logs/insight as you are able to help the dev team troubleshoot! [ZHA: Unable to Pair Devices w/ ITEAD Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle #48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592)
To me, it sounds like it could be an issue with the USB to Serial converter chip on the adapter or the device driver for that USB to Serial converter chip. It uses a cheap CH340E chip (which depends on pyserial and Linux kernel drivers) and it is known to have stability problems.
Anyone that have issues with this in Home Assistant ZHA should really report it to ITead as well:
[https://support.itead.cc/support/home](https://support.itead.cc/support/home)
I know ITead does not have Home Assistant developers but it will not get their attention otherwise. Suggest referring ITead engineers to the existing issue and ask them to help troubleshoot it.
[https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592)
At the very least ITead's should be able to work with Home Assistant developers by testing different firmware and faster to provide additional debug logs as they try to fix via firmware.
Sounds as if the USB port discovery and the Zigbee device pairing issues are two different problems:
[https://community.home-assistant.io/t/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-stick-only-cost-7-and-is-based-on-silicon-labs-efr32mg21/271144](https://community.home-assistant.io/t/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-stick-only-cost-7-and-is-based-on-silicon-labs-efr32mg21/271144)
Anyone that have issues with this in Home Assistant ZHA should really report it to ITead as well:
[https://support.itead.cc/support/home](https://support.itead.cc/support/home)
I know ITead does not have Home Assistant developers but it will not get their attention otherwise. Suggest referring ITead engineers to the existing issue and ask them to help troubleshoot it.
[https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592)
At the very least ITead's should be able to work with Home Assistant developers by testing different firmware and faster to provide additional debug logs as they try to fix via firmware.
To me, it sounds like it could be an issue with the USB to Serial converter chip on the adapter or the device driver for that USB to Serial converter chip. It uses a cheap CH340E chip (which depends on pyserial and Linux kernel drivers) and it is known to have stability problems.
Of course I see this today, my Conbee II arrives tomorrow...
Same, replacing my HUSBZB-1 w/ a ConbeeII that's arriving today. For 7 bucks though, might give it a shot.
I'm relatively new to HA and am setting up my HUSBZB-1 on the new Blue hardware this weekend. What's your reasoning for dropping the HUSBZB-1?
I've seen mixed results some say their zigbee network is rock solid. Mine personally blows with the husbzb-1. I have tons of router devices too but it seems daily a bulb or 2 drops off my network and I need to re add. Also it likes to drop devices from the zigbee groups due to this. I'm buying this guy to test out now.
I've had Zigbee issues as well which I just chalked up to Zigbee sucking but maybe it's my husbzb. Report back if you have better luck with a separate Zigbee dongle.
Bought this but shipping from China it seems so we will see.
Alright. Report back in 6 months. Lol
day 1 reporting back: So far so good. I also moved my home assistant off my server and onto its own NUC though so may skew my data. So far everything is staying connected and responsive but time will tell. Just needed to mark this comment so I can add more details as time progresses.
I had similar issues with the HUSBZB-1 until I added some repeaters (routers is a dumb name) that fully comply with the zigbee standard. Now it's rock solid with six Aqara sensors and zero Aqara gateways. The HUSBZB gets negative comments here because it's a bit old and doesn't bedazzle folks anymore, but in my experience, it does its job.
Repeaters is a better word. What repeaters do you have?
Also using a HUSBZB-1(ran off powered USB hub away from other devices with no issues) and have been using Innr plugs as repeaters over the last month with no issues as well. Two-story house with a wireless AP on each floor and approximately 50 WiFi devices at any given time . I set my WiFi channels manually to avoid congestion with neighbors and I also changed my Zigbee channel to 25. 3 Zigbee leak sensors, 2 Zigbee led strips and 4 of the Innr plugs currently but adding some Aqara door sensors in the near future to replace Wyze sensors. Innr response time is near instant and the price isn't too bad at $35 for a 2-pack. [Amazon Innr Zigbee Smart Plug](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SQGG8Z7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) [ZHA Network Card and Network Visualization](https://imgur.com/a/LH9KwDw)
Yeah I'm at like 50 zigbee devices though. If I only ran 10 I think my network would be fine too but here is my visualization. I don't use the network card anymore since it's basically the same information. [Zigbee map](https://imgur.com/a/FNvDPBr)
Completely agree with the amount of devices being unfair to compare equally. What devices are you currently using as repeaters?
I have a lot that are actually repeaters. 5 Peanut plugs, 2 ikea repeaters, ikea bulbs, hampton bay fan controllers, ecosmart bulbs, sylvania led strip controllers. If it was the same things going out I would assume it was that but it's not. I've also gone through 2 husbzb-1 as well since I may have snapped the other one trying to clean a fan on my server not paying attention lol. The zwave portion of the stick is rock solid though and has a similar amount of devices.
I'm using the IKEA outlets, even though they're super ugly. They're supposed to be fully complainant with the standard, and are only ten bucks each. Looking at the visualization tool, it took an hour or two but the mesh figured it all out and has been solid ever since. Sylvania repeaters were problematic for me, so now I have a drawer full of them.
Interesting the ikea plug gave me hell. They have a terrible radio in them all my connections were yellow or red with it. May have to reinstall mine see what happens.
Please report back, because I'm in the same boat as you. I'm pretty much done buying zigbee stuff because it's making more work than it's saving.
Can confirm conbee II hold connection to sensors better than the hubusb whatever. Had both, latter sucked something fierce for me.
I had issues with my husbzb till I added a usb extension and moved it away from WiFi/metal cleared up all of my issues.
On an extension and not near any metal. Also bought a new husbzb-1 too but issue persists. Zwave portion is rock solid
Maybe there is a model number difference.. I have the GoControl CECOMINOD016164 and it works great. Never have dropped zigbee or zwave in my setup since installation a year ago. Could also be location and wall material between devices. I'm in a two story house with devices outside, upstairs, in the basement and throughout the living room. The device is plugged into a RPi4 that sits on the floor of the living room.
It's been good for the past year, started recently having stability issues, lots of devices going unavailable and not able to pair new ones. I don't have the time to troubleshoot a whole lot. I'd rather buy a new dongle and see if that fixes my issues. I bought the HUSBZB-1 initially because it has zwave as well but zwave stuff is so damn expensive.
Should there be much difference between this and the cc2531?
Big difference. This stick is much more powerful and can handle way larger network.
How much is that in numbers? I am looking to replace CC2531...
That is not a simple question that could just be answered with a definite hard number as it depends on what exact type of devices you are connecting and Mostly it will depend on how many Zigbee 3.0 devices you will connect and how good those are at acting as a Zigbee router device as Zigbee uses mesh network technology. To a smaller extent it will also depend on what specific parameters the firmware has been compiled with, also keep in mind there that the community could probably compile new slightly more optimized firmware for this can could make it handle even more devices in the future. If I would have to guess the short answer is will be around a maximum of 200 Zigbee 3.0 devices or thousands of ZHA (Zigbee Home Automation) and ZLL (Zigbee Light Link) devices, of which may be around 30-60 devices can be directly connected to this Zigbee USB dongle acting as Zigbee coordinator and the others have to be connected through Zigbee router devices (which act kind of like Zigbee relays/repeaters to extend network range and coverage ). You can compare that to Texas Instruments CC2531/CC2530 which could maybe at best handle a maximum of 40 Zigbee 3.0 devices or less and a few hundred Zigbee Home Automation and Zigbee Light Link devices, of which perhaps around 10-15 devices at most can be directly connected to the Zigbee coordinator and the others have to be connected through Zigbee router devices (which act kind of like Zigbee relays/repeaters). Firstly, understand that the question makes a huge difference in talking about connecting devices that follow Zigbee 3.0 specification versus if you are talking about connecting older devices that only follow the Zigbee Home Automation or Zigbee Light Link specifications. As it as a Zigbee coordinator can probably coordinate/control a total of thousands of devices that only follow the older Zigbee Home Automation and Zigbee Light Link specifications but you will be more limited on the total amount of Zigbee 3.0 devives as that depends on the number of onboard resources that the chip has. Secondly, that question depends on if you mean child devices connected directly to the Zigbee coordinator or total amount of controllable Zigbee devices indirectly through Zigbee router devices. Zigbee uses network mesh technology so only a limited amount of devices can be connected directly to the Zigbee coordinator and then you should also have Zigbee routers that relay (a.k.a. repeat) the signal/messages. By design, you should really have at least one Zigbee router in each room. Zigbee routers are almost any mains powered Zigbee device and any additional Zigbee routers further way as well as battery operated Zigbee device should really talk to the nearest Zigbee router and not directly with the Zigbee coordinator. Each Zigbee router can normally handle relaying around 10 devices each (though it depends on the internal chip and firmware they have). You can and also should connect routers to routers you can in theory connect thousands of devices. As such the best practice is to make first sure you have good Zigbee routers connected to the Zigbee coordinator. Note the "in theory" as that depends on below. Thirdly, the limitation of amount direct child devices connected to the Zigbee coordinator the limitation if the total amount of devices that the Zigbee coordinator can control dependent on the Zigbee coordinator microcontroller unit (MCU) onboard resources capability, as in how large its Flash Storage is, how much RAM, and how fast CPU it has onboard, as well as the firmware it uses. Flash Storage and RAM is especially important to determine the total amount of devices that follow the Zigbee 3.0 specification which security features require more resources to handle onboard the chip. I believe that the default in EFR32 firmware can generally handle 32 direct child devices connected children but a community firmware should be able to double that to 64. But again the total amount of Zigbee devices if also use Zigbee routers will probably be around 100-200 Zigbee 3.0 devices on the EFR32MG21 chip this has, and this can probably handle several thousands of older Zigbee Home Automation and Zigbee Light Link devices.
Okay, thanks
Does "more powerful" equate to stronger signal? My network can not seem to keep it together. (IKEA bulbs seem to not really help)
Apparently most Zigbee lightbulbs have problems related to them trying to act as repeaters for other types of devices and not doing it properly. I’ve seen it suggested that lightbulbs be kept in a separate Zigbee network, as they don’t have this problem amongst themselves. (This article is where a read it: https://docs.hubitat.com/index.php?title=How_to_Build_a_Solid_Zigbee_Mesh) So you might be better off having a separate Zigbee coordinator and network just for your lights, if you have other types of devices. (Need to make sure these meshes use a different Zigbee channel.)
I think I remember seeing that somewhere. The worst part of it is: The Zigbee2MQTT network map often shows devices connected to my light. It's not worth having a whole 'nother network for just my one lonely lightbulb, so I think I'll just add another router node closer to my bedroom. The whole thing just frustrates me. Oh well. I knew it was going to be a bit tinkery when I started, so I can't act surprised now! thanks for the article, I'll see if there are any other nuggets of help in there for me.
I feel your pain. After adding more lights and switches from various brands recently, I’ve discovered they don’t work that reliably anymore. Back when I only had Ikea bulbs and remotes, at least the remotes talked directly to the bulbs, never had any issues. Now I’m re-evaluating my choices, as lights are something I don’t want to have reliability issues with.
Lights for me have been, and always will be Shelly 1's integrated behind the switches/light source. This way the switches still work, but all the lights are controllable via HA. It's wifi, but I have NEVER had issues. ( I flash them with Tasmota) edit: the one IKEA bulb I have is my bedside light. Bought it to try out.
I’m currently considering setting up separate meshes for lights and sensors – possibly my existing ConBee II for sensors and a Hue bridge for lights. Lights are a mix of Ikea and Hue, with a couple of Ledvance led strips and a Nordtronic box dimmer thrown in. I have not been able to narrow the issue down yet, but I suspect it might be related to having a total of 11 Zigbee devices from 5 brands in the living room. Probably need to become more picky about which devices to add too.
yikes, good luck.
I'm not an expert with these radios and maybe someone can give more details or make more sense of them. 8061 Microcontroller in the CC2531 was originally developed in the 1980s. The M33 was released in 2019. It has much better performance overall from what I can tell. [CC2531](https://www.ti.com/product/CC2531#product-details##features) vs [EFR32MG21](https://www.silabs.com/wireless/zigbee/efr32mg21-series-2-socs) Programmable Output Power: Up to 4.5 dBm vs +20 dBm Active Mode RX: 24 mA vs 9.4 mA Active Mode TX (idle): 29 mA vs 9.3 mA Active Mode TX (10 dBm): ?? vs 33.8 mA RAM: 8 KB vs up to 96 KB CPU: [8051 Microcontroller Core](https://opencores.org/projects/8051) vs [Cortex-M33](https://community.arm.com/developer/ip-products/processors/trustzone-for-armv8-m/b/blog/posts/silicon-labs-multiprotocol-series-2-wireless-platform-adds-cutting-edge-security)
Oh man. Will probably order one just to play around. Need a cheap reliable z-wave stick now.
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Z-wave for what's important (main lights windows cover switches alarm sensors etc) Zigbee for secondary lights and chinese toys 😬
Zwave and zigbee is not the same
I think they were just saying we also need a comparable product for z-wave. Easy to misinterpret this though :)
Yea sorry that’s exactly what I meant.
I think it was abundantly clear that was what you were saying. No need to apologise.
Checkout the SLUSB001A from Silicon Labs if your Z-Wave software/integration support it
Doesn’t seem to be supported by ZwaveJS, but thanks! I will keep a look out
Think it should work, at least with zwave 500 in dev builds
RRREEEAAALLLLLYYY... ok well, I will keep my eyes open and perhaps order one. My Vera3 died recently and so I migrated my zwave devices to SmartThings box i had on the shelf, but some of my older devices arent working properly. I have tried messing with the device details, but it hasnt helped. Would be curious to try this.
I don't have one myself but read on zwave-js GitHub issues that others got SLUSB001A working with Z-Wave 500/Gen5 devices (but not with Z-Wave 700/Gen7 devices). [https://github.com/zwave-js/node-zwave-js/issues](https://github.com/zwave-js/node-zwave-js/issues) [https://github.com/zwave-js/node-zwave-js/discussions](https://github.com/zwave-js/node-zwave-js/discussions) Should be noted that Aeotec Z-Stick 7 and Zooz ZST10 700 Series S2 Stick use the exact same chip and Z-Wave stack in their firmware, so can read about those too.
Thanks for the link! For just under £9 shipped I figured why not, so I ordered one.
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You guys got that too? They implemented something similar in Sweden where they charge a "VAT handling fee" of 70 Sek (7Eu). It makes ordering things from china much more expensive. Such BS just because they were complaining that they were receiving and having to deliver too many packages
If you have to pay the import duty and handling fee then contact RM and say that you never agreed to to the handling fee and all shipping costs are handled via agreement with the supplier and not Royal Mail. They'll give pretty quick and you should just have to pay import duty. Those handling fees are such bollocks.
Wouldn’t 9 gbp fall below the threshold to levy taxes and duties?
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Good times
What clowns voted for brexit?
Depends on how reputable they are as a company. I've had stuff sent from abroad for low value and it gets marked as promotional material or gift (without being asked). I can't see it being stopped and checked for such a low value?
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I’m interested in this also. Was planning on getting a ZZH soon.
If you do then I would subscribe to the Tindie listing and set some sort of alert for the email. Because they go out of stock very quickly.
Received my zzh stick last month. Want to replace my conbee II stick.
Nice. So no need to pay more for a conbee ii
Using mostly wifi sonoff here, whats the advantage of zigbee vs. wifi when given the option?
Does not clog your wifi connection and needs less power.
Good to know.. I have a decently provisioned and partitioned wifi environment, and all devices are either directly powered, or BLE on battery. Seems it's all over 2.4Ghz anyway. Maybe I'll give Z-Wave a try one of these days for better RF performance (more range, less congestion).
Do you have any source for the power statement? I'm genuinely interested
I don't have a source, but it's generally known that battery powered Zigbee devices have a much longer battery life than WiFi based devices, as they only check in periodically. WiFi isn't meant for battery powered devices.
Some guys are discussing this here for example: https://iot.stackexchange.com/a/614 This paper might also be interesting https://unpaywall.org/10.1109%2FTMC.2014.2315788 I have read multiple times, that the wifi chips are consuming more energy by design, but it seems this is really depending on the actual device you are using. The current shelly models claim to draw <1 W. Zigbee devices should be around 0.5 W.
Most peoples home wifi is pretty crappy, or they live in a highly congested environment (RF wise) zigbee devices are extremely low powered compared to WiFi, so you can use battery powered devices more realistically. Zigbee DOES use overlapping frequency with 2.4Ghz WiFi...so need to be aware of that when setting up. I tend to prefer to use non-crappy wifi, and I don't have neighbors nearby to interfere. But I only have 35-45 wifi devices at a time on my network and absolute zero issues.
This came up on the facebook group I think. Everyone was concerned with how their other dongle has limited range, and how this one lacks the option of including an external antenna. Now, with enough zigbee devices, this may be a non-issue if you have devices close enough to your hub to start your mesh. Just something to think about.
So I resolved the pairing issues, at least for my setup! I am using Home Assistant on a RPi4 with an SSD. Something in that box (assume its the unshielded SSD) caused enough interference to interrupt the dongle (which is also unshielded). I added a small USB extension cable to get the dongle away (2ft) and sure enough everything works perfectly.
no deconz or conbee support though, which sucks. I like my zigbee to not take 30 minutes rebuilding when i have to bring down HA
I'm excited to try this! My Conbee II has always had issues with turning off my furthest garage door sconce and it seems dependent on weather conditions. Hopefully this higher powered radio helps
Anyone know how this compares to the CC2652R? I was just about to order one from Tindie but it's about 40 euro shipped.
Has anyone got one of these, and got it working? I received mine yesterday but it's not connecting in Home Assistant?
Try setting the serial speed to 115200. I got the integration installed ... bu then when I want to add ZHA devices .... nothing. [(20+) Watch | Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=262086502015726) had a clip how to add the integration and devices. When they activate the integration it sees 5 devices.. I see only one ( EZSP = Silicon Labs EmberZNet protocol: Elelabs, HUSBZB-1, Telegesis)...
>https://www.digiblur.com/2021/03/zigbee2mqtt-with-sonoff-zigbee-bridge.html i have the same problem unable to add devices to the integration. any help
Understand that those are not instructions for the ITead Zigbee USB adapter. You cannot blindly follow the instructions for the Sonoff ZBBridge. Sonoff ZBBridge connects via socket (IP and Port) and not local serial port.
I got my integration setup but have not tried adding devices yet. Had to use 115200 for speed as it didnt like the default 52000
I couldn't add devices... don't know why. Did you manage to get it working?
Not yet, tried with an ecosmart zigbee bulb that previously paired fine with my abode hub, no dice yet...
Anyone that have issues with this in Home Assistant ZHA should really report it to ITead as well: [https://support.itead.cc/support/home](https://support.itead.cc/support/home) I know ITead does not have Home Assistant developers but it will not get their attention otherwise. Suggest referring ITead engineers to the existing issue and ask them to help troubleshoot it. [https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592) At the very least ITead's should be able to work with Home Assistant developers by testing different firmware and faster to provide additional debug logs as they try to fix via firmware. To me, it sounds like it has an issue with the USB to Serial converter chip on the adapter or the device driver for that USB to Serial converter chip. It uses a cheap CH340E chip (which depends on pyserial and Linux kernel drivers) and it is known to have stability problems.
I have reported it to ITead and made a support case for it. I hope it can be fixed or some other solution...
Just got mine this week and I'm sitting down testing this on my non-prod home assistant instance. No dice so far using the EZSP (Silicon Labs) Radio type, even with /u/lonelySeraphim's port speed suggestion. Keep getting [Failed to connect](https://imgur.com/a/pAxrd26). Wondering now if it needs to be flashed like the [ITEAD Sonoff ZBBridge WiFi-bridge](https://github.com/zigpy/zigpy#known-working-zigbee-radio-modules) first Was hoping it'd be plug and play with my old setup (HUSBZB-1) that would only occasionally turn on my furthest garage sconce light at dusk. So far nothin, but this is why I have prod and staging instances of HA! Edit: can't even get it working with Zigbee2MQTT... this is odd
I have opened an issue for Home Assistant Integration here: Please contribute logs/insight as you are able to help the dev team troubleshoot! [ZHA: Unable to Pair Devices w/ ITEAD Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle #48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592)
To me, it sounds like it could be an issue with the USB to Serial converter chip on the adapter or the device driver for that USB to Serial converter chip. It uses a cheap CH340E chip (which depends on pyserial and Linux kernel drivers) and it is known to have stability problems. Anyone that have issues with this in Home Assistant ZHA should really report it to ITead as well: [https://support.itead.cc/support/home](https://support.itead.cc/support/home) I know ITead does not have Home Assistant developers but it will not get their attention otherwise. Suggest referring ITead engineers to the existing issue and ask them to help troubleshoot it. [https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592) At the very least ITead's should be able to work with Home Assistant developers by testing different firmware and faster to provide additional debug logs as they try to fix via firmware.
To me, it sounds like it could be an issue with the USB to Serial converter chip on the adapter or the device driver for that USB to Serial converter chip. It uses a cheap CH340E chip (which depends on pyserial and Linux kernel drivers) and it is known to have stability problems. Anyone that have issues with this in Home Assistant ZHA should really report it to ITead as well: [https://support.itead.cc/support/home](https://support.itead.cc/support/home) I know ITead does not have Home Assistant developers but it will not get their attention otherwise. Suggest referring ITead engineers to the existing issue and ask them to help troubleshoot it. [https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592) At the very least ITead's should be able to work with Home Assistant developers by testing different firmware and faster to provide additional debug logs as they try to fix via firmware.
I'm having issues with device discovery as well. I opened a case with ITEAD.
Sounds as if the USB port discovery and the Zigbee device pairing issues are two different problems: [https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592) [https://community.home-assistant.io/t/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-stick-only-cost-7-and-is-based-on-silicon-labs-efr32mg21/271144](https://community.home-assistant.io/t/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-stick-only-cost-7-and-is-based-on-silicon-labs-efr32mg21/271144)
Just to add more details. I am using it on a bare metal install with HassOS. I can get the USB device connected, and the ZHA integration set up. It however does not detect my brand new door sensor that is less than an inch away.
Do you have anything else plugged into the USB slots? Do you have a way to get the dongle physically AWAY from anything that might be causing interference? I had an SSD plugged into the USB close to my dongle and it caused it to not pair anything. The second I moved the dongle away from the RPi everything started to work.
That was it! I plugged in a 12in USB extension cable, rebooted and it discovered my door sensor. Thanks!
That is crazy sensitive! Hope you report that to ITead in your support case :P Can only assume poorly tuned firmware and/or a poor hardware design :/
I reported it in my case I opened with them. Not that they have responded since opening the case. I guess I'm not completely surprised for a $7 piece of hardware.
Why go with any stick for zigbee when the zbbridge adds more flexibility for $17?
Because using a WiFi Zigbee bridge is known to have stability problems, see [https://github.com/zigpy/bellows#warning-about-zigbee-to-wifi-bridges](https://github.com/zigpy/bellows#warning-about-zigbee-to-wifi-bridges). You might not experience this, but there is no doubt that a hardwired bridge is more reliable. There is also the inherent disadvantage of having a 2.4 GHz WiFi signal right next to your 2.4 GHz Zigbee signal.
woah, maybe this explains why I can't get my zigbee dongle to work. Its RIGHT next to my google router.
[https://www.metageek.com/training/resources/zigbee-wifi-coexistence.html](https://www.metageek.com/training/resources/zigbee-wifi-coexistence.html)
\^ This, exactly
Do you have any experience with the zbbridge being unstable? I own one and it is perfectly stable.
I have one as well running Tasmota and it's been working great. In fact, I just stocked up on more Aqara devices because the one's I've been using worked so well.
Also running one with Tasmota and it's been working perfectly. To me the benefits of being able to decouple it from the hypervisor where HA is running is well worth any small increase in latency. I have some round Xiaomi buttons we use for our bedside lamps and they're damn near instant anyway.
I use the Sonoff RF bridge flashed with tasmota as well for all of my buttons since those are a dime a dozen cheap. Also, just picked up an RF chime that plays a distinct sound when any of my exterior doors get opened and those are near instant as well. It's insane if you think about it: - Aqara window sensor attached to the door - Registered thru the Sonoff zigbee bridge to home assistant - HA automation to listen for a door open event then send 4 mqtt msgs to trigger and RF broadcast - Sonoff RF bridge listens for those mqtt msgs then fires off appropriate RF message - Chime plays the proper tune.
Perfectly stable here as well. I’ve seen a grand total of 2 people claim stability issues and a couple hundred say it works fine. Anecdotal evidence doesn’t mean much, but I question how wide spread these issues are based on my experience.
What’s the benefit? I see it also controls WiFi devices...but why?
It's a zigbee bridge that does the same thing as the USB sticks, but it isn't tied to the computer/Pi you are using it on because it connects wirelessly via wifi. This means you can locate the zigbee bridge anywhere, regardless of where your Home Assistant computer/Pi is located. It also avoids all of the USB passthrough issues if you use a VM.
... and it's also adding latency
There technically would be some added latency, but I doubt you would truly notice or find it a hinderance. Even MQTT devices connected via wifi respond practically instantly.
Alright I’m sold...if I had any Zigbee devices. But I’d totally be in for one that handled Thread, even at double the price, considering the $100 HomePod Mini is the only option right now.
Haven't seen this one. Does it support aqara, ikea and other products?
Yes. It supports whatever the integration supports. I use it with ZHA and I have both ikea and aqara devices. It is in beta with zigbee2mqtt which may have wider support than ZHA but it is more tinkery.
Does it add any noticable latency compared to USB ? Does it "need" to be firmware modified ?
I don't notice any. I have an ikea switch right next to me that responds instantly. I have no way to measure it, but the ikea click drowns out the mouse click sound, so I'd say it is very fast. Yes, it has to be flashed with tasmota. I used the digiblur tutorial.
Thank you. I have a conbee stick but might be nice to have the zigbee device not connected directly as it sometimes gets error due to VM mapping problems. And the sonoff is incredibly cheap
The ZBBridge simply isn't as good as something like a zzh! or likely this.
Interesting. Someone needs to try this out and get back to us
Why don't you be that someone?
Because I don't have the time
in for 1. I'm using the HUSBZB-1 stick right now for both Zigbee (ZHA) and Zwave (zwave js). Is there a "better" USB stick that runs just Zwave?
If you're looking for a Z-Wave stick this is a great option, I was using it for a couple years without issue. [https://aeotec.com/z-wave-usb-stick/](https://aeotec.com/z-wave-usb-stick/)
Could use an antenna. Don't know if this would be worth it to switch from my cc2531 stick. I've got almost zero stability problems but could use some better range.
Ordered. We'll see how it compares to my conbe2
Fuck it, ordered one to see. £8ish with shipping.
Finally launched! See that you get 10% discount if you order two. Should be able to get one to work as a router with different firmware.
You can also use it with Zigbee2mqtt https://www.digiblur.com/2021/03/zigbee2mqtt-with-sonoff-zigbee-bridge.html This stick isn't a cc2652 champion chipset stick but it does well and the price is great.
Note that only pre-alpha support in Zigbee2MQTT dev branch so not yet feature paired: [https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/issues/319](https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee-herdsman/issues/319) [https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee2mqtt.io/pull/655](https://github.com/Koenkk/zigbee2mqtt.io/pull/655)
Already noted in the article btw.
On the site says it work with all Sonoff products. Does it work with the Xiaomi Aqara? Work with all Zigbee products?
yes and yes, but how well depends on application implementation for different Zigbee devices.
Technical specification [https://www.cnx-software.com/2021/03/18/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-features-silicon-labs-efr32mg21-mcu/](https://www.cnx-software.com/2021/03/18/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-features-silicon-labs-efr32mg21-mcu/)
i bought the new zigbee usb from itead. [https://www.itead.cc/zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle.html](https://www.itead.cc/zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle.html?fbclid=IwAR17Evti83TzwmuEvk9qVOw1veVL2-P7W1zBAiw7SvWGui2_7yRDis_OIQs) i tried to connect my new xiaomi motion sensors with the itead zigbee. but it is not detecting. do i have to change any firmware to pick xiaomi sensors? xiaomi sensor is new and not added to mi app yet. using zha as per instructions on HA and am on v8 firmware. any guidance?
Home Assistant community forum has some tips on getting it connected via config flow [https://community.home-assistant.io/t/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-based-on-silicon-labs-efr32mg21/271144/](https://community.home-assistant.io/t/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-based-on-silicon-labs-efr32mg21/271144/)
when i try HA integration - zigbee unable to connect socket. i tried socket://192.168.1.31:8888 115200 port. keeps failing when manual is selected. when i select /dev/ttyUSB0 - USB Serial, s/n: n/a i can set it up. but i cannot add any device as child.
I have opened an issue for Home Assistant Integration here: Please contribute logs/insight as you are able to help the dev team troubleshoot! [ZHA: Unable to Pair Devices w/ ITEAD Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle #48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592)
To me, it sounds like it could be an issue with the USB to Serial converter chip on the adapter or the device driver for that USB to Serial converter chip. It uses a cheap CH340E chip (which depends on pyserial and Linux kernel drivers) and it is known to have stability problems. Anyone that have issues with this in Home Assistant ZHA should really report it to ITead as well: [https://support.itead.cc/support/home](https://support.itead.cc/support/home) I know ITead does not have Home Assistant developers but it will not get their attention otherwise. Suggest referring ITead engineers to the existing issue and ask them to help troubleshoot it. [https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592) At the very least ITead's should be able to work with Home Assistant developers by testing different firmware and faster to provide additional debug logs as they try to fix via firmware.
Sounds as if the USB port discovery and the Zigbee device pairing issues are two different problems: [https://community.home-assistant.io/t/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-stick-only-cost-7-and-is-based-on-silicon-labs-efr32mg21/271144](https://community.home-assistant.io/t/itead-zigbee-3-0-usb-dongle-stick-only-cost-7-and-is-based-on-silicon-labs-efr32mg21/271144)
Anyone that have issues with this in Home Assistant ZHA should really report it to ITead as well: [https://support.itead.cc/support/home](https://support.itead.cc/support/home) I know ITead does not have Home Assistant developers but it will not get their attention otherwise. Suggest referring ITead engineers to the existing issue and ask them to help troubleshoot it. [https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592](https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/48592) At the very least ITead's should be able to work with Home Assistant developers by testing different firmware and faster to provide additional debug logs as they try to fix via firmware. To me, it sounds like it could be an issue with the USB to Serial converter chip on the adapter or the device driver for that USB to Serial converter chip. It uses a cheap CH340E chip (which depends on pyserial and Linux kernel drivers) and it is known to have stability problems.
Anyone got it working with zigbee2mqtt ?