Which Zigbee controller

[rednas]

Hello,

I would like to start working with Zigbee with Domoticz.
I already found out that there are multiple options and all have limitations.
The 3 options I found are:
- ZiGate: https://zigate.fr/
- Phoscon USB dongle: https://www.robbshop.nl/conbee-ii-zigbee-usb-dongle
- Zigbee print: https://www.robbshop.nl/zigbee-opsteekp ... spberry-pi (which manufacturer is this item? There is no further explanation)

I would like to use it with sensors, switches & lights etc. like the Xiaomi Aqara and Philips Hue etc.

What option would you recommend to use?
Thanks in advance!

[AntoonvdOetelaar]

As you're dutch, look at:
Zigbee2mqtt - open source zigbee bridge on tweakers

https://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/li ... es/1901662

Or in english the official place:
https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/

Another one:
dresden elektronik Zigbee USB dongle ConBee II

https://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/li ... es/1901854

I do use the xiaomi gateway V2 at the moment, but have the CC2531 zigbee2mqtt stick ready on my desk to test and switch.
A thing is that the CC2531 seems to have problems with big(ger) networks, because of the available processing and memory. The newer CC2652R should solve this. So maybe I skip the CC2531...

[Geitje]

I tried Zigbee2mqtt some months ago, it works, but the plugin for Domoticz was not updated often (now it is more often I see). Also group support was not added yet. I switched to zigate, and find it very user friendly, stable, and it has group support.

[Thorgal789]

The conbee (the phoscon USB dongle) have a realy nice UI you can use in same time than domoticz https://phoscon.de/en/app/doc
And when you are speaking about limitations I m curious to know wich one you have found for the conbee ?

BTW, there is already a topic with the same question https://www.domoticz.com/forum/viewtopi ... 68&t=27995

[pgielen]

I have worked with PiZiGate in the past, which worked fine. Recently, I tried a Conbee II USB stick on my RPi4B since the GPIO is occupied. Installed Phoscon App and the deconz plugin for Domoticz, but it is really unusable, because after every reboot the Phoscon App looses all of its settings and devices and even the API key for the USB stick... I found somewhere on the internet that there is a 'secret page' in the app that could help: you need to click the Gateway > Advanced button while holding the Alt key. Since the App looses all of its settings however, the page remains empty... What a mess. Let's try the Zigate USB stick instead.

[waltervl]

Are all the GPIO of your RPi occupied or just the header? Because I think the PIZigate will not need all the GPIO only some. Perhaps you can free the GPIO or use a usb-ttl device to connect the PiZigate to USB instead of GPIO header?

[Thorgal789]

because after every reboot the Phoscon App looses all of its settings and devices and even the API key for the USB stick

It s look more like a permission issue, something that prevent the app writting on the database, you are using virtual machine ? Have you follow https://phoscon.de/en/conbee2/install#raspbian ? Have you start an issue (nothing special in logs) ? I can promise you, it s not the normal working mode ^^, you can PM me is you need help for deconz.

And from my side I do not advise pizigate or raspbee, zigbee is realy sensible to perturbations, and it s easier to move away a USB stick with an extension than a GPIO module.

[oeps]

Hi, Zigbee newbee here.

I'm using Domoticz for years now and investigating to move from Zwave 1 to Zigbee.
Have a Tradfri controller connected to Domoticz but want to be more open for other brands. The ConBee II is my candidate to replace the Tradfri GW.
Questions:

• Advantage of the Tradfri is that everything stays functioning with the Ikea app if my RPi would go down. Can the ConBee II still function by itself when just powered or does it need the installed application as well for operation (I do understand that you can't change change things without the app). It would be nice if the lights in the house can be switched off/on while I screw up the RPi (WAF risk assesment).

• What is a good iOS/Android app to use with this GW other than the Domoticz app or will any "Zigbee"app work fine and is it just a matter of preference?

Thanks

[Thorgal789]

The conbee need deconz to work.
But it s like the Tradfri gateway, you can take a raspberry 0 and make a complete autonomous gateway. All your house can connect to it using http protocol, natively, with just a browser.
The conbee/deconz is a HUE emulator, so it can work with some HUE application, but check before, IDK if the support is still guaranteed.

You can use direct bind feature (like on all zigbee gateway) to make some devices working without gateway.

And you can use the integrated web app for basic feature (work in an autonomous way) https://phoscon.de/en/app/doc

[oeps]

Thanks! Have a pi zero w laying around. It just got a single got purpose again for the ConBee ii.

[Thorgal789]

And just a personnal advise, but avoid GPIO card like Raspbee or Pizgate, always take the USB device (even you can do smaller gateway with them and a Pi 0)
Supported by more hardware, less sensible to perturbations.

[Dave21w]

I can certainly confirm what Thorgal789 says about avoiding a device that plugs into the GPIO header (as he well knows from all the issues I had) I use the Conbee II and can definitely recommend it, I have no problems with it, pairing devices is easy through the Phoscon Gui and using deCONZ if more technical info is required, adding devices to Domoticz is simple with all the hard work Thorgal789 has done with the plugin he wrote.

Dave21w

[DaWauZ]

Zigbee newbie here too.
I got myself a new philips hue bridge but still not using it.
But today I getting a new kitchen with some led lights. Is zigbee, with a remote. Can I pair these with a hue bridge, and the hue in domoticz?

[Thorgal789]

It s written on the lights ? else no.

[JanZorz]

Zigate. Great plugin for Domoticz and great support (thnx pipiche!).

Once you establish a solid and stable network of Zigbee routers/repeaters around the house (I'm using smart power sockets as routers) then zigbee network will perform much better and faster than any Z-Wave network. I have both and I'm speaking out of my experience

Cheers, Jan

[marktn]

Zigate. Great plugin for Domoticz and great support (thnx pipiche!).

Once you establish a solid and stable network of Zigbee routers/repeaters around the house (I'm using smart power sockets as routers) then zigbee network will perform much better and faster than any Z-Wave network. I have both and I'm speaking out of my experience

Cheers, Jan

Zigate! Good supports and works fast and stable.

[MikeF]

The Zigbee2MQTT software (by koenkk) and the corresponding Domoticz plugin (by StasDemydiuk) are in my experience outstanding!

I use a CC2652R (see Note below) USB stick adapter from Electrolama (which has an external antenna), with the zigbee2mqtt software, Mosquitto MQTT broker and Node-RED on a Raspberry Pi 2B. So far, over 3 months, this combination has been rock solid.

I currently have the following mixture of devices on my Zigbee network:
- Sonoff ZBMINI and BASICZBR3 smart switches
- Sonoff SNZB-01 wireless button
- Sonoff SNZB-02 temperature & humidity sensor (3)
- Aurora dimmer module
- innr SP222 smart plug (2)
- Philips Hue dimmer (controlling the Aurora dimmer module via Node-RED)
- IKEA TRADFRI E1743 on / off switch (controlling Domoticz switch devices via Node-RED)
- British Gas Hive SLT3 / SLR2 heating thermostat and receiver
and not a proprietary hub in sight!

All these devices successfully paired with zigbee2mqtt straight away, and were automatically added to Domoticz via the zigbee2mqtt plugin.

Zigbee2MQTT currently (at 14/3/2021) supports 1358 devices from 200 different vendors. The software is regularly updated and has extensive documentation (https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io. All of this makes for a very powerful combination (and no, I don't have a vested interest!).

Note

Adapters using CC2652R / CC2652RB chips are recommended,

because they are very powerful, have good range (external antenna), are well tested with Zigbee2MQTT, are easy to connect (USB), can be flashed without additional hardware and are small in size

whereas

adapters based on the CC2530 or CC2531 chip are not powerful and not recommended for networks larger than 20 devices... and require a CC debugger and downloader cable.

(from zigbee2mqtt.io)

[Thorgal789]

"rock solid" ?
Here a deconz network with 188 nodes.

deconz188.jpg (377.43 KiB) Viewed 7706 times

Regular update too, 1 beta and 1 stable by month, but ok an incredible leak of documentation, and no official list for supported device.

It use too a server, so all other app can connect to it in same time, but REST server, not mqtt, so all native, no need to add a MQTT server, can use a simple browser, or curl command.

[gert3d]

The Zigbee2MQTT software (by koenkk) and the corresponding Domoticz plugin (by StasDemydiuk) are in my experience outstanding!

All these devices successfully paired with zigbee2mqtt straight away, and were automatically added to Domoticz via the zigbee2mqtt plugin.

True, however I am unable to use the Sonoff SNZB-01 wireless button correctly in an event script, since its state cannot be set, for instance to "Off" after a click. Am I missing something?

[gert3d]

Does anybody have experience with the CC2652RB yet?
Will it run as coordinator with zigbee2mqtt?