Other than using a powered USB 2.0 hub (with its own power-supply) and a long USB extension cable I strongly suggest that you add a few dedicated Zigbee Router devices (a.k.a. Zigbee Signal Repeater).
As mentioned in my Zigbee networks: how to guide for avoiding interference and optimize for getting better range + coverage
- Add more and decrease the distance between Zigbee devices in Zigbee network mesh to get better range and coverage:
- Zigbee uses mesh networking and depends on having many “Zigbee Router” devices to extend range and coverage:
- Recommendation is to add additional mains-powered Zigbee devices known to be good Zigbee Router devices.
- Add more Zigbee Router devices and reduce their distances to extend network mesh coverage and range.
- Note that not all mains-powered devices have firmware that makes them act as a Zigbee Router device.
- Some brands/models of Zigbee Router devices are known to only work well with the same brand of devices.
- Add more Zigbee Router devices and reduce their distances to extend network mesh coverage and range.
- Buy a few known good dedicated Zigbee Router products and place them strategically as Zigbee repeaters. Personally, I suggest buying and adding at least three such devices.
- For example, the “IKEA Tradfri Signal Repeater” and “Aeotec Range Extender Zi” are products that work very well out-of-the-box, while a more powerful alternative is to make yourself some semi-DIY variant by flashing the correct Zigbee Router firmware to Zigbee Coordinator USB dongles and then using them as stand-alone Zigbee Signal Repeater devices in USB-chargers for power, like, for example, either the Sonoff ZBDongle-E (EFR32MG21 based) or the Sonoff ZBDongle-P (CC2652P) work great as dedicated stand-alone Zigbee Signal Repeaters with recommended firmware.
- Search community forums for more “Zigbee signal repeater” or “Zigbee range extender” Zigbee Router tips.
- For example, the “IKEA Tradfri Signal Repeater” and “Aeotec Range Extender Zi” are products that work very well out-of-the-box, while a more powerful alternative is to make yourself some semi-DIY variant by flashing the correct Zigbee Router firmware to Zigbee Coordinator USB dongles and then using them as stand-alone Zigbee Signal Repeater devices in USB-chargers for power, like, for example, either the Sonoff ZBDongle-E (EFR32MG21 based) or the Sonoff ZBDongle-P (CC2652P) work great as dedicated stand-alone Zigbee Signal Repeaters with recommended firmware.
- Buy a few additional new Zigbee USB adapters to use after re-flashing them with Zigbee Router firmware.
- Reflash/reuse modern Zigbee USB adapters to act as Zigbee Router devices by changing Zigbee firmware.
- Recommendation is to add additional mains-powered Zigbee devices known to be good Zigbee Router devices.
- Zigbee uses mesh networking and depends on having many “Zigbee Router” devices to extend range and coverage:
You have to understand and remember that each Zigbee device by itself has a very limited coverage, short range and their weak signals have poor wall penetration, so to workaround this a Zigbee network relies on mesh networking (a type of network topology/technology/architecture), which means that a Zigbee network heavily depends on having a swarm of mains-powered devices are a “Zigbee Router” that are always-on so they can act as a signal repeater and range extended by transmitting data over long distances by passing data messages through the Zigbee network mesh of intermediate devices to reach more distant Zigbee devices.
Thus the key to a great and healthy Zigbee network is to add/have many “Zigbee Router” devices relatively close to each other (and always powered on) in order for the Zigbee network as a whole to get good coverage and range. So often you more or less just need to add/have several mains-powered Zigbee devices in the network that act as “Zigbee Router” devices to achieve a stable Zigbee network.
