Hi,
I have set up Home Assistant and connected it to my TRÅDFRI devices using the IKEA TRÅDFRI integration. The lights works fine, but (like many others) I have trouble getting the switches / dimmers to work. They only show their battery level in Home Assistant.
What I have figured out from my research is that I need to use ZHA (or Z2M) to use the switches like I want. What I’m wondering is if I can use the TRÅDFRI Gateway (The old one, not the new DIRIGERA Hub, if that matters) together with ZHA instead of using a USB stick. All other posts I have found have used a Conbee II or similar.
I did do an attempt at connecting to ZHA, but I got stuck in the first dialog, where it asks for a serial port. Since I don’t have anything connected via USB, I don’t know what to select there. Is what I’m trying to do possible? Or will I have to invest in a USB stick?
This.
Pretty much all the proprietary hubs like Ikea, Philip Hue, Xiaomi, Cygnet, etc are not open and will not communicate with ZHA or Z2M. You will need a USB stick like a Conbee, Sonoff or SkyConnect for use with ZHA or Z2M.
For some reason Ikea choosed a peculiar way for their i.e Switches, but that is basically because the Ikea switches is Paired to and talks direct to the specific Drivers or bulps, so if you dont use an Ikea switch(puck) to an Ikea “Driver” you can just add it to another Zigbee hub (well you can anyway) , and still have your Ikea-hub for basic Ikea devices (Ikea operate on zigbee channel 11 , by default, where as most other zigbee-Controllers operate higher up in the channels) so they won’t “mess” with each other, and as you might already noticed Ikea Tradfri is a VERY simple “presetet” Zigbee-Controller.
Just remember the i.e 5-Button switch, or dimmers are paired to / talks to i.e an Ikea Light-Driver, or Bulp, that’s why the Hub only reports battery-level, for the switch/dimmer ( you don’t need the ikea hub if you i.e have an ikea-5 button switch/dimmer paired to a ikea-light-Driver/bulp ) it will work as 1 unit, regardless if you turn of your ikea-hub. …it’s the Ikea Driver/Bulp you have to control direct in i.e HA, not through any ikea switch/dimmer
I think they did this for simplicity for the end user as you can pair a button to a bulb or power switch so you don’t need to purchase a hub.
I didn’t bother purchasing the Ikea hub but got a Sonoff USB Zigbee Dongle and setup Zigbee2MQTT and have the Ikea short-cut buttons, 5 button switches, motion detector and dimmer switches all working in HA controlling my other non-Ikea smart devices in my home.
Yes it indeed has it’s advantages , as one can use the short-cut/5buttons, regardless if your phone-battery is drained, your hub is unplugged and HA not working
, many discussion here in regards to that, i have my ikea-devices in theTrådfri-Hub, as mentioned they communicate on channel 11, i have another Zigbee-Hub ( mostly for temp/motion sensors ), communicating on zigbee-channel 15 , both hubs are “wired” so they don’t use the wifi network
Another benefit with this is if either integrations “fails” or so, the other integration is not affected, and if you eventually gets huge amounts of Zigbee device you have them “spread” on different Channels , also(with wired hubs) you can place the Hubs, nearer the/an “Area”
Lets say you have a concrete basement or an outside Garage, where you might get problems with low Signals, or you mainly have you Ikea devices(lights/plugs) in the livingroom, place the Ikea-hub there, and have the Conbee attached to you HA-device, where ever that is (as Conbee is a USB device you also have to consider this !, and the signal interference you might experience doo to this)
PS: You don’t need a conbee if you only want to control/dim your Ikea Bulps/lights, as mention you do that direct through the Ikea Driver/Bulp entity
