Same problem here. My Zigbee devices started to fail randomly after updating to HA OS 13.1. Some work badly. Others don’t work at all. I have returned to HA OS 12.4 and everything has worked properly again. I’m getting more and more afraid to update HA OS. I always have problems…
I know added three Sonoff Dongles as router.
This makes it way better.
But firmware updateing my 3rd reallity plugs needs several attempts as it stops sometimes (and continues where it stopped before, after klicking update again).
So for me (but Im really a zigbee noob) this looks like interefereance problems (what I didnt believe in, so far).
Anyway. Because my NUC only got USB3 ports, I got the advice here to use an powered USB 2 hub.
So far Im using an USB2 extension cable. So the Coordinator is about 2.5 - 3m away from my home assistant.
I dont really understand, what makes the difference between using a hub (and my extension cable) instead of using the extension only.
Can some1 explain this to me?
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If you use the extension only the bus is ‘running’ at usb3 bus speed (near 3ghz,and interferes horribly with especially zigbee and Thread radios but also ZWave (the stick itself hates it) and in some cases Bluetooth.(same rf spectrum.)
But. A usb Hub is its. Own electrical device and maintains a USB2 bus speed which does NOT interfere with the sticks. And acts as a… Buffer? (not exactly - but close enough to understand what’s happening)
So with the cable alone you are still on a. Usb3 bus speed and therfore the wire itself is still carrying the interfering signal but - with the hub it cranks that down which changes the speed to get out of that 3ghz zone.
Make sense?
Thanks for your replay. But Im not sure if I got it correct.
If I use the USB2 cable there is still inteference at the USB3 port of my NUC.
And this intefererance goes throuhg my USB2 cable and harms the stick at the end of it.
If I use a hub there is still inteferance at the USB port of my NUC, but no inteferance inside the cable? And the USB3 ports inteferance isnt that problem if the hub is far enough away.
And this only applies if I use a hub with its own power supply.
Something like this?
And if Im correct isnt this hub a must have (if there are only USB3 ports available) - even if everything would be working fine?
Because without having it, its only a question of time until something wents wrong?
The interference goes all the way to the input port of the hub. There is nothing inherent in your ‘usb2’ cable ‘blocking’ the USB3 bus oscillation. USB2 cables CAN absolutely carry USB3 signals they just aren’t tuned and optimized for it. That’s exactly WHY the hub matters and while we can’t guarantee a problem. Nobody will guarantee you WON’T have an issue without it.
Thank you very much man!
The hub is ordered.
And my apologiezes to @Hedda
You pointed out he importancie of this hub - more than once - and I (more or less) ignored your advice, because I (oviously) absolutely underestimadet this topic.
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No worries… USB3 interference is a very real problem…
Everyone setting up HA should watch this video before they start. Yes it’s that stark. A few cm is all it takes to wipe out comms.
After watching this video, which was posted here already, i thought:
Hey. The distance from my skyconnect to USB3 port is much more than in this video, so I didnt even spend a second on thoughts about interferance.
But now I think, I really should have started my “zigbee improvals” with the USB2 hub.
(As @Hedda pointed out in his first post here. So apologizes again bro!)
Im pretty sure there is no need to have the 3 Sonoff repeater dongles in my mesh, if maybe just interference is my problem (what it looks like, after your explanations).
But anyway. You cant have enough (good) routers Ive learned.
And these dongles really add a lot of green lines in my mesh)
So the only bad thing are the 100€ for the 4 dongles, plugs, and USB cables Ive spend.
In germany we say, who doesnt listen, needs to pay.
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Having a few dedicated Zigbee Router devices will make a huge difference when just getting started with Zigbee and you have not yet have added many non-dedicated Zigbee Router devices, but those dedicated Zigbee Router devices might be ok to remove if and when you added many other non-dedicated Zigbee Router devices that make up the difference. Regardless, you can never have enough Zigbee Router devices. Again that is also covered in my guide → Zigbee networks: how to guide for avoiding interference + optimize using Zigbee Router devices (repeaters/extenders) to get a stable mesh network with best possible range and coverage
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I got my USB2 hub (this one here: Amazon.de)
I turned off my HomeAssistant. Connected the hub where the Skyconnect was and plugged the skyconnect - with its extension cable - inside the hub.
The newly added USB2 hub is on the left side of my homeassistant, the skyconnect is on the right.
So I didnt change the distance from HomeAssistant to zigbee coordinator. (its about 2m).
But it didnt change anything.
Now I followed all the tipps in the guide and I really have no idea what to try next.
Any tipps?