How bad are Aqara devices? Do I need to get rid of them?

Configuration Zigbee
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I had issues with some devices dropping off my Zigbee network so I migrated from a Sonoff ZBBridge coordinator flashed with Tasmota to a ZBT-2.

I had assumed that my device disconnections had come from the lack of reliability offered by the Wifi connection on the Sonoff and that this migration might help fix the reliability of my network.

After the migration, I reconnected all of my missing devices (the ones that had fallen off the network, everything migrated easily and correctly to the ZBT-2) and after a few days I lost connection to a couple of my Aqara Contact sensors and an Aqara motion senor.

These same devices were giving me issues with my previous setup but I thought I might try to improve things by getting a few Third Reality plugs to help act as routers. I installed those, reconnected my Aqara devices, and waited for the mesh to reform and adjust itself.

After another couple of days I lost the same devices.

I’m really starting to think that these Aqara sensors are trash but I love the size, and I’ve already invested in them.

Before I throw Aqara into the bin, is there a way for me to find out why these devices are dropping? Could this be because they aren’t using Zigbee 3?

I will say that I have a newer Aqara leak sensor and it’s been rock solid, never dropping, but I have a different, seeingly older, Aqara leak sensor that has dropped off the network never to return (it’s very hard to get to to reset).

The only other thing I can think of is that my routers aren’t playing nice with each other. I have three Peanut plugs, three Third Reality plugs, and a number of Ikea bulbs that are all acting as routers. Perhaps they don’t like each other? For a “standard” Zigbee sure seems to have a lot of brands that don’t play nice.

Lastly, I forgot to mention, I tried to change the channel of my network and allowed the ZBT-2 to choose it’s own and it kept the default so I assume that’s where I want to be.

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These are known to be very problematic Zigbee repeaters. Users on SmartThings, Hubitat, etc… have all reported the same issues with these old devices. I’d suggest replacing them with modern Zigbee devices that offer repeating functionality.

The original Xiaomi/Aqara Zigbee devices are also well known for falling off of non-Aqara Zigbee mesh networks. Some users have found a magic combination of non-Aqara Zigbee controller + repeaters that seem to improve stability. I chose the easier way and simply added an Aqara M3 hub to the mix. My Aqara Zigbee devices have never dropped and are integrated into Home Assistant using the Aqara hub’s built-in Matter Bridge functionality. This is all local and has been very reliable.

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Yep. If they lose the route they were paired with (e.g. a router goes offline) they will drop off the network until they are re-paired, which forms a new route back to the coordinator.

The Zigbee 3.0 versions of the sensors will re-route automatically.

I replaced all my Aqara zigbee v1.2 contact sensors with the newer 3.0 versions and have gone from the occasional disconnect every month or so to not one disconnect in the last year.

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Ok, that’s sort of what I thought. I think I’ll take them out of the network.

I have quite a few Ikea bulbs in the mix. How are they for repeaters?

I do have a few places where I want to have bulbs but I don’t want them to be repeaters as there’s a chance a switch could accidentally be turned off so I was thinking of putting the Sengled bulbs in those places.

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Oddly I think all of my routers are pretty stable but I have been using those Peanut plugs so I think I’ll swap them out for the Third Reality plugs and see how that goes.

Are the Third Reality plugs Zigbee 3.0? Anyone know?

**Found on Amazon that they are Zigbee 3.0

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Curious… what channel is your Zigbee network using? Default, I’m assuming channel 11. But what channel/s is your WiFi using?

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ZHA prefers to use 15 by default per this:

Zigbee Home Automation - Home Assistant

I am using 15.

I have two APs, one is on 6 and the other is on 11.

It looks like Zigbee 15 sit between Wifi channels 1 and 6 so I guess that’s why ZHA selected that channel. I could try to swap to 11 but I had read that some devices don’t support 11.

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So is the general feeling that the new Aqara sensors (Zigbee 3.0) are ok?

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Since I hve this in my ZHA config in configuration.yaml I have rarely ever had devices drop off. Not even the old aqara stuff.

zha:
  zigpy_config:
    ezsp_policies:
      TRUST_CENTER_POLICY: 0x0002 # ALLOW_UNSECURED_REJOINS
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I feel like an expert now in leaving the Aqara ecosystem. Just for different reasons, their thread is what killed it for me.

Upon switching to HA, I’ve found myself shedding Aqara products for better products like crazy. I binned my T2’s for INNR bulbs, sold my U100, FP300, Hubs.

This is what I have found, some of my Aqara products are pretty much irreplaceable so I’ve kept the app unfortunately. The FP2 stands alone, the FP1E is one of the best in its range. But like you, my P1’s are rockstars and I had a bunch. But they are just junk in the HA ecosystem ( swapped to TR door sensors to replace most of them).

I’ve found that there is a sweet spot somewhere between the placement and the pairing. Some recommend to pair right next to the coordinator, I’ve had better luck pairing between the desired placement and the coordinator.

Aqara products are well known to not play nice with other zigbee networks so it’s a routing problem for you most likely.

For my replaceable items, Third Reality has been amazing. Their power plugs and vibration sensor finally gave me the option of doing laundry automations. I’m finding that Third Reality is less fancy, but better quality in some cases.

If you have any questions on what I got rid of and kept, feel free to ask.

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I only have their contact and temperature sensors, but yes these have been working perfectly with a Tubes PoE coordinator and Zigbee2MQTT. I have a pretty well meshed network though:

image
image889Ă—885 115 KB

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Can’t say I share you experience. Running a bunch of Aqara stuff using both zigbee 1.2 & 3 on both ZHA & Z2M. Never had a dropout I can remember in 6 years.

Wait, which app?

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I had the same feeling. But, it wasn’t true. There is nothing wrong with old aqara sensors. As long as you use them the right way. And that’s just it. They work perfectly when your zigbee network has only Zigbee light link routers which never move and never turn off. But since people are mixing zigbee 3.0 routers in the mesh it’s getting problematic. Because zigbee 3.0 routers don’t all stay online due to power saving. Which is fine for zigbee 3.0 end devices, they just switch router. But all old Zigbee light link devices can’t switch like that and drop off instead. I even had that problem with old Philips Hue dimmer switches, which were rock solid before i moved everything from hue bridge to z2m. But thanks to AI and handing it the complete list of devices it told me exactly which devices i should remove from my mesh to make everything work again. Appeared to be some Nue rgb leds spots and some Gledopto led controllers.

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It’s so obsolete to think that a certain brand is good or bad in it’s entirety…

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I read that they often don’t follow the Zigbee standards so if that’s the case then I would expect none of their devices would work very well with an open standard like ZHA.

It’s one of the reasons that I asked for opinions though. I’ve certainly seen lots of videos where people are using them so clearly they are liked. I also like them, they are nice sensors but if they won’t stay in my mesh that doesn’t matter.

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What are you using for routers?

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Sorry, what would you say is the “right way”. I pair mine and then I leave them be (they are attached to doors). I assume my routers are a problem.

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What i mean that they are used in the right mesh. With the right routers.

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Force your zigbee to use zigbee channel 11 if your WiFi is using channels 6 and 11. zigbee channel 15 is in the lobe of Wifi channel 6. FWIW, I use Zigbee channel 25 and have my WiFi using channels 1 and 6. If there’s a good reason you don’t want your zigbee using channel 11, idk maybe you have neighbors that bogart that range, you’d still be better off forcing your zigbee to use channel 25, as it’s outside the lowest lobe of WiFi channel 11, so no crossover. If you put your zigbee on channel 11 (which is were WiFi channel 1 is), you will minimize your risk of any interference. Most zigbee devices support channel 11. It’s channel 25 that a lot of older zigbee devices, cheaper bulbs, and early 3.0 devices have issues with (not to mention there may be regional issues using channel 25 depending on the country you live in).

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Mostly Tuya stuff for now, with a couple of Aqara switches. Have a bunch of H1M & a couple of Z1Pro which I still need to hook up