How the Zigbee mesh is formed?

Configuration Zigbee
1

Hi all.

I am wondering how the Zigbee mesh is formed. What are the parameters that make a battery device connect to a specific repeater?

I am asking as I have a Zigbee mesh formed of 60 devices and to me it looks like a drunk babon is defining the mesh.

For example, I have a temperature sensor on my basement freezer that is 3ft away from a mains powered switch that is a repeater, and the damn sensor is connected to my bedroom lamp switch that is 3 stores up from it. By the way I did the sensor pairing at the basement, where the sensor is located, and it has been like this for 1 week.

Is the mesh something defined by my Zigbee stick? I am using the HUSBZB-1 with the latest firmware available.

2

It’s protocol level inside the mesh itself.

It is not user editable. The parent is defined as the first node to respond after a join request. And the most important part. if it works let it be.

3

You can force the new device to pair to another device if you think it would be better. I’ve done it after some of my battery devices dropped occasionally.

If you go to the device display in the ZHA integration you can force the new device to pair to that device by clicking “add devices via this device” under the “reconfigure device” menu.

But as advised don’t do it unless the devices aren’t working as is.

4

That’s pretty handy, thanks!

Question: Do you have to delete the device, then add it fresh to the new parent, or can you just switch it over using this technique?

FYI, I agree you really should never have to mess with the mesh. It seems to self-heal over time.

5

Even when paired/re-paired through a specific router, the end device may later re-route through a device you would not expect based on geography or what you can see in the visualization.

But some devices don’t re-route well or at all, so I do always pair initially with what I think is the best option.

6

You just select the device to pair with using the above and then put the device you want to add back into pairing mode however that is done for the device (I think on my Aqara devices I just hold the action button down for several seconds). It should re-pair it automatically.

1 Like
7

I do that sometimes but the damm things reroute themselves…lol
The problem is that they reroute themselves to a far away node and sometimes battery devices just lose connection if the battery is not 100% and requires repairing, which is annoying.

Well, I think that is part of life when using Zigbee. And given that it just happens if I add another repeater, then it is not a big deal.

The main reason I was trying to figure this out is that Ikea devices paired to a HUSBZB-1, just use all the battery if they try to reroute themselves.