I have a HA Yellow and with around 120 devices, 90% zigbee network utilization and the overall experience is deemed unusable by the family folk. The entire community is banging on my choice not to have a solution with a stick at the end of a cable. If thats the common opion, why not discontinue HA yellow.
If theres anybody out there that can help me troubleshoot instead of lecturing me for buying a product that bears the home assistant logo, i would really appreciate the time.
It is understandably annoying for you that you have issues with your Yellow Box.
My Yellow Box includes some 60 Zwave and some 14 Zigbee devices, as well as some 30 TP Link and Tuya wifi devices. My YB runs quite well. Occasionally (maybe once every one or two months) either Zwave or Zigbee stop working. When that occurs a simple power cycling of the YB resolves the issue.
Let it be noted that I have the YB on a TP Link plug which allows me to the power cycling from the Kasa App on my phone.
Also, I have the YB connected to a secondary Wifi Mesh pod, which is more central in my home than where the modem/router is.
I’ve been running my non-HA logo’d NUC machine for 6+ years and I don’t ever remember a time that I had to power cycle it because my zwave or zigbee stopped working.
Maybe the OP is right about the robustness of the HA Yellow.
I noticed performance issues with the Yellow in general. However, I believe at least some of it has to do with the rather anemic 2GB of RAM that comes on the stock version’s CM4 and have since replaced it with an 8GB model. I can’t say that doing so would fix your issues, though.
My YB has 500 GB SDD
You could be right but personally I believe it is more related to the hundreds of automations that I have, and the issue always happened (IF it happened) after a restart needed for an Integration or system upgrade.
I posted my reply in your existing thread instead as still about Zigbee stability and the total amount of Zigbee devices that should be able to connect → Zigbee Utilization 90%, normal for 130 devices? - #15 by Hedda
While that reply might feel like a lecture I honestly think it will clear up a few essential misunderstandings and explain how should should go forward to solve your Zigbee problems.
If you do ignore that explanation then at the very least recommend read and try to follow the tips posted in my best practice guide for Zigbee which have helped hundreds if not thousands of others with similar Zigbee issues → Zigbee networks: how to guide for avoiding interference and optimize for getting better range + coverage
That best practice guide contains prerequisite actions that should be taken before even starting to troubleshoot Zigbee issues, and if you choose to not follow those best practices then it is your problem, but I strongly suggest that you try to listen to the advice given when asking for help.
Why otherwise ask? Help us help you!
If you do not first follow the best practices then
Off-topic but another lecture you might want to consider reading and take at heart before posting more comments like that in these hacker-type community forums → How To Ask Questions The Smart Way …especially the sections about “Dealing with rudeness (keeping cool)” and “On Not Reacting Like A Loser” based on that specific comment and you starting this new thread).
We are trying to support you and others, but understand that this is a community of enthusiasts and hobbyists volunteering our spare time to try to help and trying to impart knowledge we feel is needed is part of that. You are getting this help for free so do not expect the same treatment as when dealing with paid support from a commercial company with employees working in a helpdesk.
you mean like this:
and this (scripts are like automations):
I know I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve ever had to restart my NUC HA box in 6 years due to an issue related to HA. And very likely less than two or three times. The only (very rare) reboots I do are for system OS (Debian) updates, etc. I’d say it’s been over a year since the last reboot when I updated from Debian 9 to Debian 11.
The machine I’m running HA isn’t anything special either. It’s a 10-12 year old second hand NUC pc that I got for free from work when they were phasing the old ones out for faster ones. the only thing I did to it was upgraded from 8 to 16Gb of RAM.
And I’ve also never done anything special at all with my zigbee network or config to get it to work. It just works and, except for a very short time (a few weeks) a couple of years ago, it’s generally pretty solid. I do have an occasional device drop off (every few months?) but a quick re-pairing brings it right back. But I’m pretty sure that’s device related and not my HA machine’s fault.
And to put a finer point on it I have three 2.4GHz emitting devices literally within 3 feet of each other at my desk/workstation - a Unifi wifi AP, my production zigbee stick, and a Bluetooth radio that talks to a pair of Bluetooth speakers just 10 feet away. And at one time I had another zigbee stick 6 inches from my production zigbee stick (that runs under ZHA) when I was trialing Zigbee2MQTT. Both were plugged directly into the NUC machine without any extension cables or hubs. And I never had any issues.
I’m not saying any of those things can’t cause issues. But I am saying it’s not a forgone conclusion that you will have problems if you don’t take extreme measures. Maybe there are other underlying issues that amplify the problems and then require those other measures.
didnt mean disrespect, i was too sleep deprived and frustrated (which doesnt justify my falling out of grace). after getting proper rest, i will re-read your reply to the original thread. I apologize for my poor choice of words.
Ok you win the argument… and btw an argument was never my intention.
I enjoy communicating with most on this forum, but not with all 
I am just very satisfied with my Yellow Box and with HA in general and that is my final post on this specific topic.
I agree. Mine neither. It was simply a discussion of the question that the OP asked.
A discussion is usually a back and forth. That’s all I was doing.
My entire point was that if you are restarting regularly because something is locking up then that’s not normal. And I just explained why I thought that.
And TBH, the reply wasn’t even necessarily to your benefit. It was meant to give the OP a counter point to fan-boy-ism that sometimes permeates stuff like this. And if your HA yellow is locking up semi-regularly then the OP and others who might come later ought to understand that it isn’t normal.
I’ll refrain from speaking to you in the future. Unless you talk directly to me then consider this as the last time.
I never disrespected you or anyone else so I’m sorry if I upset you with providing a dissenting opinion.
Ram easy to monitor and its almost never over 50% and when it is, it is never 60%. Shouldnt I see a bottleneck on RAM easily?
I am (being) (successfully) schooled by @Hedda
the current state is far from unusable. I have to admit my role in the experience being subpar.
But; HA Yellow its much more flaky than i originally thought when i was cashing in on to the logo. Thanks for cutting me the slack,
I understand that “no antenna sticking out” wasnt the best of choices on HA Yellows part. But I also understand that powered off router lamps have much more dramatic effects than i anticipated.
My current impression is that HA Yellow has a poor design to battle interference, it simply wants me to avoid it