ITead’s new “SONOFF Dongle Plus MG24" based on Silicon Labs EFR32MG24 radio microcontroller SoC has now been launched

[Hedda]

@Hedda

While it is not hard getting Multi-Protocol working you need to today be aware that Multi-PAN has over the last few years been proven to not be stable which is why it is now classified as experimental or unsable and is not recommended nor officially supported for production. So instead just buy two adapters and use one dedicated for Zigbee and the othet dedicated for Thread. For a more extensive explaination read my replies here:

• Are there Disadvantages using RCP Multi-PAN over EmberZNet NCP? · darkxst/silabs-firmware-builder · Discussion #41 · GitHub

@Ash.xiao as suspected, Sonoff marketing about adapters supporting Multi-Protocol / Multi-PAN is now confusing several users who think that using is a good idea to use that in their setup even though developers of Home Assistant’s ZHA integration and Zigbee2MQTT made it clear that it is not recommended.

@Ash.xiao Again, suggest you change all your marketing to clearify this as saying something is supported leads to a bad experience for both users and developers because people think that something should be supported if you say so:

• Sonoff multiprotocol addon configuration issue · Issue #543 · zigpy/zha · GitHub

@Hedda

@Ash.xiao

I have added the warnings for ZHA and Z2M as well as the recommendations for SONOFF to the product knowledge base. As for the display effect, it will be further optimized in subsequent updates.

Connecting to Home Assistant via ZHA | Dongle-M
Connecting to Zigbee2MQTT | Dongle-M

@Ash.xiao I do not think that is enough, and I do not think anyone else will think it is is enough either, all the marketing material on the Sonoff web pages for that product you really make it perfectly clean that using it as a Zigbee Coordinator over WiFi or VPN should not be used. In fact the opotite is true as they still more or less primarly promote the product as a Wi-Fi adapter for Zigbee, and the same goes for VPN.

FYI, this fact that you should not be using Serial-over-LAN via WiFi or VPN was further explained in the latest blog post on the Home Assistant website (which applies even though ibout Z-Wave):

• Connect ZWA-2 anywhere: Use Z-Wave over Wi-Fi or PoE - Home Assistant

@Ash.xiao ESPHome developers had to implement a custom solution for Protocol Buffers (commonly known as “Protobuf”) to serializing and buffer Z-Wave serial communcation in order to get a reliable Serial-over-IP tunnel connection over Wi-Fi:

• Z-Wave Proxy - ESPHome - Smart Home Made Simple

  • Overview - ESPHome Developer Documentation

So any old Serial-over-IP tunnel will not be good enough for users to have a good experience!

[Hedda]

@Ash.xiao please see replies here where Sonoff end-users have reporting to zha/zigpy developers that Sonoff multiprotocol is not working any good and zha/zigpy developers having to be the ones replying to each end-user explaining that using multi-protocol on a single adapter is not officially supported nor recommended, so users are on their own if they want to use such a unsupported experimental setup as well, and again they recommend just buying two adapters instead → Sonoff multiprotocol addon configuration issue · Issue #543 · zigpy/zha · GitHub

Quote: ”We do not support any Multiprotocol solutions anymore.” … ”I’d really recommend to avoid any Multiprotocol solutions and just get a second adapter. One for Zigbee, one for Thread.”

I would think this is in Sonoff interest as well as they could aell more adapters if all users only use didicated adapter for each protocol

Again, also see related diacussion here → Are there Disadvantages using RCP Multi-PAN over EmberZNet NCP? · darkxst/silabs-firmware-builder · Discussion #41 · GitHub

[ErMejoo (Matteo)]

@Ash.xiao wondering why we’re seeing the 7.4.5 EmberZNet with a novel device such as the MG24 and Max dongles. With 8.0.x and 8.1.x both available, and having tested both work just fine on the previous -E dongle, is Sonoff

1. Considering/evaluating the newer versions, if anything releasing them as beta?
2. Willing to enable developers to build firmware for it?

There was a similar conversation here with @Nerivec and it seems all that is needed is a manifest file such as this one - is it possible to provide it, for the MG and Max versions both?

[xertux (Ertuğrul Mengi)]

I bought 4 of these during the Black Friday deal. Using them as one coordinator and 3 routers. I’m hoping for no more headaches with my Zigbee network. The latest coordinator firmware is 8.0.2 right now, but the router firmware is still at 7.5.0. My old Dongle-E currently has 8.0.2 router firmware.

Do you think it’s just a matter of time before they release 8.0.2 or a newer router firmware for the MG24?

[Hedda]

@xertux

Do you think it’s just a matter of time before they release 8.0.2 or a newer router firmware for the MG24?

You can post an issue to ask that here → GitHub - itead/Sonoff_Zigbee_Dongle_Firmware

But in reality I do not think it matters at this time as currently there are no known benefits to 8.0.x version over 7.x.x version for the Zigbee Router function.

Maybe when Silicon Labs release Zigbee 4.0 compatible firmware for these (probably as version 9.0.x) then it will start to become important (and if also ZHA and Zigbee2MQTT adds support for Zigbee 4.0 then)

[darkxst (Tim L)]

@Ash.xiao

Crystal Frequency: 38.4 MHz
Pin Mapping:
TX = PC01
RX = PC02

Add Sonoff Dongle Plus MG24

[darkxst (Tim L)]

@Hedda

Any change that ITead/Sonoff could try contributing a code patch for that feature/function to the universal-silabs-flasher project as well if it is not already supported there?

Bootloader reset in Sonoff dongles has been supported for a very long time now! It works the same in new dongles using the universal-silabs-flasher rts_dtr reset target.