Is there a difference / recommendation on using the itead firmware vs. the darkxst firmware that I see throughout many posts / firmware upgrade discussions?
Already asked and answered a few posts above yours,
I posted this reply two months ago:
In practice they only differ in the version of the Silicon Labs EmberZNet SDK that the firmware image been build from.
There might also be some small configuration difference but both are built from the official SDK from Silicon Labs.
Sonoff has just not made any update images since initial release, however if they did it would basically be the same.
Recommendations varies depending on setup and devices used but in general with Zigbee the saying ”do not fix was isn’t broken” goes a long way.
So be sure to follow all the other best practice tips before update the firmware, see:
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I apologize, I totally missed that post above.
Is Thread’s situation similar to Zigbee’s? I’m trying to find the right Thread adapter for my smart home network. I found SMLIGHT SLZB-07 and ZBDongle-E, the former has hardware flow control and the latter does not. I’m not familiar with Thread network internals, so I don’t know if hardware flow control is an important feature of Thread.
You need to understand and be aware of that the Thread integration (and the Matter integration to support devices that use Matter over Thread especially) is still experimental and in early state of development so my advice would be to just buy a separate dedicated Home Assistant SkyConnect / Connect ZBT-1 for Thread if want to try using it via a USB dongle Thread (and Matter support) as that one has much better support for more developers than any other hardware.
Hardware flow control is not really important with modern hardware and newer firmware, but FYI the Home Assistant SkyConnect / Connect ZBT-1 USB dongle support hardware flow control too.
Thank you! After reading this I noticed I didn’t have the SecureCRT maximized to see the command input window! Also didn’t realize pressing 1 and the CCCC… means ready to upload via Transfer > Send Xmodem
Thread is also 250kbps, but since it is an RCP firmware the full bandwidth can be used between dongle and PC. This is why most thread builds are 460800 buaudrate.
Hardware flow control is not really important, I’ve yet to see any buffer overruns with ZBDongle-E which is with no flow control for thread.
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FYI, @Nerivec has posted experimental updated (8.0.x) Zigbee Router firmware for these dongles:
You can post feedback or bug reports to him as issues there in his repo + discussion there:
FYI. SONOFF has launched an online firmware flashing tool called SONOFF Dongle Quick Flasher , which supports ZBDongle-P and ZBDongle-E .
SONOFF Dongle Quick Flasher: Effortless Firmware Updates in 1 Minute - SONOFF Official
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I know it’s a frequently asked question, although not so much recently in this topic. April 2025, should I buy ZBDongle-P or ZBDongle-E actually for new HA installation?
Based on information from Zigbee Home Automation (ZHA) and Zigbee2MQTT (Z2M), the ZBDongle-E is the more recommended choice. Additionally, the ZBDongle-E offers the following advantages:
- Lower cost – More affordable than alternatives.
- Stronger third-party firmware support – Multiple firmware repositories available on Zigbee2MQTT.
- Easier firmware updates – Various web-based flashing tools available. (Note: This advantage is less pronounced since SONOFF officially released the Dongle Quick Flasher, which supports both ZBDongle-P and ZBDongle-E.)*
Reference Links:
- Home Assistant | ZHA Recommended Adapters: Zigbee Home Automation - Home Assistant
- Zigbee2MQTT | Adapter Guide: Supported Adapters | Zigbee2MQTT
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Both work great so it matters less today which ever one you go with, but see this other thread for that specific discussion on the difference → Zigbee buyer's guide
However it is still much more important to follow these best practice tips and recommendations regarding setup and Zigbee network optimation → Zigbee network optimization: a how-to guide for avoiding radio frequency interference + adding Zigbee Router devices (repeaters/extenders) to get a stable Zigbee network mesh with best possible range and coverage by fully utilizing Zigbee mesh networking
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Tell me, can Sonoff Dongle e with firmware Z3RouterUSBDonlge_EZNet6.10.3_V1.0.0.gbl be connected to ZHA? No matter how much I tried, HA does not find the adapter. Does the router mode work with ZHA?
Set ZHA in pairing mode. Press the boot button on the Dongle. Should pair as a router.
I am running ZBDongle-E since a month. ZHA recognised it directly.
Firmware ist last one that day end of april the sonoff dongle flasher provided.
Running HAOS in Proxmox on HP Elitedesk 805 with USB forwarded to VM.
Read my original post in this thread and follow the tips there. In summery you really need to use a USB-extension-cable not only only to get good reception but also because the plug is too short on these so they may not get a proper connection unless using a USB-extension-cable. Regardless of that, the general recommendation today is also to first upgrade the firmware using a different computer before initial setup.
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Any (new) recommendations for (newer) firmware for both the P and E model of the Sonoff ZBDongles.
Hello,
i have E version but z2m is not working. The output is as below and i have flashed it with sonoff flasher version 8.0.2 firmware. ZHA is working well though.
Any help would be appreciated.
For Zigbee2MQTT you should ask in their community instead, but I will tell you that you can not use both ZHA and Z2M to the same dongle, (if you want to use both then you will need to have two dongles). Anyway, ask here → Koenkk/zigbee2mqtt · Discussions · GitHub
ZHA is disabled already. I try Z2M without luck.