My journey to get a rock solid ZigBee network continues.
I’ve done the following already:
- Analysed the crap out of my logs using Gemini AI and Copilot
- Removed many dodgy chatty devices
- Added probably double dedicated routers spaced nicely
- Upgraded to the Sonoff Dongle Max Coordinator
- Slightly repositioned my WiFi router to reduce interference
- Created dashboards and cards in Home Assistant dedicated to keeping an eye on my ZigBee performance through device drop offs and LQI
I have seen significant improvements but it is still not maintenance free. Running my logs through AI again today told me that since I’m using a Unifi multi AP network, wifi channel interference spilling over from channel 1 and 6 was creating huge issues with ZigBee channel 15. It advised me to change Zigbee network instead of wifi network as my multiple access points needed separation to avoid wifi congestion.
So how did it go? Using ZHA UI I simply changed channels to 25 as AI had insisted as it said it was the most free channel and would be miles away from wifi channels 1 and 6.
Key points on the channel change:
- Super easy to do in ZHA UI
- I think 100% of my mains devices automatically moved from channel 15 to 25 instantly. A simple test of toggling lights revealed instant responsiveness. I was delighted with this.
- Some battery ZigBee devices automatically changed channels
- Motion sensors that had recently been triggered changed automatically and I think they all were Tuya cheapies
- Some Ikea Tradfri remotes also changed channels
- One Lockwood T Lock changed automatically
- Most other battery devices needed manual pairing again including Samsung Smartthings devices, Cygnet devices, Tuya devices, Xiaomi devices, Aqara devices
- I faced many devices getting stuck at Interview Complete which was frustrating
- I walked around the house room by room and paired one to two devices at a time. Whenever I got impatient with devices getting stuck at Interview Complete I would try pairing another device whilst I waited
- Trying to pair more than two at a time ended up with none being paired successfully
- Despite resetting or making the battery devices enter pairing mode again, when searching for devices to pair sometimes it would simply pair in the background and nothing would show in the ZHA searching for devices screen. Only reason I knew it had paired again was it triggered an automation routine
- Some devices got stuck in pairing mode despite ZHA connecting the device. This would then trigger ZHA to reconnect the device again and again. Removing the battery fixed the issue
- Xiaomi door sensors drained their batteries after the channel change. Perhaps they were stuck searching causing the drain and perhaps the battery was already on the low side. Didn’t have to change any other batteries but not saying it didn’t also drain a chunk of them in the cutover.
- Some devices are still dropping off the network but with a mass reset of the mesh, I’m not really surprised
- Running my logs through AI again was comical. Gemini was spouting more doom and gloom saying the channel shift worked but didn’t fix my interference issues and now it is even worse. I made claims that wifi channel 11 was shouting so much creating ZigBee channel 25 disturbance. It said my network is in a state of critical collapse. NWK_DECRYPTION_FAILURE count is at over 200,000!!! It also claims mass device drop offs and mesh instabilities. PHY_CCA_FAIL_COUNT is 1110 which implies my stick often can’t find a split second of silence to send a command. One of my devices is also stuck in a rejoin loop still apparently.