Sonoff Dongle-P preferred for Aqara sensors? I have SkyConnect + Aqara troubles

Hardware
1

Could you advise me on a new dongle after SkyConnect + Aqara troubles?

I live in Holland and I’m experienced in networking (Netgate pfSense, UniFi, Synology etc.) but I’m a Home Assistant first user since 4 weeks. Pi 4B + ZHA with Skyconnect + Aqara motion and climate sensors / Ikea bulbs / Thirdreality motion sensors. Aqara stuff gives me a daily headache (connections lost), I found this topic so I’m not alone.

Steps taken to solve the issue:

  1. USB cable 1.5m to place SkyConnect away from interference and USB3 and routers/wifi
  2. Changed zigbee channel from Auto (15) to 25 and 23
  3. Taken out a set of Abbess Smart Plugs
  4. Added reliable Ikea Tradfri Smart Plug to act as repeater
    Still losing Aqara sensors. Ikea bulbs and ThirdReality sensors work very reliably and consistently.

Looks like I need to replace the SkyConnect if I want to use Aqara enddevices reliably.

Would like to stick with ZHA, but if z2m is more reliable I might switch.

Done some searches. This source clearly advises against EFR32 for z2m so the Sonoff Dongle-E is out as it is marked as experimental. Or is it still? I see SmartHomeJunkie set up the Dongle-E with z2m and seems happy.

Question #1
Would it be worth trying z2m with the SkyConnect to get the Aqara sensors to play along, or is this a hardware issue between SC and Aqara, in case of which z2m would not bring any improvement?

Question #2
I am leaning towards Sonoff Dongle-P now with the Texas Instruments CC2652P radio chip because pretty much every source says the Dongle-P is rock solid and the Dongle-E is experimental. Or is the Dongle-E becoming the preferred option, even with Aqara sensors?

Any other input very welcome.

Thank you very much!

Peter from the Netherlands

2

Which Aqara sensors?

I use Z2M with the Sonoff Dongle-P and it is fine for me for the Aqara E1 contact sensors, E1 roller-shades and E1 TRVs.

1 Like
3

Hi @jchh ,

I have four Aqara P1 motion sensors (two of them work mostly fine), two Aqara Lumi weather sensors and two Aqara T1 light sensors (still boxed)

Then I have 5 Aubess smart plugs which all pair quickly but have so-so router functionality and some become unresponsive when placed further away:

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4

OK, sorry I don’t have any experience with those sensors.

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