Sonoff ZBDongle-E & Aqara Sensors issues (Z2M)

Configuration Zigbee
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Hello everyone,

I have switched from Deconz and Conbee II to Z2MQTT and Sonoff ZBDongle-E (ITEAD_SONOFF_Zigbee_3.0_USB_Dongle_Plus_V2).

I successfully transferred all my Zigbee devices from Deconz over to Z2M.

But since the transfer, my Aqara PIR sensors and Aqara contact sensors have had a weird issue not communicating changes to HA.
I do not know if the sensors do not report back to HA fast enough or if the connection is the issue or even compatibility issues.

Let me present an example:
I walk into a room and the PIR sensor does not change state immediately.
Sometimes it takes 3-10 seconds, sometimes minutes, and sometimes it just does not change.
Throughout the day this happens often enough to cause frustration and inconvenience.
There are times when it works like a charm and updates as I move around the house instantly.
The same goes for the contact sensors. Sometimes they register a change, sometimes not.

I tried to find a pattern to the issues but I failed blatantly.

The things I tried:

  1. Connect the PIR/contact sensors either directly to the coordinator (Sonoff Dongle) or through any other IKEA bulb I have around the house.
  2. Change all their battery with fresh ones
  3. Delete and reset them at least 10 times each and re-connect them
  4. Checked the link quality of the sensors to be high (255 for all of them)

My setup:

  • Sonoff’s firmware is Multi-PAN (RCP) 4.3.1 (latest)
  • I’m using Silabs Multiprotocol Addon to use the dongle for both Zigbee2MQTT and Matter and Thread
  • HA is updated on the latest version 2023.10
  • All add-ons are updated to their latest versions

My hardware:

  • Raspberry Pi 4 (SSD over USB)
  • Sonoff ZBDongle-E (ITEAD_SONOFF_Zigbee_3.0_USB_Dongle_Plus_V2) connected with a USB extension cable to combat interference issues with Raspberry’s USB. The same cable was in use for 2 years with Conbee without issues.
  • PIR sensor Aqara (Xiaomi) RTCGQ01LM
  • Contact sensor Aqara (Xiaomi) MCCGQ01LM

Does anyone have had similar issues or any pointers on what to try next?

Thanks for reading this lengthy post :slight_smile:

2

The devs don’t recommend using the multi-pan firmware and that stick is experimental in Z2M.

I’d suggest buying a CC2652(P) based stick for Z2M, and use the Sonoff E for Thread only.

Oh, and check that your bulbs have been power cycled recently - the Ikea bulbs have a known firmware bug that can cause them to stop routing traffic while still working.

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