I’m very confused about the migration process from the TubesZB EFR32 MGM24 PoE Coordinator 2024 to the ZBT-2 with Zigbee2MQTT (NOT touching ZHA in any way shape or form). Both use the same chipset, and the firmware is very similar. I’m seeing oddities with some (not all) Aqara FP300s in Zigbee mode. Here’s what I did to migrate:
Got ZBT2 serial path, modified Z2M to change the port, baud rate, and turned rtscts to true. Adapter stayed EMBER.
Stopped Z2M. Unplugged TubeSZ controller (PoE)
Started Z2M.
Most devices (lots of Hue lights) came back online without issue. So did several Aqara FP300s, but not all. Two of them were non-responsive. So I did a factory reset of the FP300 and tried to rejoin them to the Zigbee network. Z2M sees the device join the network, then about 30 seconds later it disappears from the Z2M device list. Then it re-appears, then disappears.
Home Assistant on my Raspberry Pi 5 just offered me a ZBT-2 firmware update from 7.4.4.3 to 7.4.4.6. The first install attempt failed with an error:
Error during service call to update.install: Failed to probe the firmware after flashing
The second try succeeded but now a repair showed up:
Error setting up entry Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 for zha: Incorrect firmware installed
Zigbee adapter with multiprotocol firmware detected
Your Zigbee adapter was previously used with multiprotocol (Zigbee and Thread) and still has multiprotocol firmware installed: (GECKO_BOOTLOADER).
To run your adapter exclusively with ZHA, you need to install Zigbee firmware. Follow your Zigbee adapter manufacturer’s instructions for how to do this.
(In fact, I never used multiprotocol with ZBT-2, the only thing I did was following the default path during setup a few days ago.)
At this point (probably already after the first failed install attempt), my Zigbee network was completely gone because ZHA couldn’t work anymore.
Disconnecting and reconnecting the ZBT-2 USB cable didn’t help. Restarting Home Assistant then did help though! My Zigbee network is back and the repair is gone, too. Maybe this helps someone.
i just got zbt-2. previously, i had a home-assistant yellow with an integrated zigbee/thread tranceiver.
the two usb-A ports on my unit were already in use for other devices (zwa-2 and in insteon 2413u). the yellow has a 3rd usb port (type-c), so i thought i would try using that.
for some reason, when connected to the usb-c port, the yellow box did not see and report the ZBT-2 as a new device and offer to transfer. i temporarily disconnected my old insteon modem, hooked the ZBT-2 to the usb-A port and i was then able to follow instructions for migrating to the new zigbee interface. i did this and it went smoothly.
anyone have any experience with this issue? any idea why i can’t just use usb-c port (obviously with a “regular” symmetric usb-c cable connecting to the ZBT-2)? do i possibly need to get a small usb hub? any recommendations?
i had never had any reason to think about this before, but it appears from the hardware description of the HA Yellow box, that the two usb-A ports are “host” ports, while the other usb-c port is a “device” port. the device port is used for stuff like flashing the OS of the system, etc, but (it seems) can not function as a 3rd port for connecting devices.
so back to my earlier question: can anyone recommend a reliable basic usb hub with at least 1-2 extra ports? presumably this only needs to be usb 2.0. i’d prefer one that doesn’t require separate power input. mostly just looking to avoid additional hassles at this point.
The answer is that you should be able to use any basic USB 2.0 hub that does have an external supply, as those that do not have an external supply are known to not provide stable power.
Amazon Basics 7 Port USB 2.0 Hub Tower with 5V/4A Power Adapter is a good example:
If your computer only has a USB 3.x port then buy and connect the adapter via a powered USB 2.0 hub
Using via USB 2.0 hub will in practice convert USB 3.0 to a USB 2.0 port and thus avoid USB 3.0 EMF
A USB 2.0 hub that uses an external power supply will ensure power requirements are fulfilled
That is, not using an external supply to the USB hub is known to cause one kind of problem here. And using an USB 3.0 hub instead of a USB 2.0 is known to cause another kind of problem here.
PS: Note and be aware that the quoted above is almost formulated as The XY problem if it was taken out of context since you say that prefer one that does not require separate power input.
thanks, @Hedda. i was certainly overthinking this. (immediately after under-thinking it w.r.t. what i thought was the 3rd port) my system was down and i was trying to get a solution quickly. found this on amazon and they delivered it this morning and i’m back up and running for <$4.
Something doesn’t add up here, at least in my environment. I had a ZBT-1, and it worked fine. Rarely a small delay or a missed command, but maybe it wasn’t even signal strenght related. I “upgraded” to ZBT-2 (hoping I would have a bulletproof network with it), and it’s incomparably worse…
LQI dropped significantly for all devices, for some over 50%. RSSI is slightly higher, but nothing drastic.
I’ve tried in 2 locations: inside a plywood cabinet and on top of it. Both of those locations are theoretically better than where the ZBT-1 was placed (inside the cabinet, 20cm away from the router, 20cm away from a rpi with a BT radio, bellow a metal mesh). In both spots where I tried the ZBT-2 the distance to the router and rpi is at least doubled. Even outside the cabinet the metrics are considerably worse than on the ZBT-1.
I have a feeling there wasn’t too much thought put into the fact that houses have more than a single floor. ZBT-1 could at least be tilted. With ZBT-2 everything bellow and above it (without much horizontal offset) is basically a dead zone (50-60 LQI at best)…
I’ve either been sold a broken device, or something about the design of this thing is just wrong. It’s far from the x4 faster/better experience that was advertized.
Here are my measurements and comparison with the ZBT-1. I’ll leave it running for a day or two, hopefully it stabilizes and metrics increase, but I don’t have my hopes up. More likely it will end up in the trash can and I’m going back to the dongle…
Note that because that is not USB-hub with an external power-supply you are going against recommendations and best-practices so should there be any wierd or intermittant problem symtons then expect that USB-hub not delivering stable power at all times. Again, using such USB-hubs without external power-supply a infamous for causing problems, which is a leason I suspect you will learn sooner or later with that setup, (and just to save 10-bux I guess by not bying the suggested USB 2.0 Hub with external power-adapter. The expressions “penny wise, pound foolish” and " Stingy to the point of being counterproductiv" come to mind, meaning make stupid mistake buying cheap stuff that are not good enough to serve the purpose and thus not getting the value of a good product or solution you would get if you paid more ). Bad choice long term I bet. Anyway, considered yourself informed and be warned that it will probably fail you at some point.
Also make sure you try to follow all best-practices regardless, and remember the go to rule for getting a stable Zigbee network; when in doubt, just add more Zigbee Router devices!
Yeah, but that is not the point. It’s completely the same network as it was before the migration. It’s absurd that ZBT-1 has 2x better LQI than the new “4x better” ZBT-2. I might as well just revert to ZBT-1 instead of throwing in more routers just so I could keep ZBT-2 (which in itself is not something I would like to keep aesthetically. If it has better signal, sure… since it doesn’t, it’s completely pointless to have this glow-stick on display).
As for best practices, it can’t be perfect all the time. You can’t have an empty house and the zigbee coordinator in the dead center of it, being the only device you have in the whole house. I followed less best-practices with the ZBT-1 than I did now, and it had 2x better LQI… Something doesn’t add up here
Ok, they could be calculated differently, but it shouldn’t be that much of a difference. They are both on the same 0-255 scale. So if it drops 50% or more, I don’t see how could that be equally good, let alone “4x better” like the advertisment claims
). Bad choice long term I bet. Anyway, considered yourself informed and be warned that it will probably fail you at some point.
