I’m running a small network because of a door lock (Easy Touch) that is only available in Zigbee. My main system is Z-Wave with an ID Lock in our part of the house, where we have a patio door that can be opened in a bind. This Zigbee lock is the one I had available with a physical key as a backup, which was needed in the appartment I rent out in my house, since there are no other way to get in than the main door.
I also have a door sensor, a motion sensor and a temp sensor, all Aqara, which has no such issues, but I’ve read a bit about different firmware for the SONOFF Dongle E around the forum, and I’m a bit confused…
The SONOFF is the coordinator in the network, I also have a secondary coordinator from IKEA, the Trådfri extender, since the placement of the Pi with the SONOFF isn’t ideal for the space where the door lock is located.
The version that I flashed when I got this in September of 2024 is given as Revision: 7.4.4 [GA] in Zigbee2MQTT. Is this the best version to use, or is there something newer I should use that will be better at anything?
The lock itself is a bit flakey and looses connection every now and then, it has to be reset by pulling a battery and putting it back in, so maybe a newer or different version would help for that?
Zigbee is a mesh network, and requires a routing device like every 25 feet to have a robust network.
If a device id ‘flakey’, it probably means you need a smartplug plug or other routing device between to help it network. Like 2 zigbee devices per room seems to work well in most homes.
That is likely not a coordinator because Zigbee can only have one per network. It would be the same as plugging any mains powered routing device in the area. See more in the Cookbook Zigbee section:
Thanks for answering! And sorry, you’re right. The IKEA is a router and extender, not a coordinator. It’s around 20 feet from the Sonoff, and the devices are around 15 feet from that IKEA again. And I have tried having the Pi with the SONOFF less than two meters from the devices for several months, and that did not help at all. And now that’s not an option anyway because I need to have it in my part of the house, not the rented out part.
So all I wanted with this thread was to ask what is the best firmware for the dongle.
Edit: I guess I’ll just have to experiment and see what works best. I have now flashed 8.2.2 from Nerivec’s repository.