Z2M Error: [INIT TC] Network init timed out after 10000ms

gerald-00 · August 1, 2025, 1:44am

Hello,
I’m running HAOS on a RaspPi4, which seems to be getting bored with its tasks in my environment – no performance issues.
I use a Sonoff Dongle-E and have tested both ZigBee firmware 7.4.5 and 8.0.2. I switched from MultiPAN to pure ZigBee and use a second Dongle-E for Thread because MultiPAN is no longer being developed. Before the switch, ZigBee and Thread worked flawlessly.

The platform is a Raspberry Pi 4, and the dongle is connected to one of the two USB 2.0 ports with a USB cable.
I have configured the Zigbee and Wi-Fi router channels to be as far apart as possible to minimize mutual interference.

I’ve read many threads in different forums, but haven’t found a solution for my problem (details see below):

error: z2m: Error while starting zigbee-herdsman
...
error: 	z2m: Error: [INIT TC] Network init timed out after 10000ms

I have completely reinstalled Mosquitto and Zigbee2MQTT.

I set up my own MQTT user with a password – in my test case, the user is “mqtt” with a password.
After reinstalling Mosquitto, all devices that use it work normally and are also displayed with the help of the ‘MQTT Explorer’ add-on.
Sending/receiving messages over a test topic also works.
=> This means that the MQTT broker is functioning.
Zigbee2MQTT does not work and logs errors. I have set the log level to ‘debug’, which only provides the information that everything seems okay so far.

The access to the dongle works, I see the message protocol in debug mode, the firmware version of the dongle is displayed correctly, … → looks good.
Nevertheless, I get this error:

[2025-07-31 07:15:18] debug: 	zh:ember:ezsp: <=== [FRAME: ID=23:"NETWORK_INIT" Seq=27 Len=6]
[2025-07-31 07:15:18] debug: 	zh:ember: [INIT TC] Network init status=OK.
[2025-07-31 07:15:18] debug: 	zh:ember:ezsp: <=== [CBFRAME: ID=25:"STACK_STATUS_HANDLER" Seq=27 Len=5]
[2025-07-31 07:15:18] debug: 	zh:ember:ezsp: ezspStackStatusHandler: status=OK
[2025-07-31 07:15:18] debug: 	zh:ember: [STACK STATUS] OK.
**[2025-07-31 07:15:28] error: 	z2m: Error while starting zigbee-herdsman**
[2025-07-31 07:15:28] error: 	z2m: Failed to start zigbee-herdsman
[2025-07-31 07:15:28] error: 	z2m: Check https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/installation/20_zigbee2mqtt-fails-to-start_crashes-runtime.html for possible solutions
[2025-07-31 07:15:28] error: 	z2m: Exiting...
**[2025-07-31 07:15:28] error: 	z2m: Error: [INIT TC] Network init timed out after 10000ms**
    at Object.start (/app/node_modules/.pnpm/[email protected]/node_modules/zigbee-herdsman/src/adapter/ember/adapter/oneWaitress.ts:283:23)
    at EmberOneWaitress.startWaitingForEvent (/app/node_modules/.pnpm/[email protected]/node_modules/zigbee-herdsman/src/adapter/ember/adapter/oneWaitress.ts:308:63)
    at EmberAdapter.initTrustCenter (/app/node_modules/.pnpm/[email protected]/node_modules/zigbee-herdsman/src/adapter/ember/adapter/emberAdapter.ts:869:36)
    at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5)
    at runNextTicks (node:internal/process/task_queues:69:3)
    at processImmediate (node:internal/timers:453:9)
    at EmberAdapter.initEzsp (/app/node_modules/.pnpm/[email protected]/node_modules/zigbee-herdsman/src/adapter/ember/adapter/emberAdapter.ts:707:18)
    at EmberAdapter.start (/app/node_modules/.pnpm/[email protected]/node_modules/zigbee-herdsman/src/adapter/ember/adapter/emberAdapter.ts:1547:24)
    at Controller.start (/app/node_modules/.pnpm/[email protected]/node_modules/zigbee-herdsman/src/controller/controller.ts:133:29)
    at Zigbee.start (/app/lib/zigbee.ts:68:27)
[07:15:30] INFO: Preparing to start...
[07:15:30] INFO: Socat not enabled
[07:15:31] INFO: Starting Zigbee2MQTT...
Starting Zigbee2MQTT without watchdog.
Onboarding page is available at http://0.0.0.0:8099/

My Z2M Configuration:

version: 4
mqtt:
  base_topic: zigbee2mqtt
  server: mqtt://core-mosquitto:1883
  user: mqtt
  password: <mqtt-passwd>
serial:
  port: /dev/serial/by-id/usb-Itead_Sonoff_Zigbee_3.0_USB_Dongle_Plus_V2_8c9c0faa5fe7ed11a73c6b6262c613ac-if00-port0
  adapter: ember
  baudrate: 115200
  rtscts: false
advanced:
  log_level: debug
  channel: 25
  network_key:
    - xxx(0)
    - ...
    - xxx(n)
  pan_id: yyyy
  ext_pan_id:
    - yyy(0)
    - ...
    - yyy(n)
frontend:
  enabled: true
  port: 8099
homeassistant:
  enabled: true
onboarding: true

I would be grateful if you had a solution for my problem or could send me a link to a thread that potentially shows me a solution.

BR, Gerald.

francisp · August 1, 2025, 3:55am

You did uninstall the multi-protocol add-on ?

gerald-00 · August 1, 2025, 5:09pm

Yes I did.

humingchun · August 3, 2025, 12:44pm

I don’t understand. The logs clearly stated Zigbee2MQTT was running, you just have to visit the Onboarding page to complete the initial setup. You should visit this page (http://0.0.0.0:8099/) by clicking the Open Web UI button on the Info page of Zigbee2MQTT Add-on.

I think you can safely ignore the error if you are using USB Dongle, not Network Dongle (UART over TCP).

shadyhulk · August 3, 2025, 1:31pm

What co-ordinator firmware are you running on Zigbee dongle, if you don’t mind? I use it in my HA can help figure it.

For me, I created a user called “mqttuser” instead of “mqtt” and it sorted the problems for me.

FYI, I use Z2M Edge Add-on as it works with different firmwares.

gerald-00 · August 7, 2025, 9:35am

Thank you for the hint, but I don’t think it’s a username issue. My Tasmota devices work with the user ‘mqtt’. I still renamed ‘mqtt’ to ‘mqttuser’ (I could have also called it ‘karl-heinz’) and had to reconfigure all Tasmota devices. All the Tasmota devices are working again, but ZigBee2MQTT still do not.
It’s probably not the username

francisp · August 7, 2025, 9:46am

Network init timed out is probably Zigbee2MQTT can’t create the Zigbee network. I would try to re-flash the dongle, and use 8.0.2 firmware.

https://github.com/Nerivec/silabs-firmware-builder/releases/download/v2024.6.2-update7/sonoff_zbdonglee_zigbee_ncp_8.0.2.0_115200_sw_flow.gbl

gerald-00 · August 7, 2025, 10:48am

I can handle that, but currently, there are no active ZigBee devices → only the coordinator (Sonoff Dongle-E) is present, so there’s no real network.
BTW, I initially used firmware 8.0.2, but I was advised to revert to version 7.4.5.
I rolled back to FW 6.10.3, then upgraded again to 7.4.5, and now I will try 8.0.2 again…
Both sticks can be flashed via Homeassistant without the need to remove them and flash them connected to a PC.

Shumitu · September 29, 2025, 10:54am

I had exactly the same issue with my NUC and that dongle, tried different software versions, nothing helped.
Finally I have discovered that my wmbusmeters had device setting set to auto:t1 which was scanning all serial ports for suitable devices and z2m does not like it, if anything touches serial port from a dongle, it will crash with that error.
Solution was to set wmbusmeters to one radio device (instead of auto mode), I also set donotprobe=all and then z2m started without issues.

gerald-00 · October 4, 2025, 6:32am

Thank you for the tip. I actually also installed the wmbusmeters add-on. I have now removed it because I no longer use it. However, the problem still persists. Here is an excerpt from the z2m debug log:

[2025-10-04 07:49:58] debug: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: <--- [FRAME type=DATA ackNum=4 frmNum=4](frmRx=4) Added to rxQueue
[2025-10-04 07:49:58] debug: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: ---> [FRAME type=ACK frmRx=5](ackRx=4)
[2025-10-04 07:49:58] debug: 	zh:ember:ezsp: <=== [FRAME: ID=23:"NETWORK_INIT" Seq=27 Len=6]
[2025-10-04 07:49:58] debug: 	zh:ember: [INIT TC] Network init status=OK.
[2025-10-04 07:49:58] debug: 	zh:ember:ezsp: <=== [CBFRAME: ID=25:"STACK_STATUS_HANDLER" Seq=27 Len=5]
[2025-10-04 07:49:58] debug: 	zh:ember:ezsp: ezspStackStatusHandler: status=OK
[2025-10-04 07:49:58] debug: 	zh:ember: [STACK STATUS] OK.
[2025-10-04 07:50:08] error: 	z2m: Error while starting zigbee-herdsman
[2025-10-04 07:50:08] error: 	z2m: Failed to start zigbee-herdsman
[2025-10-04 07:50:08] error: 	z2m: Check https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/installation/20_zigbee2mqtt-fails-to-start_crashes-runtime.html for possible solutions
[2025-10-04 07:50:08] error: 	z2m: Exiting...
[2025-10-04 07:50:09] error: 	z2m: Error: [INIT TC] Network init timed out after 10000ms
    at Object.start (/app/node_modules/.pnpm/[email protected]/node_modules/zigbee-herdsman/src/adapter/ember/adapter/oneWaitress.ts:285:23)
    at EmberOneWaitress.startWaitingForEvent (/app/node_modules/.pnpm/[email protected]/node_modules/zigbee-herdsman/src/adapter/ember/adapter/oneWaitress.ts:310:63)
    at EmberAdapter.initTrustCenter (/app/node_modules/.pnpm/[email protected]/node_modules/zigbee-herdsman/src/adapter/ember/adapter/emberAdapter.ts:869:36)
    at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5)
    at runNextTicks (node:internal/process/task_queues:69:3)
    at processImmediate (node:internal/timers:453:9)
    at EmberAdapter.initEzsp (/app/node_modules/.pnpm/[email protected]/node_modules/zigbee-herdsman/src/adapter/ember/adapter/emberAdapter.ts:707:18)
    at EmberAdapter.start (/app/node_modules/.pnpm/[email protected]/node_modules/zigbee-herdsman/src/adapter/ember/adapter/emberAdapter.ts:1547:24)
    at Controller.start (/app/node_modules/.pnpm/[email protected]/node_modules/zigbee-herdsman/src/controller/controller.ts:133:29)
    at Zigbee.start (/app/lib/zigbee.ts:67:27)

It are only the last lines. The communication between the host and the stick works. In the end I get the timeout error .

The log file is from Zigbee firmware 7.4.5. With Zigbee firmware 8.0.2 I also get the timeout error, but in the end I still have multiple ‘Received frame with CRC error’:

...
[2025-10-04 08:19:54] debug: 	zh:ember:ezsp: ===> [FRAME: ID=23:"NETWORK_INIT" Seq=27 Len=7]
[2025-10-04 08:19:54] debug: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: ---> [FRAME type=DATA frmTx=3 frmRx=3](ackRx=3)
[2025-10-04 08:19:54] debug: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: <--- [FRAME type=DATA]
[2025-10-04 08:19:54] debug: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: <--- [FRAME type=DATA ackNum=4](ackRx=3 frmTx=4)
[2025-10-04 08:19:54] debug: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: <--- [FRAME type=DATA ackNum=4 frmNum=3](frmRx=3) Added to rxQueue
[2025-10-04 08:19:54] debug: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: ---> [FRAME type=ACK frmRx=4](ackRx=4)
[2025-10-04 08:19:54] error: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: Received frame with CRC error
[2025-10-04 08:19:54] debug: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: ---> [FRAME type=NAK frmRx=4](ackRx=4)
[2025-10-04 08:19:54] debug: 	zh:ember:ezsp: <=== [FRAME: ID=23:"NETWORK_INIT" Seq=27 Len=9]
[2025-10-04 08:19:54] debug: 	zh:ember: [INIT TC] Network init status=OK.
[2025-10-04 08:19:54] error: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: Received frame with CRC error
[2025-10-04 08:19:55] error: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: Received frame with CRC error
[2025-10-04 08:19:56] error: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: Received frame with CRC error
[2025-10-04 08:19:57] error: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: Received frame with CRC error
[2025-10-04 08:20:00] debug: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: <--- [FRAME type=ERROR]
[2025-10-04 08:20:00] error: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: Received ERROR from adapter, with code=ERROR_EXCEEDED_MAXIMUM_ACK_TIMEOUT_COUNT.
[2025-10-04 08:20:00] error: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: ASH disconnected | Adapter status: ASH_NCP_FATAL_ERROR
[2025-10-04 08:20:00] error: 	zh:ember:uart:ash: Error while parsing received frame, status=ASH_NCP_FATAL_ERROR.
[2025-10-04 08:20:00] error: 	zh:ember: Adapter fatal error: HOST_FATAL_ERROR
[2025-10-04 08:20:04] error: 	z2m: Error while starting zigbee-herdsman
[2025-10-04 08:20:04] error: 	z2m: Failed to start zigbee-herdsman
[2025-10-04 08:20:04] error: 	z2m: Check https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/installation/20_zigbee2mqtt-fails-to-start_crashes-runtime.html for possible solutions
[2025-10-04 08:20:04] error: 	z2m: Exiting...
[2025-10-04 08:20:05] error: 	z2m: Error: [INIT TC] Network init timed out after 10000ms
...

gerald-00 · October 5, 2025, 4:34pm

@francisp
Thanks for the link. I installed this firmeware - same behavior as the 8.0.2 which will be proposed and installed by the ‘SONOFF Dongle Flasher’ addon which installs the latest ‘stable’ version.
There ist a developer version, 8.2.0, available but it does not support software flow control. That means Dongle-E ist not supported.