Z2MQTT + Sonoff Dongle E. Worst decision I could make?

[SJ20035]

I only suggested Ikea as they are cheap and normally easy to get. The Sonoff’s should work fine.

@marque1968

Having said that, it does not explain to me that A (other brand zigbee bulb) just 2 meters away from the dongle fails as well on a regular basis, and a tuya door sensor even nearer only was able to pair, and hasn’t been online since (according to Z2M)

Firstly, battery devices don’t stay online as they only connect to send data - you should check the online timeout for those devices.

If you are having issues with other bulbs, then you may have interference. Ensure your dongle is on a USB extension cord (avoids interference from the device it is plugged into). Check the channel to ensure it doesn’t overlap with any WiFi channels in your area.

See here Zigbee network optimization: a how-to guide for avoiding radio frequency interference + adding Zigbee Router devices (repeaters/extenders) to get a stable Zigbee network mesh with best possible range and coverage by fully utilizing Zigbee mesh networking - Community Guides - Home Assistant Community