Well…
I’m sure you know most of this already as you’ve obviously been grappling with it for a while, but a few general points (assuming all the devices you’re talking about are Zigbee)…
-
You can run ZHA alongside a proprietary hub that also uses Zigbee, but a device can’t be on more than one network.
-
By spreading your devices over more than one network you may be weakening all of them. A Zigbee network needs as many mains-powered devices as possible to create a strong mesh.
-
If you do need to spread your devices over more than one network, make sure you have a good mix of mains-powered and battery powered devices on each one. The mains powered devices are the ones that form the network.
-
If you’re going to have more than one network, you need to make sure that they are on widely spaced channels. The Zigbee signal is very low powered and vulnerable to interference.
-
For the same reason, all your Zigbee networks need to be well clear of the channels your wi-fi is using. Your wi-fi (or your neighbour’s wi-fi) will swamp them all.
-
For ZHA, your dongle needs to be on the end of a long USB extension lead so that it can be kept well clear of other devices, and the lead needs to be plugged into a USB 2 socket (not USB 3).
Lots of good advice here: