Maybe someone here can help. I have a Zigbee network and have been using ZHA with various light bulbs, sensors, and outlets. I recently tried to add some TS0505B bulbs to an outdoor light fixture. I paired the bulbs inside the house using an indoor light socket. I was able to control each bulb and change its color.
Then I moved the bulbs outside to the lamppost and they all seem unreachable. I even tried putting a Zigbee outlet plug in the garage, about 15 feet from the fixture. My hope was that this garage plug would provide the needed range for the E12 bulbs to connect to the network. I am able to control the garage plug but it seems that maybe it can’t quite reach the outdoor bulbs?
Has anyone else experienced this or have an idea how to fix? I was thinking to try another Zigbee smart plug on the same side of the house where the lamppost is.
If they have an RSSI or LQI entity that will show you what their signal strength is, take note of those numbers, then remove them from HA and try to re-join them from outside. If they can be added from outside you can compare the LQI or RSSI numbers to see how the signal compares. If they fail to join outside then you still have an issue with the ZigBee signal getting there.
You should pair them close to their final destination - i.e. don’t pair them and then move them. Some devices will continue to try to connect to the original router and refuse to find a closer one. By pairing it in place it will find the closest one, which is presumably the one the the garage. Depending on the integration you’re using, you may also be able to see a network topology providing a clue as to what is connected to what - although with a lot of Zigbee devices it’s very hard to interpret.
If you’re asking about range, you’re still thinking of Zigbee in terms of point-to-point messaging.
A stable Zigbee mesh blankets an area with connections. Devices should be able to adapt to changing conditions by changing the routers they link to - you can’t force them to make any particular connection. One router (however close) may work some of the time if you’re lucky, but as you’ve found it may not work at all.
LQI and RSSI values can be useful to give you an overview of how a network is performing, but they change all the time (set up an entities card and have a look).
This is going to be very dependent on the construction of your house. I have multiple Zigbee mains powered switches on external walls and have several bulbs and other Zigbee devices outdoors without issue. That said, I also have a wood sided house, if you have brick, metal or similar, that’s not likely going to work. I have a relative that we were able to place a lamp in the window and that allowed the outdoor devices to communicate. That might also be a solution, but it’s a single point of failure.
Also agree with the above, pairing and moving can cause issues. Try to strengthen your mesh, then pair where it’s going to be placed, if it won’t pair, keep working on the mesh.
Thank you all for the suggestions. I ran an extension cord halfway to the light post from the house, and moved the garage zigbee plug onto the end of it. Lo and behold the lights joined the mesh.
I guess the lesson for me here is that some devices (such as my Sonoff plug) have a much stronger signal range than the light bulbs do. Thankfully the light post also has an outlet on it. Sticking the Zigbee outlet plug there also worked!
