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

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If can not get a hold of the “IKEA Trådfri Signal Repeater” or the “Aeotec Zigbee Range Extender” then suggest you consider buying a few CC2652P-based USB dongles and flash them with Zigbee Router firmware, or alternatively many more mains-power smart-outlet Zigbee power-plugs for same purpose.

Personally, I recommend having at least three (3) dedicated Zigbee Router devices in any home/house.

“ZBDongle-P” with Zigbee Router firmware is highly recommended → ITead's "Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus" (model "ZBDongle-P") based on Texas Instruments CC2652P +20dBm radio SoC/MCU

Zigbee is meant to utilize a mesh network and for that you will need to add a lot of mains-powered Zigbee Router devices if you want to get better range and coverage or if you live in a large home with walls/floors/ceilings with building materials that block wireless signals in the 2.4GHz frequency. See:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesh_networking

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Zigbee is designed to work using “mesh networking” so yes Zigbee Router devices can communicate through other Zigbee Router devices, so the key should be to just add more Zigbee routing devices.

Zigbee routing devices are “the glue that holds the whole thing together” so adding more known good Zigbee Router devices is what will make your Zigbee network mesh stable, robust, and resilient.

However, a Zigbee mesh network will only work as designed as long as all devices follow the Zigbee specifications and allow pass-through of all messages from all devices, including those other than their own brands, which sadly not all Zigbee manufacturers do and there are unfortunately some poorly developed Zigbee devices that do not pass along all meaning, which is bad if you introduce such a device and other devices connect to it and expect it to forward its messages. I do therefore not recommend buying just any cheap mains-powered device if the main purpose is for it to work as a Zigbee Router device for extending the range and getting better coverage.

https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/zha#best-practices-to-avoid-pairingconnection-difficulties

Note that some Zigbee devices are not fully compatible with all brands of Zigbee router devices. Xiaomi/Aqara devices are for example known not to work with Zigbee router devices from Centralite, General Electrics, Iris, Ledvance/OSRAM, LIGHTIFY/Sylvania, Orvibo, PEQ, Securifi, and SmartThings/Samsung. Better results can usually be achieved by using mains-powered devices IKEA and Nue/3A Home or dedicated DIY routing devices based on Texas Instruments CC253x/CC26x2 and XBee Series 2/3 Zigbee radios.

I do absolutely not recommend doing that and strongly recommend against it! Not only is Zigbee Coordinator limited to how many Zigbee devices it can connect directly (known as “Direct Children”) and the firmware on each device should technically be tuned/optimized for the specific antenna that it ships with, but what you suggest would create a “star network” (also known as “hub-and-spoke” network) instead of a “mesh network” which is a bad idea as that is not how a Zigbee network topology is designed to work, that is that in fact the opposite how Zigbee networking is supposed to work → https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_network

You actually do not want a too good of an antenna on the Zigbee Coordinator as it is better if Zigbee End Devices (ZED, e.i. battery-powered devices) always connect through a mains-powered Zigbee Router device that is located closer to it as that should make its connection more stable and make it draw less battery making its batteries last longer. Again, just add more Zigbee Router devices instead.

For even more references (which will all tell you to first add known good Zigbee Router devices), read:

And watch these:

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