Just be sure to use the /dev/serial/by-id naming convention for the port assignment in both ZHA and z2m. Linux can change the “ttyUSBx” names somewhat randomly when multiple USB devices are connected.
Otherwise, nothing special needs to be done. Just follow any of the z2m install guides that can be found elsewhere online.
Not really, but there are some “tricks” required to run multiple z2m addon instances:
Run one standard addon instance and one edge instance. This can be simplest since both are included in the addon repo.
Fork the addon repo in github, setup auto syncing, and add your new repo to the HA addon store. Forking a github repo is really very easy, again multiple online tutorials.
Add the standard z2m addon repo multiple times to the HA addon store. The trick here is to add an extra trailing “/” to the url, ie: “https://github.com/zigbee2mqtt/hassio-zigbee2mqtt/” and “https://github.com/zigbee2mqtt/hassio-zigbee2mqtt//”. I had four instances installed just as a test at one point (using multiple trailing slashes), so theoretically there is no limit to the number of instances with this hack. Biggest risk is the HA devs decide to deem this a url parsing bug and “fix” it.
For z2m, a cc2652p based stick with 20221226 or earlier firmware. I use the Sonoff ZBDongle-P on multiple HA locations, all rock solid.
I’m migrating to a new HA instance, but want to keep the old one running until the new one is setup. The old one uses a Conbee II stick.
The new HA instance will have a new smilight coordinator.
Can I connect/pair zigbee devices to both coordinators at the same time? Or can devices only be paired to one coordinator?
I have one more reason for 2 coordinators: resiliency.
I have my coordinator in barn, some time ago it have gone off. So whole network is down. I suppose rat chewed USB cable or USB port got broken. I don’t know yet for sure as it is remote location.
for the less tech savvy , is there a guide on a step by step process to add a 2nd coordinator device (skyconnect in my case) , make it a 2nd coordinator and integrate in the main ZHA installation?
alternatively , setup the skyconnect as Z2Q on a separate raspberry but then make the devices of Z2Q visible in the main ZHA installation via some type of integration
i use zigby2mqtt and found that one coordinator was not covering the full area I needed it to cover. I also found that adding wired zigbee devices (like plugs etc) were great but just did not have the coverage distance I needed. I use the “SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus Gateway ZBdongle-P” stick. my coordinator is plugged into my HA server via usb. I then have two additional sonoff usb dongles, re-flashed as routers. I use a cheap powered usb hub plugged into power and I plug the sonoff dongle, flashed as a router, into the hub and it does wonders to extend my signal.