Zigbee2MQTT (via LAN) on HA docker version

Dear all,

I am running HA on a Synology NAS in a Docker container.
Currently I am using the DECONZ integration for my ZigBee devices, but I want to change to Zigbee2MQTT for a better handling / OTA …

Now I ordered a SonOff 3 USB Stick.
I want to use this stick in a Raspberry Pi4. MQTT is already running on a different NAS. I am using it for my Sonoff devices.

Now I regonized that I can not install the addon

on my docker HA version, because addons are not supported. Via HACS it is also not possible.

Is there a way to get Zigbee2MQTT working in the HA docker version ?
NAS1 → HA in Docker
NAS2 → MQTT Broker
PI4 → Sonoff 3 Stick

You can install zigbee2mqtt as a docker container rather than an add-on, see: Getting started | Zigbee2MQTT.

Though this seems to be a slightly convoluted setup. If you had purchased a zigbee to serial Ethernet coordinator you would not need the Pi. Just a connection to your network.

HACS provides frontend resources (cards/themes/other dashboard stuff) and integrations, not add-ons.

But if I install zigbee2mqtt on a docker container (or on the PI) how does it work that HA creates the devices ?

The addon is just a docker instance of z2m. It doesn’t have any sort of special access to HA.

z2m publishes discovery packets to the mqtt broker. HA sees those packets and automatically creates the devices/entities. It doesn’t matter where z2m is physically running, all comm is via mqtt.

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So, are you saying that with HA, z2m, mqtt all in separate docker containers that there is no integration of z2m with ha? That we only integrate mqtt with HA?
If there is some sort of integration of z2m with ha, between their containers, can you give a few hints how to do that step?

I run Zigbee2mqtt on another computer. The integration is through MQTT.

As previously stated, all comm is via MQTT, but both Home Assistant and z2m have tweaks to make that communication pretty seamless, regardless of how or where z2m is hosted.

The only “extra” integration via the addon is:

  • the ability to stop/start via HA’s addon interface,
  • the ability to track/apply z2m updates via the HA addon interface
  • the option to easily add a link for the z2m frontend to the sidebar (which can be addressed by other methods)

None of the above impact day to day usage.