Replies: 12 comments 69 replies
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Btw, I wrote these sections for Home Assistant's ZHA integration documentation to emphasize the importance of Zigbee routers: Using router devicesZigbee uses mesh networking at the core of its architecture design and adding devices capable of acting as Zigbee router (sometimes also known as Zigbee signal repeaters or extenders) is very important because they increasing the total number of Zigbee devices that your Zigbee coordinator can control in its network as well as having an integral role in extending the overall range and coverage of your Zigbee network mesh. The fact is that without having at least a couple of good Zigbee router devices available you will normally not have a stable Zigbee network. The total number of Zigbee devices that you have on a Zigbee network depends on a few things, but you should know that Zigbee coordinator hardware and firmware usually only start to play a larger role once you have around 40 devices or more in your Zigbee mesh network. More important is how many directly connected devices ("direct children") versus how many routers are and can be connected to your Zigbee coordinator. Each type and model of Zigbee coordinator also gave a different limit for how many child devices can connect directly to it. Even if that limit is low on your Zigbee coordinator if your Zigbee coordinator hardware is powerful and its firmware capable of it then you can still have a total of hundreds or even thousands of Zigbee devices as long as they are indirectly connected through a mesh network with Zigbee router devices instead. The least powerful Zigbee coordinator hardware supported by Zigpy is CC2530/2531 and its default firmware only supports 15 devices connected directly to the coordinator. However, by having a backbone of good always-on Zigbee routers in your Zigbee network, the mesh network size can be extended exponentially. You can assume that most, if not all mains-powered/AC-powered devices, e.g., wall-plugs and always powered-on lightbulbs in your Zigbee network can serve as a Zigbee router and can typically each act as a router for around 5 additional end devices, while some dedicated Zigbee router devices can each act as a router for as many as 50 devices. You can for example use a DIY CC2530/CC2531 with router firmware which have a limit of 21 devices, while a DIY CC2652P/CC2652R with router firmware which have a limit of 50 devices, or the IKEA TRÅDFRI Signal Repeater which can route about 10-20 devices. An example using a CC2531 with default coordinator firmware + two CC2531 routers; Your Zigbee network device limit will be:
As an comparison example, using a CC2652 with default coordinator firmware + two CC652 routers; Your Zigbee network device limit will be:
Improving Zigbee network rangeLow signal quality can lead to transmission errors and related issues. This section has a list of fundamental tips on how to improve signal quality. Improving signal quality also maximizes range and resolves most problems related to transmission errors. Please try to follow at least some of these recommendations before posting on the community forums or reporting issues to developers and submitting debug logs.
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Did someone create a Zigbee router firmware build for the EFR32MG21? If so, I'd expect it to be possible to flash from Tasmota, but the current NCP firmware made available for Z2T was not created within the Tasmota project. |
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As I understand, EFR32 firmware for ITead Sonoff ZBBridge requires to be signed by someone with that knowledge + access. Also, I understand that cannot just sign any firmware blob you find as it has to be compiled with correct pin-layout mappings. Believe otherwise Sonoff ZBBridge have same pin-layout mapping as "SM-011 V1.0" and ITead Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle? Think only way is if Tasmota developers could get in touch with the person who compiled and signed its previous firmware. Does anyone happen to know who compiled and signed all the existing firmware images for the Sonoff ZBBridge? https://github.com/arendst/Tasmota/tree/development/tools/fw_SonoffZigbeeBridge_ezsp |
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This has been discussed several times already. While ZNP gives a simple way to change from coordinator to router, EZSP needs more work. It should be doable with the current EZSP version in ZBBrdige, but I won't spend time on it. The simple reason is that you can easily find Zigbee routers in almost any Zigbee plug or bulb - they are even cheaper than ZBBridge. |
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Are you saying that it could be possible, in theory, to re-configure the configuration in the current available "EmberZNet NCP UART EZSP" Zigbee application firmware for Sonoff ZBBridge in order to make the device into a Zigbee Router (ZR) instead of a Zigbee Coordinator (ZC), all without flashing the EFR32MG21 chip with some other custom EmberZNet Zigbee application firmware that has been specifically built and compiled to act as a Zigbee router? Via the EZSP CLI or? I thought that you would have to specifically build and compile a router firmware and then flash it with that firmware instead? If not so, do you think that it could then also be possible to via the EZSP CLI change the limit of children that can connect to it as a router? The reason I ask is that IIRC I read somewhere that default EmberZNet NCP firmware is limited to 32 direct connected end-device children but it is possible for a firmware developer to build and compile an EmberZNet NCP firmware with a higher limit of 64 end-device children instead.
While the sentence is true, the fact is that many are not very good as routers and most are also limited to routing 5-15 end-device children each. Even the mentioned "IKEA Tradfri Signal Repeater" has a weaker radio but also a firmware with a lower limit of end-device children that it can route. I believe it is the main reason that @tube0013 designed a dedicated Zigbee router that has firmware that supports connecting up to 50 end-device children: https://community.home-assistant.io/t/zigbee-router-on-steroids/280896 https://github.com/tube0013/tube_gateways/tree/main/tube_cc_router https://www.tubeszb.com/product/cc_router/4?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=3 "Description: Powerful Zigbee Router. Supports up to 50 end devices 8-10x the number supported by typical mains powered routers (bulbs and plugs). Strong radio for good coverage. Header for flashing firmware or other DIY uses. Based on the CC2652P2" Note! EFR32MG21 MCU Zigbee radio SoC hardware chip used in Sonoff ZBBridge is performance beast, at least on paper: Silicon Labs EFR32MG21 (EFR32 Mighty Gecko Series 2) SoCs and MGM210 modules are newer or released later than its closest competitor which is the Texas Instruments CC2652P (CC2652R/CC2652RB variant with an integrated Power Amplifier) tube uses. EFR32MG21A020F1024IM32 used in the Sonoff ZBBridge (and the new ITead Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle) is more powerful than any currently available in Texas Instruments CC2652 series or previous Silabs EFR32 series, plus it has slightly more onboard resources than the CC2652P. https://www.silabs.com/wireless/zigbee/efr32mg21-series-2-socs/device.efr32mg21a020f1024im32 https://www.silabs.com/wireless/zigbee/efr32mg21-series-2-modules https://www.ti.com/document-viewer/CC2652P/datasheet
The antenna design, as well as antenna positioning, will of course also play a very vital role in signal reception, and each implementation will be different, like for example onboard PCB trace circuit-board antenna versus SMA-connector or uFL + external antenna that is positionable and replaceable. |
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Dear Hedda. Yes the EFR32MG21 is having more hardware resources then My "Billy EZSP" but at least the IKEA devs can putting things together not only on the paper and making it working in real life. And some "other" is using one state or the air chip and is making the hardware so bad that many devices is being broken in under one year and must patching the software for not calibrating the chips then manufacturing the module and USB- sticks. I think if you like having one god router then go for the new GU10 CWS3 or one silver glans that is having one Silabs original MGM210LA22JNF2 module and if you need one long range you need cooking one own hardware and building one god antenna but is then out of certificated parameters and is getting large problems with interference from all radios in the surroundings (500 m radius and 1500 devices is chatting with your coordinator). And one more question way do you need 64 direct children in one Zigbee NCP then you have routers that is doing the work in the mesh ??? Edit. Thanks for getting the "secret of the Sonoff firmware" from there firmware cooker its have solve 2 months of sniffing and analyzing way Sonoff ZBB is killing all different (not only IKEA) sleeping end devices in ZHA and also in Z2M. |
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Sounds a bit similar to how the https://github.com/zsmartsystems/com.zsmartsystems.zigbee.sniffer project by @cdjackson uses the https://github.com/zsmartsystems/com.zsmartsystems.zigbee framework can be used to reconfigure EmberZNet based adapters? https://github.com/zsmartsystems/com.zsmartsystems.zigbee#readme |
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@MattWestb I understand how mesh networks work but please understand there are scenarios where you do not have or wish to have many other mains-powered devices and instead just want to buy and use many battery-operated Zigbee end-devices. In scenarios where you are just starting wanting to buy either just a few or loads or inexpensive battery-operated Zigbee end-devices like temperature-sensors, motion-sensors, door/windows-sensors, or wireless remotes/switches, and you begin by installing them spread out covering a large property then the limited range of Zigbee quickly comes into play. Here is when it would be nice suggesting to a person who primarily wants to add battery-operated devices to just buy one or two relatively inexpensive but powerful Zigbee router devices to get instant coverage over a large area and/or ranged devices. |
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EZSP is able to be either a coordinator, router or end-device. You don't need a specific build for that. It all depends on how you configure it from the application side that sits in the ESP. So yes, it should be possible to code a simple router in Tasmota. Of course, you can also flash the application directly in the EFR32 on top of EZSP, without needing any additional ESP. In this case you need a specific EFR32 firmware. |
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xsp1989 announced the good news is that router firmware will be released soon for Sonoff EFR32MG21 USB dongle, and I believe that uses the same firmware as their Sonoff ZBBridge Zigbee bridge? ITead has by the way now released Silabs EmberZNet 6.10 (v6.10.3) firmware for their EFR32MG21 dongle and could be that this firmware can maybe work on ZBBridge too? https://github.com/xsp1989/zigbeeFirmware/tree/master/firmware/Zigbee3.0_Dongle |
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FYI, Zigbee Router firmware for EFR32MG21 adapters/dongles has now been released by @xsp1989 on GitHub. From readme sounds as if as so far been tested with ITead Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle and an SM-011 based USB adapter. Since the same "SM-011 V1.0" Zigbee radio modules by CoolKit Technologies is also used inside some Zigbee gateways/hubs like the popular ITead Sonoff ZBBridge Zigbee Bridge as well as ZB-GW03 eWeLink Ethernet Zigbee Gateway sold by EACHEN and SmartWise, so could perhaps be that the same Zigbee Router firmware could maybe also be used on the SM-011 Zigbee module in all or some of those products as well? https://github.com/xsp1989/zigbeeFirmware/tree/master/firmware/Zigbee3.0_Dongle/RouterForDongle |
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I made 3 times the whole procedure following your guide step by step. It doesn't find anything... firstly i flashed the device with tasmota, then firmware update with zbbridge.bin file. Then configuration module parameters (i selected sonoff zbbridge), firmware upgrade with router firmware (gbl. ota file), waited reboot, sent the command on consoles and made the pairing mode. On my coordinator I clicked "add device as router", on the zigbee I pressed with paper clip on reset button, waited some seconds and then reset again. Green light turned down and it would be found on the device but... it's not. Tried also from the gui with toggle 1 on off, same result. |
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Flash back to coordinator and verify module 75 works. |
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I think I misunderstood a basic thing. I thought that the zigbee router could communicate with the coordinator also if it was far away from the router itself, but under the same wifi network. So if the router doesn't get the zigbee signal from coordinator it will not be available for pairing, is that right? |
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The wifi portion doesn't do anything with the Zigbee comms in the router mode. |
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Yeah, there is no bridge/gateway communication whatsoever when using it in Zigbee Router mode. It will be like always having two separate devices that have no communication between them. There is no Zigbee data/messages going on the Wi-Fi network at all. You can compare it to plugging a stand-alone Zigbee Signal-Repeater/Range-Extender device into a stand-alone Tasmota WiFi power-plug, as with such a setup you would also be able to power off and on the Zigbee Router device in order to refer it if it hangs. The added benefit of having combined devices like ITead Sonoff ZBBridge (and ZB-GW03 eWeLink) as a Zigbee Router is that you can also remotely put them into paring/joining-mode in case you need to re-pair them to the same or another Zigbee solution if migrating. |
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@xsp1989 That is awesome! Thank you! Any suggestions for how Tasmota could trigger the joining/pairing mode? Via EZSP or? Do you think Tasmota could send basic serial commands to this Zigbee Router firmware to initiate paring/joining and restart/reset? For reference this request to @xsp1989 for a signed Zigbee Router firmware built for ITead's Sonoff ZBBridge as also discussed in xsp1989's zigbeeFirmware repository on GitHub here -> xsp1989/zigbeeFirmware#2 and also indirectly discussed here -> xsp1989/zigbeeFirmware#16 PS: Have not tried this myself as I got rid of my ITead Sonoff ZBBridge because being WiFi-based it did not work any good as a remote Zigbee Coordinator, but might reconsider buying one if it worked as a Zigbee Router device that can be paired/joined and restarted/reset remotely via Tasmota and/or ESPHome. So that Tasmota/ESPHome is basically only used to initiate virtual join/pair button and restart/reset the device similar to a remote power-cycle it hangs. |
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@Hedda This firmware can ground the PA00 5S into pairing mode, and ground the RST to restart routing. |
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There is also another version of the routing firmware that can control the join network through a proprietary serial port protocol |
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@Hedda https://www.digiblur.com/2022/02/convert-sonoff-zigbee-bridge-to-router-repeater.html |
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I followed the instructions and was able to convert my Sonoff Zigbee Bridge to a router. Works well, except I notice it never had more than 6 direct children. I didn't expect this as the zigbee bridge can handle many more child devices as a coordinator. Am I doing something wrong? |
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Well, if your network includes other routers (basically mains-powered devices), there may be so much "competition" that just another router will not get a lot of direct children. Why should it? |
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It was the only router and I even tried to add a new device directly to it (with ZHA) and it would not add the 7th. When I replaced it with a new Sonoff dongle plus (running as a router), that router did not have problems supporting more child devices. I just wanted to know that there is no known limitation like some other routers like the tradfri smart plugs before I keep trying. |
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This guide worked perfectly for converting Sonoff Bridge into a Tasmota Zig Router Also contains instructions that work 100% for adding it as a custom device to zigbee2mqtt |
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The same Zigbee Router firmware has now also been tested on ZB-GW03 eWeLink Ethernet Zigbee Gateway which is based on ESP32 and the same "SM-011 V1.0" EFR32MG21 module by CoolKit that ITead uses in their Sonoff ZBBridge Zigbee Bridge: https://github.com/syssi/esphome-zb-gw03/blob/main/docs/router.md ZB-GW03 eWeLink Ethernet Zigbee Gateway ZB-GW03 v1.0 / V1.2 have an RJ-45 Ethernet port and is sold rebranded under many names, including EACHEN and SmartWise brands: |
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I am sorry that #9199 has been closed and blocked. Meanwhile I saw also the solution here: |
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With the recent new feature in HomeAssistant 2022.9.x ZHA to migrate radios I took the opportunity to replace my Sonoff Bridge with a Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB dongle. The migration went perfectly. And I thought I would repurpose the ZBBridge as a Router. |
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Has anyone managed to resolve this? - I'm still not able to pair the ZBBridge in Router mode with ZHA |
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I'm curious as well. But now to use the ZBBridge as router in the same network it doesn't work, because 2 devices can't have the same IEEE address (i.e. the new coordinator and the now-reflashed ZBbridge-router). Any solutions found to change the IEEE address on the ZBbridge-router to something else? |
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Flash it with normal coordinator firmware and user ZHA-CLI for changing the IEEE if it with backup commands. PS: In latest EZSP (7.3.1.0) sirlabs have implanting software commands so changing the IEEE without flashing it but its need being implanted in the host system and no open system have implanting it what i knowing or router firmware. |
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Thanks for the reply, that's sort of what I ended up doing. Warning: Do not leave the old device powered on with coordinator firmware with the same IEEE address. Some clear instructions for changing the IEEE address.
Now you can put the router firmware on the Sonoff and then pair it with your ZHA as a router device. |
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Great that is was working in real and good instruction !!! |
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I'm a bit lost. If the original zbbridge is now flashed as a router, it will not be picked by ZHA as an IP based device via Tasmota. The only way you will see it is as a Zigbee router in the list of zigbee devices |
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Would use of the tunnel cluster allow Tasmota to capture traffic for other clusters? Otherwise, you could only bridge traffic specifically originated with the purpose of tunneling, which may not be that much of a use case. |
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I have no clue. I didn't know the existence of the tunnel cluster 😄 |
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I would think that could maybe be possible too, but what could be the use cases for that? Sniffing Perhaps for some light variant of Zigbee sniffing? Capturing OTA packages? ... it was also discussed in ZHA/zigpy community about the possibility of adding USB adapters with Zigbee Router firmware to other instances of Home Assistant in order to capture some data however I do not remember what the use case for it was(?).
I would think that many existing IP-bridge users would say that also being able to use IP-bridging for tunnelling Zigbee Router devices over IP to extend the range coverage of a Zigbee network to remote areas of your home that can otherwise not be reached with normal Zigbee Router devices would still be a great use case alone on its own, at least for users of Home Assistant's ZHA and other similar Zigbee implementations, such as example Zigbee plugin for Domoticz and Zigbee Plugin for Jeedom. |
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I think its not possible tunneling Zigbee / IEEE 802.15.4 over one serial line that is based IEEE 802.15.4 then you need all parts of the frame with low level ACKs and all and having 250 kbit/s of bandwidth and trying squeezing thru 250 kbit/s plus overhead sounds like one bad thing and is only open for problems. The serial tunneling can being good if like using remote sensors that is using UART and also "converting" tuya MCU devices from WiFi to Zigbee then having the MCU decoding in the host system (if can sheeting the MCU using the new pipe). Better wold being using one OTBR with patched firmware on one ESP32 that tunneling the IEEE 802.15.4 and also piping the Zigbee frames to the other side transparent then it shall being possible "extending" the Zigbee mesh network OK. |
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@Hedda My point was that if you want to use the tunneling cluster to bridge Zigbee traffic, then you need to transform that traffic from other clusters to the tunneling cluster, meaning that some type of sniffing (like in the router) would be required to make ends meet. Without that, your are left with having a tunneling of serial traffic only, which may be useful in limited cases, but very far from your dream. Question would be how to transform existing Zigbee traffic to serial, able to be wrapped in the routing cluster back on Zigbee, and how to transform it back to non-routing-cluster Zigbee traffic at the other end. |
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hi. I'm very new to ZigBee and have a usb stick with EFR32MG21A020F768IM32 ZigBee 3.0 USB Dongle printed on it. Is there a way to convert this to use as a router? |
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Have you looked for this feature in other issues and in the docs?
Yes.
Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
A clear and concise description of what the problem is.
No.
Describe the solution you'd like
A clear and concise description of what you want to happen.
Please consider providing a "Zigbee Router" firmware for EFR32MG21 in Sonoff ZBBridge by ITead as an alternative firmware for it.
Sonoff ZBBridge Zigbee to WiFi bridge can already work as a "Zigbee Coordinator" and gateway/hub with the existing NCP firmware that the Tasmota project provides for the Zigbee radio MCU SoC inside it, but if the project could also provide a "Zigbee Router" firmware for it then users could buy additional Sonoff ZBBridge devices and flash with that alternative firmware in order to use them as Zigbee router devices (sometimes also known Zigbee signal repeaters or Zigbee range extenders).
Sonoff ZBBridge could make a perfect Zigbee Router device due to its low-cost, powerful Zigbee radio, and stand-alone design.
The idea would to be to run Tasmota on its ESP8266 MCU and Silabs EmberZNet Zigbee Router firmware on its EFR32MG21 MCU.
https://www.itead.cc/sonoff-zbbridge.html
https://www.cnx-software.com/2020/07/27/sonoff-zigbee-bridge-tasmota-firmware-home-assistant-zigbee2mqtt/
https://www.cnx-software.com/2020/04/16/sonoff-zbbridge-wifi-to-zigbee-gateway/
Describe alternatives you've considered
Some of the currently popular Zigbee Router alternatives include these:
CC2652P router by tube0013
https://community.home-assistant.io/t/zigbee-router-on-steroids/280896
https://github.com/tube0013/tube_gateways/tree/main/tube_cc_router
https://www.tubeszb.com/product/cc_router/4?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=3
CC2530 (with CC2591 or CC2592 Power Amplifier) DIY based router as recommended the Zigbee2MQTT community:
https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/how_tos/how_to_create_a_cc2530_router.html
IKEA Trådfri Signal Repeater
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/tradfri-signal-repeater-30400407/
https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/p/tradfri-signal-repeater-30400407/
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/tradfri-signal-repeater-80424255/
Additional context
Add any other context or screenshots about the feature request here.
(Please, remember to close the issue when the problem has been addressed)
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