Best Zigbee USB dongle

Off-Topic
1

Homey is a great platform and still a fan, bit I am getting a bit fed up with all Zigbee problems…

Which Zigbee USB dongles can you recommend for adding to my Synology NAS with Docker?

I would like to create a more stable Zigbee network (unfortunately outside Homey) and add the devices in that Zigbee network to Homey, so I can make use of Homey’s flows and integrations for those devices.

2

Sonoff ZB Dongle P or -E. They go for around €21,50

I use the E version with the zigbee2mqtt add-on at Home Assistant, 100% happy with it.

I don’t follow you here :man_shrugging::wink::smiling_face:

3

I would like to create a more stable Zigbee network and add the devices in that network to Homey to be able to use Homey’s flows and integrations.
Will update my post to be a bit more clear, sorry. :slight_smile:

1 Like
4

This one isn’t USB but still an excellent one SLZB-06 Zigbee Ethernet PoE USB LAN WIFI Adapter and there are newer versions also.
You would still need Zigbee2MQTT.io running in a container and configure the SLZB on coordinator mode. Also a MQTT broker is needed. Bith can be a container in your Synology. That is the way I have also.
If I remember correctly Synology removed access to USB for containers.

Finally install Zigbee2MQTT App for Homey | Homey
and presto, you get all devices and any groups you have setup in the z2m container.
Scenes are not support by the Homey app, which would be really nice to have thou.

5

These drivers can be used to get serial USB devices (which most Zigbee dongles are) working again in DSM: GitHub - robertklep/dsm7-usb-serial-drivers: Synology DSM 7 USB serial drivers

1 Like
6

I would buy one with a CC2652 chip on board, like the Sonoff Zigbee Dongle P (not the E).

A lot of dongles that use an EFR32 suffer from the same problems that Homey has (which also uses that chip), including instability (which, for some reason, for most people happens only after a while of use, not initially). It feels like it’s basically an eternal beta product.

1 Like
7

Hmmm, what would be the disadvantages of buying the Sonoff P version instead of the newer E version, @robertklep? You would expect Sonoff wouldn’t issue an updated dongle for nothing.

Are the problems still there and not solved with firmware updates?

Do you have any problems with the E version, @Peter_Kawa?

The fact that my Homey has the same chip makes me a bit hesitant about buying a dongle with the same chip.

Why would you rather choose a LAN version, @OH2TH? Just for more flexibility in placing it anywhere in your home network, or are there more factors to consider? It would also force connecting by Zigbee2MQTT and rule out Home Assistant (directly, and sharing those devices with Homey), I suppose?

8

There are no disadvantages, the Dongle P is widely considered to be much better than the E. The E isn’t so much an updated version of the P, it’s a different device with a different Zigbee chip. The E version also supports Thread, which the P doesn’t.

1 Like
9

Placement flexibility indeed and you can connect to Homeassistant if you want and share the device to Homey from there.

Second is that it’s RF coverage quite good.

1 Like
10

Hi Henk,

Valid question, I wouldn’t dare to recommend it if it were a lousy dongle :wink:.
Robert alr explained the differences, hence I also recommended the P model.
Maybe the P is the smarter choice?

I’ve had one situation where zigbee2mqtt couldn’t communicate very well with the dongle, because of a major software rewrite.
Rolling back to my cloned VM saved me there.
It took a while for the developers to catch and fix the issue. It works fine again with the latest z2m version + dongle firmware. It’s rock solid.

Btw, for Thread I use the SkyConnect dongle for use with Matter devices.

1 Like
11

I finally choose the Sonoff Zigbee Dongle E.
Any recommendations for connecting it through Zigbee2MQTT or Home Assistant?
The first seems a bit more versatile and flexible?
Seems easier to configure considering capabilities I think?

12

Hello Henk,

I can’t compare, but I run Z2M as H.A. add-on and I’m 100% happy with it.

I use the H.A. as virtual machine config from this howto.

which has several advantages imho:

  • hardware issues, or -upgrade: just clone the VM and start it anywhere else (pc, laptop, mini pc, thin client)
  • you can use a cloned VM as a test machine. When things goes south, delete it, and just start the ‘main’ VM → Not all my zigbee devices like that, I’ve to re-add those

Advantages of running H.A. as well:

  • Z2M blends in with H.A. very well
  • Because you have MQTT already running for Z2M, you can have selected or all of your Homey devices available in H.A.
    That offers possibilities for (optional: login-free) web based dashboard(s). Which can run in almost any browser, even as casted website to a Ggl Hub.
  • With the H.A. community app, you can go as far as you like, and when a matching device lacks, you can create it yourself with a so called ‘custom device’.
    I must say, both developers of the Homey Zigbee2mqtt and H.A. community apps are very active and open to suggestions.

Feel free to read my tutorial to integrate Homey and H.A.

1 Like