Hi,
I just bought a Homey Pro!
We have 85 ZigBee devices. I’m also testing some Tado X radiator valves with a plan to replace Honeywell Evohome. The Tado X valves use Thread and, if my testing goes OK, I’d have 12 Tado X valves.
2 Eve plugs would serve as Thread routers (i.e. repeaters). I would also replace some ‘Friends of Hue’ light switches with Matter-over-Thread light switches, so that would make 18 Thread devices in total.
For the Tado testing, my Thread border router is currently an Apple TV, but I would like to use the Homey Pro instead.
Is 85 ZigBee devices + 18 Thread devices: ‘OK’, ‘pushing it’, or ‘wouldn’t break a sweat’ territory for a Homey Pro 2023?
I guess forum posts might tend to bias towards something not working, so I don’t trust my searches so far.
Cheers!
Hi Wigster, and welcome,
The ‘multiprotocol’ usage of the zigbee chip by Thread, is not recommended. Of course it could work OK with not too many devices, but what is “too many”.
To me you are going towards the ‘pushing it’ point with ~100 Threadbee devices, but you’d have to test it (if you’re into that).
Otherwise, when you don’t have any plans to ditch the apples, I should stick with the apple Thread border router.
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Hi Peter,
Hi Wigster, and welcome
Thank you.
To me you are going towards the ‘pushing it’ point with ~100 Threadbee devices
This is what I suspected. Thanks again.
My main aim is reliable lights and light switches, as these not working are what annoy my partner most.
For some years, I used zigbee2mqtt + Node-Red but found occasional problems with zigbee2mqtt after upgrades. A year ago, I bought a Hubitat and it has been fine… until this week when it became corrupt for no obvious reason. I hadn’t even logged into it. This was the trigger to buy Homey Pro.
I have half an idea to use zigbee2mqtt on a device dedicated to ZigBee, on a separated subnet+VLAN with no internet access, and never update this device. This would facilitate ZigBee binding, which I never had time to get around to before. I could then use the Homey Pro for Thread devices (and Alexa).
Nothing is perfect, which my partner reminds me of when a light switch doesn’t work 
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I use z2m as well, it’s rock solid, and in a few years I had 2 major update rekated FU’s. So I’m very careful to update now, and 1st read the appearing github issues.
And never install .0 updates☺️
If I were you I’d stick to z2m for zigbee! It’s really from another universe compared to Homey zigbee.
I run it as H.A. add-on, so I use the HA community app for Homey, to import the devices to Homey.
You could use the Zigbee2mqtt community app for Homey.
And yes you always will have ‘something’ going on. Don’t blindly run updates (I’ve tried and had fun repairing), and turn off everything called “auto-update”.
From the start I’ve designed it like: when Homey / HA explodes, or the network goes down, it should be possible to operate everything by hand.
Hi,
zigbee2mqtt was rock solid which, ironically, contributed to me getting rid of it.
Because it was so stable, I never got to binding light switches to groups. After an update, zigbee2mqtt would send duplicate messages. As I was using toggling, a light switch would turn on lights, then immediately off. This was so quick, it looked like light switches did nothing.
This actually happened twice. It was easy enough to fix both times, but after that I thought maybe there’s something that’s less work. I guess I was a little harsh.
From the start I’ve designed it like: when Homey / HA explodes, or the network goes down, it should be possible to operate everything by hand.
I should have done things this way and now is a good chance to start again. But Homey doesn’t support binding.
The Tado X TRVs have been working fine for a week, so I bought some more. However, the ones I got last week are connected to an Apple TV. I connected a new one to Homey instead today but I’m not sure I would get firmware updates so maybe sticking with Apple is better.
I actually have a Home Assistant Yellow that I never got around to using but this seems like a good home for zigbee2mqtt. But then I would have an Apple TV + Homey + Yellow. This feels like the wrong direction.
@Peter_Kawa This is a puzzle. Your comments have been really helpful, thanks for taking the time!
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