Zigbee extender / repeater or router (EU plug)

Questions & Help
1

Hi

i recently bought a homey bridge, for basic needs with flows etc and currently have 5 zigbee units configured.

i’ve read that you need a zigbee extender/router/repeater or something after 10+ devices, where to buy such a device? i cant seem to find a “brand” who makes them ,like Aqara and other things.

it has to work with the Homey Bridge, since i dont have Homey-Pro.(yet) :slight_smile:

2

In theory any mains powered zigbee device acts as hop/router.
Here you can find all Homey bridge supported zigbee devices:
https://homey.app/nl-nl/apps/browse/#filter?connectivity=zigbee&platform=cloud

Note: not all zigbee brands mix well, try to keep it with one brand. I had issues with Ikea lights and Aqara sensors for instance.

3

So like, an aqara smart plug should work as a router?

  • all my lights are Hue, so i dont want to buy a aqara light bulb.
    from what i can see thats the only 2 aqara unit that is powered?
4

Yes

Wich brand(s)?
I’ve had 12 Aqara zigbee battery powered sensors in every rooms of my house, and it worked fine. You can go up to 18 devices without a router enabled device.
It is not recommended, but if it works, it works.
They work fine together with Ikea smart plug by the way (not with Ikea lights!). A few Lidl lights/smartplugs can also do the job. Works well with Aqara sensors here.

5

I only have aqara battery-powered stuff, like 2 temperature and humidity sensor, 2 door sensor, 1 mini switch-button.

rest of the “lights” is pulled in from HUE cloud. i dont think they count as regular “Zigbee” unit. since they arent directly added.

can you add a random zigbee plug through homey-add-zigbee or does it have to be one from approved store?

6

OK, yes Hue has it´s own zigbee network, it doesn’t mix with Homey bridge and they don’t ‘see’ eachother.

In theory you can add ‘just’ a zigbee plug, using the Homey generic zigbee driver. It can turn it on/off nothing more. (When you have plugs with energy metering f.i., you’ll need an app which supports the device.)

I don’t recommend a random zigbee plug, while the Aqara’s seem picky, but I have good results with Ikea plugs and Lidl plugs together with Aqara sensors.

7

If you want a Range Extender, search for 'Aeotec Range Extender Zigbee '.
That is a Range Extender for Zigbee. With this you can build a good Zigbee network.

8

thanks, i will look into that one.

9

And do those work well with Aqara sensors, Henk?

10

Aren’t the Hue bulbs routers/ extenders themselves. I have throughout my whole house hue bulbs whithout hardly any routers/extenders. I have some innr smart plugs added into the hue app and those are the only extenders i have. But those are at the end of the network, so actually they don’t extend the zigbee range.

11

Yes in theory every mains powered zigbee device acts as router

12

Hello Peter,
Sorry but i don’t have these devices so i don’t know that. But the devices i have (Hue) works fine.
Henk

13

I have 12 aqara sensors and they mix very well with Innr plugs (that act as router) on my Homey Bridge

1 Like
14

Hi, I’ve bought a couple of cheap Tuya USB Zigbee 3.0 Signal Repeaters and they work perfectly.
They have been added to Homey as a generic Zigbee device with no additional functions.
When I look at the path other Zigbee device follow, these repeaters show up as routers for Homey, so they work properly.
Note: I’m using a Homey Pro, not sure if you have the option for generic Zigbee devices (by Athom) on the Homey Bridge

15

Yes it’s there