I recently setup my ZigBee network in Home Assistant, using a Conbee III with deConz on my Synology NAS.
I purchased a few Aqara Temperature sensors and a couple of Mini Switches.
I was able to get them to pair just fine, but they won’t remain online for more than a couple days. They then drop off and I can’t even reconnect them easily. I need to try to pair them again like 10 times before they come back online.
At this point I don’t know if the problem is my network, the Conbee III, deConz, or the Aqara devices.
I don’t know much about ZigBee, but a couple things that I tried so far were:
- Use a USB extender instead of connecting the Conbee III directly to my NAS.
- Bring the devices as close a possible to the gateway. I don’t have a big home, so I don’t think distance is a factor here, but still, I put of the sensors right next to the gateway, and it would still drop after a while.
Do you have any hints on things to try to get this fixed, or at least identify the problem?
No, I don’t have any ZigBee routers, just the Aqara sensors. My home is pretty small, so I didn’t think I would need them, but I am leaning towards that being the issue. Last night I paired one of the sensors again, right next to the controller and left it there - literally 5 cm from it. It has stayed online so far, which is more than it usually does.
Weird thing is that I have another sensor in that same room just like a couple meters away and that one keeps dropping. Is ZigBee’s range really that short?
What criteria should I follow to place the routers? One per room should be enough?