How to connect zigbee sensor connect to a specific repeater?

Devices & Integrations
1

I have a zigbee motion sensor far from the hub and it eats battery fast. Then I put a zigbee light bulb nearby to work as a bridge to save the sensor’s battery. How can I make sure the sensor connect to the bulb not the hub directly? The bulb can work as a bridge. Thanks.

2

Depends on the bulb… what is the make and model?

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3

Thanks for quick reply! It’s Ecosmart from Homedepot.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/EcoSmart-60-Watt-Equivalent-A19-SMART-LED-Light-Bulb-Tunable-White-Starter-Kit-1-Bulb-A9A19A60WESDZR1/310288335?irgwc=1&cm_mmc=afl-ir-10451-483420-&clickid=zc8zXs2GlxyOTv1wUx0Mo38WUkiwVH21zStFQI0

thanks.

4

Disclaimer: Zigbee devices choose thier own routes - it’s VERY difficult to engineer them to do what you want.

That said. First make sure your Zigbee repeating device is installed and working in Smartthings.
Once that is done you can try to re-pair your other device and it may just work. Verify the Zigbee route the device is takin gin the IDE: https://account.smartthings.com/ My Devices (top Menu) Find oyur device, click on it. and you’ll scroll down until you see ‘route’

To FORCE Zigbee to refresh routes, disconnect your hub from power for AT LEAST 20 minutes. (and pull the battery if you have a v.2 hub) This forces the Zigbee devices on the segment to go into ‘panic’ state and they start trying to refresh their routes automatically - but you won’t be able to tell them where to route.

I don’t know how good that bulb is at repeating… Sorry But be advised bulbs are hit or miss as repeaters (only exception I know are the Ikea bulbs - they’re surprisingly good) and they only work as long as you keep the power to them turned on. If someone turns off the lamp at teh socket or switch - it can’t repeat.

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5

Just to avoid confusion: you are talking about a “repeater” not a “bridge.”

In a SmartThings context, a bridge is more like a hub for a specific brand, like the Hue bridge or Lutron Smart Bridge.

The advice you’ve been given is all good. :sunglasses:

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6

This seams to indicate that they aren’t repeaters, but you can check the IDE’s device list to verify.
If it says zigbeeNodeType: **SLEEPY_END_DEVICE** , then it’s not a repeating device

7

They definitely are repeaters. I have a Tradfri plug that is currently routing through 2 of these bulbs to the hub. IDE shows zigbeeNodeType: ROUTER

8

Yeah I have a couple of them as well and they do act as repeaters. Pretty solid too.