I think the latest ST update prevents these from being added. Either with the beta DH or the catchall method, I cannot get two sensor attached which once worked.
Have you tried replacing the batteries before starting the pairing process? Sometimes if the batteries are a bit low they’ll blink indicating it has power, but it doesn’t have enough juice to actually pair.
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No, they read 3.0 and 3.06 volts on my multimeter. I will order some new ones and see. Have been trying to add these two for the past month and they constantly drop after an hour and never report the battery. I have 6 others that I have no problems except with the pain to add them the first time.
Thanks for the suggestion.
What devices and what are the model numbers? I’m wondering if maybe they’re new models with different firmware.
Xiaomi Aqara Temperature Humidity Sensor
WSDCGQ11LM
ID: 2016DP6443
This is with a Gen 2 hub. I have 6 others which I am pretty sure are the same that I have not had issued with.
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I’ve two of the same model, and they were a huge PITA to pair, unlike all of my many other Xiaomi and Aqara devices. Acted like they’d paired several times, but didn’t fully pair. I suggest removing them, re-pairing them very close to the hub, and leaving then very close to the hub for at least a few hours (or overnight). If they don’t report battery within a couple hours, try again. Might take a couple attempts.
Which DTH are you using? I’d suggest the one from here if you’re not already using it:
https://community.smartthings.com/t/original-aqara-xiaomi-zigbee-sensors-contact-temp-motion-button-outlet-leak-etc/113253
Is the Battery status updates with the motion detected or separate update from the sensor?
Brand new energizer batteries and still can’t get these two to pair. Both had been paired on the system before. Is there a specific limit as to how many Xiaomi Zigbee devices you can have?
Not specific to Xiaomi, but the v2 hub has a limit of 32 directly connected zigbee end devices. This does not include end devices connected though a router (repeater).
I am at 25. Explain the end devices on a router (repeater)? Like if something is connected on the mesh network to a repeater and then the SmartThings, it does not count?
Correct, the limit is only for zigbee devices that are connected directly to the hub. If a zigbee device is connected as a child device to a zigbee repeater, which is then connected to the hub, that child device does not count towards the limit. The V3 hub has a 64 zigbee device limit.
See the FAQ thread here for more details:
https://community.smartthings.com/t/faq-32-zigbee-direct-connection-device-limit/108960
ZigBee router devices (also known as repeaters) are designed to act like a WiFi extender, and allow ZigBee end devices (which are normally battery-powered) to connect to the ZigBee mesh network via the router - instead of directly to the hub, which might be too far for a strong signal. So ZigBee routers work in the middle, between the end device and the hub.
Most mains-powered ZigBee devices are routers, except for some ZigBee bulbs (such as Sengled bulbs).
Xiaomi and Aqara devices are incompatible with almost all ZigBee routers/repeaters. The only routers/repeaters confirmed to work are the IKEA Tradfri Smart Plug, a device called an XBee (see this thread for more details), and a community user-created multi-sensor device.
You are welcome to check if you are using any mains-powered ZigBee devices and reply back here with what they are. I’ll let you know if they’ve been reported as compatible with Xiaomi / Aqara devices or not.
If your problem was related to the use of the SmartThings Classic mobile app, then you really should try to pair the normal way first, and only if that fails, use the “catchall” method.
All Xiaomi / Aqara ZigBee devices send a battery voltage report as part of a regular check-in message, which occurs every 50-60 minutes, depending on the particular model. This behavior is set in hardware and cannot be changed.
Are these the optimal zigbee hub settings for pairing Xiaomi devices? Thanks.
I’m not really sure. I would imagine that unsecure rejoin being enabled could be helpful, and that’s how I have mine set. I don’t think the OTA settings matter for these devices, but I have mine enabled.
Network Security needs to be set to “Allow Unsecure Rejoin” for Xiaomi / Aqara devices, so you’ve got that set correctly.
“ZigBee OTA” stands for ZigBee over-the-air firmware updating, and does not affect Xiaomi / Aqara devices because the SmartThings hub will not attempt to update their firmware. ZigBee OTA is only for certain officially SmartThings supported devices, such as Sengled Bulbs.
@fubka did you check for any router (repeater) ZigBee devices on your network yet?
I have three smart plugs that are zigbee repeaters. How do I determine if something is connected to the hub or the repeater? I am thinking about unplugging the repeater plugs and trying with only the ST hub has a device that the Xiaomi devices can be connected to.
What brand / model?
You would need to use either ZigBee sniffer device along with Wireshark software (a complicated method), or an XBee ZigBee module along with XCTU software to show a map of your ZigBee mesh network. Otherwise, there is absolutely no way to know when using a SmartThings hub.
Really it doesn’t matter knowing whether a device is connected to a repeater or the hub because you have zero control over how device choose to connect, and they may change from being connected to the hub to connecting through a repeater or vice-versa (because signal strength changes as people move around a house).
This is the best way to troubleshoot whether repeaters are causing Xiaomi / Aqara devices to drop off the network. Try that. After unplugging the repeater plugs, then re-pair the Xiaomi / Aqara devices that you were having trouble with. See if they stay connected.
The repeater plug that was closes to where I was paring was the CentraLite 4257050-RZHAC. It came packed in with my ST hub kit. I recently moved it as I got two of the Lowes Iris Zigbee and Z-Wave repeater / plugs that look exactly the same as the CentraLite. During the pairing, I unplugged the CentraLite and one Iris repeater/plug. The other Iris repeater/plug is in the basement to sure up a z-wave recessed door sensor.
So, I am not sure which plug it was, but both are paired. I have plugged back in the Iris repeater/plug and everyone is still connected after 12 hours. I will be sure to update if something changes or learn something new.
Glad I hear you got them paired! There’s a chance they will eventually try to reroute through the plugs, and drop off again. As mentioned above, there are very few repeaters that are known to work well with the Xiaomi/Aqara devices. I use Ikea Tradfri plugs and bulbs as my only zigbee repeaters, which works very well.