It’s the end of 2025. What options are there for reliable Zigbee 3.0 repeaters (also known as Zigbee Range Extenders) that run on low voltage, such as USB? I only need the repeater function and I need it to run on low voltage. No line voltage products, please.
I have several IKEA TRÅDFRI repeaters (for example, IKEA 804.242.55) but a few of them seem to be dropping off my mesh network or may be the source of other Zigbee components dropping off. They are about 6 years old. IKEA discontinued this product recently. They are a little chunky anyway and I would rather get smaller devices.
I found two candidates: some rebranded Tuya Zigbee repeater devices, and the SONOFF ZBMicro “Micro Zigbee USB Smart Adaptor”. The latter product acts as a smart plug but for passing USB data and power, not line voltage. The instructions imply that you could build a wire harness to power it (and pass through power) in the 5V-22V range, which might be useful for applications where you have 12V or 24V DC power, and don’t want to downconvert to 5V USB. However, the ZBMicro is also chunky.
In the Tuya space there is a Zigbee 3.0 Signal Repeater TS0207 that is very small (about the size of a USB “thumbnail” drive: 28mm x 18mm). Here is one from LoraTap. I think the Tuya ones work with Mariano Colmenarejo’s drivers. (However, this thread says to avoid the TS0207 products because they do not reliably forward non-Tuya Zigbee packets.)
My Zigbee mesh now exclusively uses the ZBMicro for switching and repeating. On a number of occasions I’ve seen fourteen devices routing through them. They are indeed a tad chunky when compared to the typical spacing of USB sockets.
I do currently have a weird problem though. Every so often I’ll suddenly lose the ability to control the ZBMicros or receive updates from my buttons or sensors. The only devices left working are end devices connected directly to the hub. In order to fix the problem I just need to power cycle one of the ZBMicros. It’s not necessarily any one of them, but more often than not the first one I try fixes the problem.
Everything was fine for months and months but then the problem hit out of nowhere. I don’t have a scooby what the issue is but I’m getting bored of it now.
Just to clarify, I am not pointing the finger at the ZBMicro. However I can’t really point it at the ST hub either as I seem to recall the first instance of the issue occurred before a firmware update, not after.
That is similar to what I am experiencing right now as well, or something like it. Eight devices stopped responding, including TRÅDFRI repeaters that are far away from the hub, and some mailbox sensors. Since the TRÅDFRI in question are outside (in wall fixtures) I was thinking that prolonged weather exposure may have done them in, but I am not sure.
Restarting the hub did not fix the issue. So, something is going on with the end devices (which could be related to getting into some kind of wedge state on account of the hub, but who knows?). I will power cycle the individual end devices and see what happens.
I restarted the circuit that had the TRÅDFRI repeaters and Sengled Zigbee bulbs, and power cycled the SmartThings door contact sensor (removed battery and put back in). Eventually everything started working again.
There is however an Innr 1100 lumen bulb that keeps on dropping off the Zigbee network. It is at the far end of the nodes. I replaced a TRÅDFRI at the end with a ZBMicro, so let’s see what happens over time.