Xbee extending

The best way to tell which device is which is by comparing the MAC addresses. You should write down the MACs of the devices in question and compare to see which is which from all the different perspectives.

Find the MAC of any device on the SmartThings network here. Look in the Zigbee ID column.

If you have XCTU in a working state, it will show the MAC as the long number in the white box on each device.

Each device from Digi should also be labeled with its MAC. It may be marked as “serial number” or similar.

By comparing all these items, you can figure out which of your devices is connected to the ST hub.

As far as getting an XBee repeater to participate in the mesh, I’m also having trouble convincing a troublesome child device to use an XBee as it’s parent rather than connecting directly to the hub. My current plan is to try the same setup with the official ST smart plug to see if it is happier to work as a repeater in my application.

Hi Justin

Do you agree with the logic that the 'thing’device in my smartthings app
must be the xbee wall plug router. as it is flashing and, ceases to do so
when I delete the ‘thing’ in smartthings (i’ve tested this repeatedly and
remains true)

Also, do you agree, therefore, that the wall plug router is on my
smartthings network?(otherwise, why would it be appearing in Smartthings
app as ‘Thing’)

The link you provided to see MAC addresses of things on my network didnt
work for me and led me to a page saying that i have no devices. But i used
another link, got here
https://graph-eu01-euwest1.api.smartthings.com/device/list and established
this info: Thing
https://graph-eu01-euwest1.api.smartthings.com/device/show/5d9d31d2-fabf-408d-8522-9944bc46a5ac
Unknown Home
https://graph-eu01-euwest1.api.smartthings.com/location/show/035c7501-ba80-43b5-a83f-b0206068daba
Home
Hub
https://graph-eu01-euwest1.api.smartthings.com/hub/show/56d508db-efa7-4406-bebd-42190859e097
0013A20041270F59 5ACB INACTIVE Cloud 14 hours ago.

Not sure where that leaves me :frowning:

ps. smartthings plug does not extend my network sufficiently for my needs

Do you find the MAC address “0013A20041270F59” on the back of your wall plug router? If yes, then your wall plug is associated with your ST hub.

If the SmartThings plug does not extend the network sufficiently, I would not expect that the Digi wall router would solve your problems.

Hi Justin,

Yes, that is the code on the plug. The plug should extend way beyond the
smartthings outlet plug as it is supposed to have a far greater range
(which is why i bought it).

I noticed that it was listed as ‘innactive’ and ‘cloud’ Does that seem
right to you?

Shouldnt it be ‘local’ and ‘active’?

Don’t worry about the “Inactive” status, it is known to be misleading and usually meaningless. Cloud just means that its device handler is running in the cloud, which is to be expected for all but the most standard devices.

As far as range, remember that signal strength is a two way street. While the Xbee has a more powerful transmitter to send packets a long distance, if the device on the other end is not powerful enough to respond over the long distance, the link will not work.

If you want to take advantage of the range capabilities of the Xbee, you would have to put one near the hub and a second near your troublesome end device and then use the Xbees to bridge the long gap between. I have no experience with extending the network in this way, so you’ll be on your own if you want to try it.

Hi Justin,

Thanks, I just thought cloud seemed suspect since all my other smartthing
devices say ‘local’.

The reason i am trying to extend range, and that i chose to use the xbee
router, is that my smartthings hub is in the house but i want to use
smartthings sensors about 55-60ft away in the shed at the end of the
garden.

The garden has no power points for me to plug extenders in, and the Xbee
was advertised to have a long range and I read on here that it was do able
to use as a long range extender so I thought should work.

I have the xbee wall plug router plugged in in the part of the house which
is closest to the shed- approx half way between the hub and shed sensors
(25-30 ft from the sensors).

@JohnR are you able to help ? I feel like I’m so close now !

So first things first,

Are you SURE both devices are on your Smartthings Zigbee network. You can figure this out by doing the scan in XCTU using your Xstick and scanning the network and comparing the Zigbee ID’s and the Device Network ID’s you find listed in your IDE device list.

This was explained and suggested earlier in this thread that you look and compare to make sure both devices are indeed on the smartthings network.

Here is a scan of my network

The item in green is one of my Xbee radios plugged into my PC, the item in blue is another I have set out by my shed. If you look at the numbers in the white box for each item on the mesh you can figure out who is who using your IDE device list.

Here is a snip from my device list of the 2 Xbee radios


Notice that the long string of numbers in the white box of the device match to the Zigbee ID on my device list. The short string of numbers under the white box match the Device Network ID in my IDE device list.

So I know those 2 devices are indeed my 2 Xbee radios. So I know for sure that the Xbee radio is talking to everything else on the network.

Next Item, are you sure your devices in the shed have joined smarthings network? Did you do it in the house and then move them to the shed? Do they work again when you bring them into the house? If ALL that is true then they should not be the problem.

Next Item, as has been said several times now. Just because your plug in extender radio can reach your remote devices (in theory, since its a stronger radio) does not mean your battery powered sensors can reach back to it across the 30+ feet of yard, through building materials ect…

The standard practice (as has been said) is to put a main powered device with a stronger radio CLOSE to the battery powered devices. LIKE IN THE SHED. Then this device can link to another main device and possibly span the distance.
I understand you do not have power in the shed so that really isn’t an option for you.

So if you scan your network and BOTH devices (Xstick and plug in module) are indeed there. Then you pulled the battery from the sensors and reinserted it (hoping they will forget their preferred repeater, and join a new one.), Possibly even turn off your HUB completely for say 20 minutes ( force devices to rebuild mesh network). If after ALL that you still can not see your devices in the shed or get your devices in the shed to join smartthings network. Then your battery powered devices in the shed 30+ feet away can not reach your plug in module next to your house.

That’s just how it is and if this is VERY important to you to have these devices on smartthings then you’ll have to find a way to get power to the shed or power to a repeater that is close to the shed and can still connect to another repeater that is close to the hub.

Thanks so much. I’ll go through all of this when home shortly.

Can I just check - how should my xstick be configured ? When I bought it it came configured as a coordinator. Want to make sure that element is how it needs to be before I progress

You can only have ONE coordinator on the Zigbee Mesh. That would be your HUB. You stick must be a router so it can pass messages and so it does not conflict with your hub.

I don’t mean to be rude, but you sure are going in circles over an over on this. You covered that information before with the other forum members who posted in your thread trying to help.

Good Luck. Hopefully you can get what you want working. I think your distance is an issue but you may get lucky.

Don’t forget when you change your stick back to a router that you set ALL the parameters to the values need to join smarthings network. This would include the security key, and such. You need to reload the settings you had earlier when the stick would scan your network.

Someplace I put the setting that worked for my Xbee radio. I am not sure they would be the same but I would assume they are.
Read this post here, I’m sure you already saw it since you previously read through that thread.

See if those setting will help you get your stick back onto smarthings radio mesh.

Something that tripped me up is the security key KY parameter. When you look at it in XCTU it is blank. This is because it’s read only or something like that. If you wrote it in there then it’s there.

I know I changed this section from the default because there is a blue triangles next to some of the parameters.

See this image.
Capture1

Even tho I KNOW I changed the KY parameter it still shows blank. Just be aware of that. You have to have the key or it won"t join your smartthings mesh and show up as a thing.

Hi @TN_Oldman

First things first - thank you for taking the time to help me. I really appreciate it.

Right. So. This is where i am:
The Xbee router plug is in the house by the door to the garden.
The smartthings outlet plug is in the shed (i do have power there)
Also in the shed are two motion sensors and a multisensor

Heres a scan of my network, i’ve noted next to each what they are (using the IDE device list). But as you can see, the motion sensors and multisensors are not showing (despite me taking out the batteries and adding back in)

Great it looks like everything is talking.

I have the same issue If you read my post, When I scan my network the devices that are connected to my XBee in the shed do not show up. I know they are connected through that XBee because I can see activity in the mobile app.

So can you toggle the power on the Smarthings power outlet from your phone? If you can toggle it on and off then it is talking to the hub through your mesh.

Can you see the 2 motion sensor and multi in the shed in your app? Do they show activity? Do the other sensors start working when you bring them in the house?

If not you may have to delete them, reset them, and reconnect them to smarthings?

Also I think the fact your Smartthing outlet is RED in your scan means it has a very weak signal? I’d have to go do some reading online to be sure about that.

Hi @TN_Oldman

I just tried to toggle the smartthings outlet on and off in the app but it is just hanging , saying ‘turning on’ and never actually changes to ‘on’

I could try swapping the smartthings outlet with the xbee router- think that might work?

ps is it normall that the network diagram would still show things ive turned off? ie.i turnedoff the smartthigns hub and re scanned and it is still there, just red

So probably your connection to the outlet (in the shed ) is very weak. If the outlet works when you bring it in the house closer to the hub. then I would think that is a safe assumption. (That your signal to the shed is weak)

Swapping the devices may help? I am not sure.