Hi – I have some Xiaomi sensors that are dropping offline after a short time. I am able to reset and enter them back into the network, but they will drop off after a short while. I am hoping someone might have some tips for keeping them online or tips on how to determine why they are dropping offline.
I have a V2, Ser E hub with about 80 devices connected, 42 of which are ZigBee (mostly Xiaomi running the latest bspranger DH’s). These devices are installed in my home which is about 80’x30’ with a second story and basement. The hub is located on the main floor, slightly off-center, and I have 3 Peanut plugs which act as Zigbee repeaters. SmartThings is linked with Alexa and Ring. I am currently having problems with six of the ZigBee devices – a leak sensor, a temp sensor and 3 window sensors. The routes appear to be logical for each of these devices and batteries are fresh.
Are the Peanut plugs compatible with Xiaomi? I know the IKEA plugs are.
Here’s a good post in the Hubitat community that may be helpful on repeaters that seem to work with Xiaomi devices (non zigbee 3.0 versions from what I can tell):
Look for the section titled “Zigbee repeaters reported to work with Xiaomi devices”
NOTE: The Peanut plug is the “Zigbee repeaters reported NOT to work with Xiaomi devices” list.
Thanks for this information. In addition to the Peanut repeaters, I also have an Ikea Tradfri plug but right now only one device is routing through it. I need to read through and digest all of this. I guess I also need to look for a cost effective, reliable replacement for my Xiaomi sensors.
Did you find an answer? I’ve had xiaomi buttons for a long time. No issue. I’ve probably have around the same amount of devices as you. Just picked up a couple motion sensors from them and I cant keep them online longer than 30 mins. No repeaters in between, and currently have it sitting next to my hub. I’m dumbfounded.
Depending on your hub revision, SmartThings can handle only 32 or 64 directly-paired Zigbee end devices (means “not repeaters”) maximum. Repeaters extend this number indefinitely, though each repeater can only route for its own (usually much smaller) maximum number of devices. So if you really do have as many Zigbee devices as the OP and aren’t using a v3 hub, you could be running into that limit. The thread linked to on the Hubitat forum above has lots of commentary on what repeaters do or don’t work well.
Regardless of hub version, being next to the hub is also no guarantee that devices aren’t going through a repeater, though that’s usually helpful to ensure that. Unplugging the repeaters is the only way to force it not to for sure, though Zigbee devices also constantly reevaluate routes and may begin routing through one later (though my Xiaomi devices seem exceedingly resistant to changing routes). So, if you’re aren’t using all “Xiaomi friendly” repeaters or at least used some method to verify that yours are indeed routing directly to the hub, I wouldn’t be confident about the potential source of your problem (but it’s almost always one of those two things).
Thank you for the reply. I added up my zigbee stuff and ended up with around 50 or so. Over the last couple days I’ve tried messing with both the aqara motion sensors I got and can’t figure it out for the life of me. I made sure they werent going through repeaters by checking the ide, and I’ve tried it with them going through repeaters. I’ve removed them. Re added them. They will act perfect for anywhere from 30 mins to a few hours and then they just drop off. I have to be doing something wrong.
When I add them to the network I press and hold the button usually for 3 seconds or so then sometimes have to press it a few more times after that. I’ve already got the bspranger code in there. So it seems to add it no problem. After a few tries it usually just pops right up as add Xiaomi Aqara motion sensor.
I’ve looked at the catch-all while adding it and the the device network id seems to match. I’m out of ideas so anything would be appreciated. I just can’t imagine both of them are bad.
So, after reading this whole thread i understand that if the xiaomi sensors start dropping offline, there is basically nothing you can do to get them working correctly again… basically they will keep on droppin?
I have the same issue with a xiaomi motion sensor (non-aqara). It used to work correctly for over one year now, however in the past week it kept going offline after a few hours. I can reconnect it, but it goes offline again and again after a few hours.
I only have 6 zigbee devices connected to the hub. The sensor itself is placed around 3 meters away from the hub and it is repeating throug an ikea bulb.
The strange thing is that next to this sensor itself i have a xiaomi open/close sensor and a xiaomi light sensor (both repeating through the ikea bulb), which work perfectly, and never had any connectivity issues with them.
Can I assume that I can simply throw the motion sensor to trash as it will never work correclty again? (Even if it used to work in the past year)
Mine was losing connection too , had to repair and it was working a day or 2 and it start to stay connect again . Maybee i had the problem for 3 ,4 month.
Try to pair it without the ikea bulb , maybe .
I was thinking that some of the firmware for the hub was the culprit but who knows
I will try to pair the sensor without the bulb (basically after taking out the bulb from the socket), however I suppose that once I re-connect the bulb the sensor will route through it again automatically…
The distance between the sensor and the hub, and between the sensor and the bulb is more or less equal, however the signal still goes through the bulb even if it would be easier (shorter) to go directly to the hub… Please see attached sketch (do note there is no door between the two hallways).
Is there maybe a way to configure the route of the signal manually? to somehow have the sensor connect to the hub directly rather than through the bulb?
I have recently started to rip out all my xiaomi / aqara sensors, as most of them tend to drop off, some twice a week, irrespective of them sitting on the lap of the Hub or 3 repeaters down (tradfri or samsung). In my case I would say they are a lost cause!
I see… such a disappointment… those are the only motion sensors which you can hack to report motion reset almost instantaneously (5 sec) and not every 1-2 minutes…
The ones I am having trouble with are the door/window sensors…so I can only complain about them, I haven’t tried the Motion Sensors, but would imagine there 2 peas in a pod
I assume you guys are having this issue with their older devices, and not the new Zigbee 3.0 versions? I have a few of their new ones (Zigbee 3.0), and so far they seem to be working really well.
Indeed @johnconstantelo I encounter issues with the Xiaomi Mijia Motion sensor (even if it worked correctly in the past year). I can try an Aqara one as well (it is so cheap that there is no reason why not to try it ). Should I expect those to work better?
Home automation has evolved so much lately, to the extent that it is outrageous to keep waiting for a ‘next-gen’ sensor for 1-2 minutes until it decides it sees no more motion .
Right now I have a light sensor and a vibration sensor, and they have never dropped off the mesh. I purposely avoided the previous models due to all the negative feedback I read on here and Hubitat’s forum, but so far the new models seem to work OK.
I’ve got about 10 of the aqara temp/humidity sensors and have never dealt with any of them dropping off. Including two inside a fridge and freezer in an detached garage and one in a chicken coop.
). Should I expect those to work better?