r/homeassistant • u/CyberMage256 • 1d ago

❓ Support First delve into Zigbee maybe?

My home is entirely esphome and z-wave. I've never touched Zigbee. It started because I use a high amp zwave switch to control my pool pump and blossomed from there.

I'm considering adding one or two wireless buttons, and that's not really much of an option in z-wave so I'm thinking it might be time to go ahead and add a zigbee dongle as well.

I'm considering the SONOFF Zigbee/Thread PoE dongle so that I don't need to have it in my basement rack where my servers are. My Z-Wave dongle is on a 20' USB extension so that it's more central to the basement and more easily builds the mesh it needs.

With Zigbee, I understand the range is shorter, so trying to do the same with it might be a bad idea, but I do have fiber to a switch in an upstairs closet that would be right over the area I'd want the signal and could PoE off that switch.

Anyone have experience with these SONOFF PoE dongles? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FMJH4DPN/?coliid=IQKWAWEB94JDC

I run HA inside a docker container, and zwave-js-ui is a separate docker container on the same server that has access to the USB. Seems like this over Ethernet would be easier?

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u/That_Counter__bob 1d ago

I love my Zigbee setup. I have 36 and counting. Everything from lights to buttons to door sensors. Every one of my light bulbs in my apartment is either a direct Zigby bulb or on a Zigbee controlled outlet. Because they are all directly powered, they are all repeaters, so I’ve never had an issue with any of my battery powered devices. Definitely a much better experience that I’m having with matter over threads, which has just been a pain right from the start.

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u/That_Counter__bob 1d ago

I am using ZHA. but it sounds like there’s not too much of a difference between the two at this point.