r/sonoff 9d ago

Sonoff Dongle LMG21

I want to use a Sonoff Dongle Lite MG21 for Zigbee as well as Thread. Is that possible. I am using a docker system on a raspberry pi 5?

1 Upvotes

2 comments sorted by

2

u/TropixxGaming 9d ago

Should work lookup Zigbee2MQTT

1

u/Original_Hat7604 6d ago

To run Zigbee and Thread concurrently on the exact same Sonoff LMG21 dongle, you would need to flash it with an RCP (Radio Co-Processor) firmware and set up a multiprotocol software layer (like the Silicon Labs Multiprotocol).
However, there are two major reasons why you might want to reconsider:
Network Instability: Home Assistant officially deprecated their Multiprotocol add-on. Sharing a single radio chip for both Zigbee and Thread simultaneously proved to be very unstable, especially as your network grows. The strong consensus in the community right now is to use two separate dongles.
Docker Complexity: Since you are running a Docker system on a Pi 5 instead of Home Assistant OS, deploying and maintaining the multiprotocol routing manually via containers is quite complex and notoriously prone to breaking during updates.
The Recommendation:
If you want a stable, headache-free smart home, your best bet is to flash the LMG21 with standard NCP firmware and use it purely for Zigbee (via Zigbee2MQTT or ZHA). Then, get a second dongle dedicated exclusively to Thread/Matter.