Another excellent video. Thank you. Please consider doing a video on how to setup a Zigbee Gateway at a remote location and connecting to your local HA instance.
I've been using the UZG-01 for a couple of months now and I really like it. Very versatile and great features. But as you already mentioned, one weakness is the firmware. I had serious issues in the beginning because of it and had to rearrange a lot (switching channels for both my WiFi and ZB network, new location of the unit compared to my previous coordinator, adding a couple ZB repeaters, repairing everything etc. etc.). Now everything works great. The experience has apparently been very varied between users, not everyone has exactly the same issues and some have hardly any. A lot of the issues seem to point towards devices from certain manufacturers. The guy behind ZigStar, Koenkk and a couple of volunteers are testing several new firmware versions at the moment. So it will most likely get more stable and reliable in the near future.
I have few SMLight coordinators on my desk - for review/test... Same thing P7 firmware has some issues - they all are using the same. Funny thing is that it works for some, others have issues and that's always hard to debug,
@@BeardedTinker One of the observations within the test group is that Tuya devices tend to talk a lot, which seems to cause many issues for some users at the moment.
@@TommyBrenneryeah,the most problem come from firmware side of P7 and Tuya devices. This will be solved by Koenkk and team of testers,hopefully very soon.
Oh, I am seeing this just now. That looks like a perfect match for Home Assistant on a Synology NAS. No more fiddling around with USB drivers - and you can place the device where reception is best. I like!
It also can be flashed ESPHome stream server, I like to have everything on the same platform. On my first UZG-01 ethernet port died. As for BLE proxy - GL-S10 is the best (again, ESPHome and PoE)
@@BeardedTinkerI'm actually considering doing this... I have some devices that work only on Z2M (tuya presence sensors) while my whole setup so far is on ZHA.. quite annoying with that I get the best of both worlds (I'm assuming)
Really good video! I just ordered one. I have to switch from the Sonoff dongle P to this one. Maybe you can make a video on how to do it without having to pair everything again? I have read that it can be done. I certainly don't think I'm the only one, after this video, who switches from Dongle P to this Zigbee coordinator. 😊❤
Noted! Depending if you're using ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT, that should be just replacing the stick and it should offer you to restor Backup (in ZHA). For Z2M - you can read here: www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/faq/#how-do-i-migrate-from-one-adapter-to-another BTW - why are you switching from P to UZG? Any particular reason?
I switch mainly because of your nice video. I'm running Zigbee2MQTT and have started experiencing many devices going offline.I have a large network with many devices. I was considering the sonoff dongle E until I saw this video. I like it is with an esp32 😁I have been in contact with the seller, who writes that it is not necessary to re-pair devices, they should connect to the new choir themselves I also found a video showing this. I will receive mine next Saturday, sent from China 🙂
What would you recommend for Bluetooth or maybe proxy for my setup? Home Assistant Yellow in basement Ground floor and first floor with 2+2 Switchbot devices, currently Looking for something future proof LAN switch available on ground floor. Initial idea was to connect something to ground floor switch over LAN, that could cover both floors and be able to connect many Bluetooth devices if needed in future. Use it to connect devices to HA.
That's not that easy to answer - what I'm writing is from the top of my head, so take that into account. If I remember correctly, BT Proxy can handle up to 6 parallel pasive connections or 3 active parallel connections. You have to take that into account, but please check documentation as I may be wrong and things may have changed. I use these for BT Proxy: shop.m5stack.com/products/atom-lite-esp32-development-kit?srsltid=AfmBOoqP9Z79JPJspQQVL6RalVRF2dZerrlXxaIASfrWAkLv-dxasMra Have 3 of them at various locations around the flat, plus 2 Shelly devices that also double as BT Proxy and I think one ES32 DIY project that I've also flashed with proxy on top of it. That's overkill for my usecase, but it also gave me flexibility to grow in future.
I wish IP configuration pages displayed the MAC address for that interface. Usually even if you configure static addressing, you'll still want to configure a static entry in your router so if something happens to that downstream device the dhcp server does not reassign that IP.
With my current zigbee usb stick, when I want to pair a zigbee device, I have to bring the USB stick very close to the device in order for it to detect anything. When using the zigstar, can I pair devices without having to move it?
What kind of stick do you use and are yu using ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT? Also do you have any routers on network (for example Zigbee plugs, light buls or similar that are NOT powered by battery). If you don't have devices except ones on battery, try adding 1 or 2 of them. Other possibility is that you are limiting pairing only to coordinator. This is not normal behaviour on Zigbee network.
@@BeardedTinker I use a CC2531 stick on ZSH, there are multiple smart switches that are running on 230v, I don't know if these are routers. Some devices seem to lose connection randomly, both my wireless temp sensors have disconnected after a few days. Not sure if it's because of interference or anything else, but because I haven't updated my home assistant in years I thought I should get a new zigbee hub, and move HA from a raspberry to my synology, so I can setup everything properly in one go. I've already installed HA on my synology and ordered the Zigstar, just waiting for it to arrive.
CC2531 is no longer supported on Z2M and also not recommended on ZHA. That's a very old stick with old firmware and SOC.But yes, it can definitely be because of that stick. In this case, this would be great upgrade both in quality of life but also to move coordinator away somewhere else.
@@BeardedTinker thanks for the info, to be clear, I can leave the zigstar hub in one place and it should be able to pair with any zigbee device within reach?
So, am I hearing this right? I can move this coordinator anywhere in the house where I have WiFi/Ethernet? I can move my coordinator out of my basement (where my HA Pi is) and put it central to my home?
Looks nice, but is this ui really needed? I prefer a plain-simple Ethernet to zigbee device from tubeszb. They have a standard esphome firmware that you can customize as you want, plus double as a Bluetooth gateway. How many times did you flash your coordinator? I remember I did it once from the command line, and that's about it.
But you don't need to use UI at all. You could set everything up directly from ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT. And also, you probably missed, but you can also run it as BT Proxy. As for the firmware, usually there are 1-2 releases per year that not only fix bugs but also expand functionality. So, no, not need to update every week, but things you do once a year you tend to forget how they are done - having AddOn in HA for FW update for Zigbee module is great idea.
What Sonoff dongle - P or E? But no natter what, not really... SkyConnect has same SoC as Dongle E from Sonoff. And while Dongle P is "worse" that UZG-01, upgrade is not worth it. Only if you want to move coordinator somewhere else in home, than it makes sense to do it.
UZG-01 is very similar hardware-wise to SLZG-06P7 as they use same SOC or Zigbee module. But currently I would say taht development of software for SLZB devices is at much faster pace + there is now integration to for Home Assistant for SLZB devices that UZG-01 doesnt have (exposes entities, allows configuration, updates etc via Home Assistant). As for performance, they really should be almost the same.
Awesome video. Would this work in a scenario where I have Home Assitant running in Proxmox as VM and Home Assistant could failover to another proxmox node?
Just got it the UZG-01 and immediately ran into a problem with WiFi - which didn't work. Turns out there was a problem with firmware versions 0.2.4 and 0.2.5 which broke the WiFi. They have just released 0.2.6 which appears to have fixed it again.
Thank you!! I did try router FW on it but only with Z2M not ZHA. Also, you don't need to worry if devices at first don't attach to it. If you can see it on the network, when time comes and if there is a need, devices will migrate to it. They usually are clever enough to know when to transfer to new router.
Thanks B.T. really interesting. I have a question. I have now Sonoff, A coordinator on the Attic, and two routers (sonoff) second floor, first floor. Is the same setup possible with these UZG-01? So Buy three of them? I think they don't have to be routers then because they can connect directly to the Z2M but would this be possible?
You can have only one coordinator for Z2M - but also it's possible to run multiple Z2M, each with its own coordinator. Not sure what you would get out of the upgrade, besides ability to move coordinator, if needed, from attic. I don't think, unless this is the case to move coordinator out of attic, you will gain anything extra.
Would it potentially work better than say a dongle if connected through Ethernet. I run HA through a VM and sometimes it stops reading the USB causing my Zigbee network to drop. Luckily I have an automation to start the host if this happens
It's should be more reliable - unless you have some network issues, but that's very unlikely. Especially if you use Ethernet and not WiFi. What's your host for VM?
I used to use Virtualbox, but was causing a lot of issues. I now use VMWare which is way more stable for me, but there are just a few times where the VM has issues
When you enable MQTT, you get control over the device from within HomeAssistant (Restart ESP, restart Zigbee) and get sensors for the ESP SoC (ESP temperature, IP Address, uptime etc)
Other than placement, is their any real advantage of this device over a remote Zigbee to MQTT (running on a Raspberry Pi) or a USB connected Zigbee Dongle?
Depends on SoC you are using, if you are on cc2531, sure, if you already have something like cc2652 or EFR32MG2x - no. Unless as you said you need to position it somewhere else or want to make it independent on any host HW.
I started having problems to add more than 40 devices to this coordinator, are you sure that it handles? I have more than 35 routers and still giving me some error :/
The SOC should support well over 100 devices. There are other potential problems that you may be experiencing that give you this result. For example, using channel for network that overlaps nearby WiFi networks, or some other interference on the network. You could try and contact the support, but it should work with 100 devices connected directly to coordinator and another 100 devices via routers.
@@BeardedTinker my channnels are well defined wiithout overlapping. I could pair more devices, it was failing a lot then I turned off mqtt, z2m and the coord for a few minutes, bring everythinng on again and the problem was gone...
Is the Zigbee range better on this than the Sonoff stick? I have a Sonoff stick connected to Synology in my living room but find that it doesn't reach all of my house. If I bought this I could move my Synology elsewhere and just connect the ZigStar to ethernet. Thanks
There is no need for coordinator on Zigbee network to cover whole house. That's why the network has routers - devices that are not powered by battery are usually all routers. But yes, you could do it like that - move Synology somewhere else and use this as remote coordinator.
@@BeardedTinker Thanks for the reply. The only zigbee devices I use are Hue and Aqara. Aqara seems to use a non-standard zigbee implementation, so far I've had problems finding router that works with their devices. Hue will also not mesh with Aqara. I think some Ikea outlets will work with Aqara but never in stock where I live. Think I will pick up this coordinator since other commentators says range is much better.
I'm wrong person to ask because my first response is always - if Deconz works for you, keep using it! But if you one day decide to replace it, this is really great choice and works awesome with Z2M.
@@BeardedTinker I just read it, this will try to pair with zigbee network over zigbee signal. But what if i do not have zigbee wireless signal and want to use this device as router over ethernet. In my case, Basically router should be connected over ethernet to coordinator, and not over zigbee wireless signals
@@sanketgroup - I think this device can be a zigbee coordinator or a zigbee router. A zigbee router is a device in an existing zigbee network and the network must have one, and only one, zigbee coordinator. So if you do not have a zigbee signal then as a router it is a just an disconnected device and will do nothing.
@@wobbit42 @BeardedTinker So let's say i have a garage where there is no Zigbee signal, but I have ethernet LAN cable, how can I make Zigbee devices in garage to be connected to same home assistant instance over ethernet?
@@BeardedTinker I cannot find it in the official manual. It seems like it's not supported out of the box. I just tried it and the blue power light is almost impossible to see (as opposed to when I power it from my Mac.)
Hi, Is there a similar coordinator supporting Z-Wave with Ethernet for HA? or maybe this one has support for Z-Wave in addition to Zigbee? Thank you!Hi, Is there a similar coordinator supporting Z-Wave with Ethernet for HA? or maybe this one has support for Z-Wave in addition to Zigbee? Thank you!
I'm not saying that there isn't one, but I haven't seen it. I did see combos (for example Z-Station from zwave.me) that have both ZWave and Zigbee, but they use USB cable.
This is ESPHome based device. Check github.com/esphome/feature-requests/issues/1430 if you are interested in a (very long) read on support of Matter and Thread in ESPHome. Also, it would require completely different HW.
I wish I had bought this one but instead I purchased the cheaper HamGeek copy. Be warned that all of the HamGeek devices use the same IEEE address so you cannot have more than one on a zigbee network. Fine as a coordinator but you cannot have one as a coordinator and one as a router. Buy the UZG-01, not the HamGeek one.
BTW - I would really recommend for router to get a bit cheaper device such as Sonoff Dongle P or even E. It is good for that role and much cheaper. But for coordinator UZG-01 is really great!
+1! Just moved to SLZB-06 from TubesZB POE. Physically looks pretty ugly, but since using it I now appreciate its industrial/commercial intended usage and the design matches that. Newest firmware makes it simple to manage / upgrade / configure too.
I have SLZB-06, 06M, 06P7 and 07. 06 is most basic and both M and P7 have better SoC, but firmware for plain 06 is better currently as it's older and more tested and tried.
haha, snap! I also have the 06, 06m and 06p7 (was having a lot of problems I eventually traced to the TubesZB I'd been using, so bought all 3 and the UZG-01 in desperation). Need to revisit notes, but I remember the improved SOC was actually fairly unnecessary (at least to the P7), the processes were not getting anywhere close on the base model for memory and processor, but I remember there being a "recommended" for ZHA being the 6M and 06 Z2M 'preferred'. From what I tested, I had no issues with Z2M or ZHA using either. Have put base unit (06) into production at home, running around 120 ZB devices across approx 4000sqm - all great so far. My UZG-01 was DoA so didn't get to compare - but props to the owner, they sent a new one right away, no questions asked. @@BeardedTinker
I've been using this and love it. Set it and forget it. It's in the basement of a very large house and it works flawlessly with home assistant .
That's awesome! Devices should be set/forget!
Using UZG-01 for a week now: much better coverage than my previous USB SON-OFF and I can at least move my server elsewhere: excellent product !
Glad it's working out!!! And thank you for becoming a member!!!
Another excellent video. Thank you. Please consider doing a video on how to setup a Zigbee Gateway at a remote location and connecting to your local HA instance.
Great suggestion! Added to the list!
I've been using the UZG-01 for a couple of months now and I really like it. Very versatile and great features. But as you already mentioned, one weakness is the firmware. I had serious issues in the beginning because of it and had to rearrange a lot (switching channels for both my WiFi and ZB network, new location of the unit compared to my previous coordinator, adding a couple ZB repeaters, repairing everything etc. etc.). Now everything works great.
The experience has apparently been very varied between users, not everyone has exactly the same issues and some have hardly any. A lot of the issues seem to point towards devices from certain manufacturers.
The guy behind ZigStar, Koenkk and a couple of volunteers are testing several new firmware versions at the moment. So it will most likely get more stable and reliable in the near future.
I have few SMLight coordinators on my desk - for review/test... Same thing P7 firmware has some issues - they all are using the same. Funny thing is that it works for some, others have issues and that's always hard to debug,
@@BeardedTinker One of the observations within the test group is that Tuya devices tend to talk a lot, which seems to cause many issues for some users at the moment.
@@TommyBrenneryeah,the most problem come from firmware side of P7 and Tuya devices. This will be solved by Koenkk and team of testers,hopefully very soon.
Oh, I am seeing this just now. That looks like a perfect match for Home Assistant on a Synology NAS. No more fiddling around with USB drivers - and you can place the device where reception is best. I like!
Indeed! Glad you like it! So far no issues - I'll probably end up doing the same with my main setup after I finally migrate it to DSM 7.x ;)
Thanks!
Thank you very much :)
Great video. I am definitely going to check this out
Thank you! And yes, it's really good device.
I’ve been using the Athom gateway but this one has more features. ❤
Thank you Paulo for the comment!!!
It also can be flashed ESPHome stream server, I like to have everything on the same platform. On my first UZG-01 ethernet port died. As for BLE proxy - GL-S10 is the best (again, ESPHome and PoE)
Question - did you get it replaced/warranty for dead port?
@@BeardedTinkerif he open a ticket with me,for sure get a replacement 😊
You can also run both ZHA and Z2M at the same time with this
Yes, but that really is not the best way to do it. You don't get anything extra, only open yourself to potential issues :)
@@BeardedTinkerI'm actually considering doing this... I have some devices that work only on Z2M (tuya presence sensors) while my whole setup so far is on ZHA.. quite annoying with that I get the best of both worlds (I'm assuming)
@@Airbag888 I have just set up a second coordinator for Z2M (second box), my ZHA network was growimg too big anyway with over 200 devices
That is a nice one, thanks for sharing. Tempted to get one
If you have working network, no rush. But it is a nice device.
@@BeardedTinkerwhat i have at the moment is sufficient. is an option for when i move in the new house
Really good video! I just ordered one. I have to switch from the Sonoff dongle P to this one. Maybe you can make a video on how to do it without having to pair everything again? I have read that it can be done. I certainly don't think I'm the only one, after this video, who switches from Dongle P to this Zigbee coordinator. 😊❤
Noted! Depending if you're using ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT, that should be just replacing the stick and it should offer you to restor Backup (in ZHA). For Z2M - you can read here: www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/faq/#how-do-i-migrate-from-one-adapter-to-another
BTW - why are you switching from P to UZG? Any particular reason?
I switch mainly because of your nice video. I'm running Zigbee2MQTT and have started experiencing many devices going offline.I have a large network with many devices. I was considering the sonoff dongle E until I saw this video. I like it is with an esp32 😁I have been in contact with the seller, who writes that it is not necessary to re-pair devices, they should connect to the new choir themselves I also found a video showing this. I will receive mine next Saturday, sent from China 🙂
What would you recommend for Bluetooth or maybe proxy for my setup?
Home Assistant Yellow in basement
Ground floor and first floor with 2+2 Switchbot devices, currently
Looking for something future proof
LAN switch available on ground floor.
Initial idea was to connect something to ground floor switch over LAN, that could cover both floors and be able to connect many Bluetooth devices if needed in future. Use it to connect devices to HA.
That's not that easy to answer - what I'm writing is from the top of my head, so take that into account. If I remember correctly, BT Proxy can handle up to 6 parallel pasive connections or 3 active parallel connections. You have to take that into account, but please check documentation as I may be wrong and things may have changed.
I use these for BT Proxy: shop.m5stack.com/products/atom-lite-esp32-development-kit?srsltid=AfmBOoqP9Z79JPJspQQVL6RalVRF2dZerrlXxaIASfrWAkLv-dxasMra
Have 3 of them at various locations around the flat, plus 2 Shelly devices that also double as BT Proxy and I think one ES32 DIY project that I've also flashed with proxy on top of it. That's overkill for my usecase, but it also gave me flexibility to grow in future.
I wish IP configuration pages displayed the MAC address for that interface. Usually even if you configure static addressing, you'll still want to configure a static entry in your router so if something happens to that downstream device the dhcp server does not reassign that IP.
But you do see MAC address on first page - Status page. Again I would recommend static IP over one assigned via DHCP.
With my current zigbee usb stick, when I want to pair a zigbee device, I have to bring the USB stick very close to the device in order for it to detect anything. When using the zigstar, can I pair devices without having to move it?
What kind of stick do you use and are yu using ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT? Also do you have any routers on network (for example Zigbee plugs, light buls or similar that are NOT powered by battery).
If you don't have devices except ones on battery, try adding 1 or 2 of them.
Other possibility is that you are limiting pairing only to coordinator. This is not normal behaviour on Zigbee network.
@@BeardedTinker I use a CC2531 stick on ZSH, there are multiple smart switches that are running on 230v, I don't know if these are routers. Some devices seem to lose connection randomly, both my wireless temp sensors have disconnected after a few days. Not sure if it's because of interference or anything else, but because I haven't updated my home assistant in years I thought I should get a new zigbee hub, and move HA from a raspberry to my synology, so I can setup everything properly in one go. I've already installed HA on my synology and ordered the Zigstar, just waiting for it to arrive.
CC2531 is no longer supported on Z2M and also not recommended on ZHA. That's a very old stick with old firmware and SOC.But yes, it can definitely be because of that stick. In this case, this would be great upgrade both in quality of life but also to move coordinator away somewhere else.
@@BeardedTinker thanks for the info, to be clear, I can leave the zigstar hub in one place and it should be able to pair with any zigbee device within reach?
Yes, that is correct.
So, am I hearing this right? I can move this coordinator anywhere in the house where I have WiFi/Ethernet?
I can move my coordinator out of my basement (where my HA Pi is) and put it central to my home?
If you need or want, sure.
Yes, you can. Makes a big difference for the Zigbee network. My HA runs in a VM on TrueNAS, so USB was no valid option anyway.
Looks nice, but is this ui really needed? I prefer a plain-simple Ethernet to zigbee device from tubeszb. They have a standard esphome firmware that you can customize as you want, plus double as a Bluetooth gateway. How many times did you flash your coordinator? I remember I did it once from the command line, and that's about it.
But you don't need to use UI at all. You could set everything up directly from ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT. And also, you probably missed, but you can also run it as BT Proxy.
As for the firmware, usually there are 1-2 releases per year that not only fix bugs but also expand functionality. So, no, not need to update every week, but things you do once a year you tend to forget how they are done - having AddOn in HA for FW update for Zigbee module is great idea.
Firmware for ESPHome is available,you are in position to choose what to flash.
Does this video also apply to the HMG-01 device? When I open the box all components are the same just re batched Han Geek brand, thank you
From what I've seen HMG-01 is clone of this, so it could have all of the same options.
If you already have have zigbee mqtt running would I still be able to add this device to mqtt as a second one while I move my devices over
Do you think it would be worth it to switch I currently use skyconnect and son off zigbee dongle one run z h a and the other runs mqtt
No, but you could try doing backup of controller in Zigbee2MQTT and restore configuration on this device.
What Sonoff dongle - P or E? But no natter what, not really... SkyConnect has same SoC as Dongle E from Sonoff. And while Dongle P is "worse" that UZG-01, upgrade is not worth it.
Only if you want to move coordinator somewhere else in home, than it makes sense to do it.
@@BeardedTinker yeah thanks you definitely save me some money because I was about to buy it I have a very bad habit of fixing what's not broken
For sure you can many as you want in your network, currently i have 3 coordinators installed is a video about multi gateways
How UZG-01 compares to SMLIGHT SLZB-06?
UZG-01 is very similar hardware-wise to SLZG-06P7 as they use same SOC or Zigbee module. But currently I would say taht development of software for SLZB devices is at much faster pace + there is now integration to for Home Assistant for SLZB devices that UZG-01 doesnt have (exposes entities, allows configuration, updates etc via Home Assistant).
As for performance, they really should be almost the same.
Ottimo video complimenti !
I got the Skyconnect dongle when it first came out and I ended up unplugging it as it was unstable, caused loads of issues.
Did you update the firmware on it? I have one running since it was released and it's OK. Not a space rocket of course, but works ok.
Awesome video. Would this work in a scenario where I have Home Assitant running in Proxmox as VM and Home Assistant could failover to another proxmox node?
Over IP connection? Sure, it would probably be the easiest way of doing any kind of failover this way.
@@BeardedTinker Thanks. Have you measured or noticed if controlling devices over LAN or WiFi would be more "laggy".
I haven't noticed any difference. But also networks are different too - main one is around 70 devices, test one is just 3-4.
Ok, thanks a lot for your answers @@BeardedTinker
@@74Touchdownno lagging over Ethernet, never tested WIFI
Just got it the UZG-01 and immediately ran into a problem with WiFi - which didn't work. Turns out there was a problem with firmware versions 0.2.4 and 0.2.5 which broke the WiFi. They have just released 0.2.6 which appears to have fixed it again.
Great video, I got 3. Did you get the router option to work? I can ad them tot HA but no devices connect to it.
Thank you!! I did try router FW on it but only with Z2M not ZHA.
Also, you don't need to worry if devices at first don't attach to it. If you can see it on the network, when time comes and if there is a need, devices will migrate to it.
They usually are clever enough to know when to transfer to new router.
Thanks B.T. really interesting. I have a question. I have now Sonoff, A coordinator on the Attic, and two routers (sonoff) second floor, first floor. Is the same setup possible with these UZG-01? So Buy three of them? I think they don't have to be routers then because they can connect directly to the Z2M but would this be possible?
You can have only one coordinator for Z2M - but also it's possible to run multiple Z2M, each with its own coordinator. Not sure what you would get out of the upgrade, besides ability to move coordinator, if needed, from attic. I don't think, unless this is the case to move coordinator out of attic, you will gain anything extra.
Would it potentially work better than say a dongle if connected through Ethernet. I run HA through a VM and sometimes it stops reading the USB causing my Zigbee network to drop. Luckily I have an automation to start the host if this happens
It's should be more reliable - unless you have some network issues, but that's very unlikely. Especially if you use Ethernet and not WiFi. What's your host for VM?
I used to use Virtualbox, but was causing a lot of issues. I now use VMWare which is way more stable for me, but there are just a few times where the VM has issues
Firmware part necessary? It seems to be able to update itself, no? Also don't you need to enable MQTT on the device?
NM zigbee firmware is needed!
MQTT needs to be enabled if you are using Zigbee2MQTT on server, but no MQTT is needed for ZHA.
When you enable MQTT, you get control over the device from within HomeAssistant (Restart ESP, restart Zigbee) and get sensors for the ESP SoC (ESP temperature, IP Address, uptime etc)
Other than placement, is their any real advantage of this device over a remote Zigbee to MQTT (running on a Raspberry Pi) or a USB connected Zigbee Dongle?
Depends on SoC you are using, if you are on cc2531, sure, if you already have something like cc2652 or EFR32MG2x - no. Unless as you said you need to position it somewhere else or want to make it independent on any host HW.
I started having problems to add more than 40 devices to this coordinator, are you sure that it handles? I have more than 35 routers and still giving me some error :/
The SOC should support well over 100 devices. There are other potential problems that you may be experiencing that give you this result. For example, using channel for network that overlaps nearby WiFi networks, or some other interference on the network.
You could try and contact the support, but it should work with 100 devices connected directly to coordinator and another 100 devices via routers.
@@BeardedTinker my channnels are well defined wiithout overlapping. I could pair more devices, it was failing a lot then I turned off mqtt, z2m and the coord for a few minutes, bring everythinng on again and the problem was gone...
Glad it's working at the end for you!!!
wish I could get one from aliexpress, not easy to buy here fom brazil
Is the Zigbee range better on this than the Sonoff stick? I have a Sonoff stick connected to Synology in my living room but find that it doesn't reach all of my house. If I bought this I could move my Synology elsewhere and just connect the ZigStar to ethernet. Thanks
There is no need for coordinator on Zigbee network to cover whole house. That's why the network has routers - devices that are not powered by battery are usually all routers.
But yes, you could do it like that - move Synology somewhere else and use this as remote coordinator.
@@BeardedTinker Thanks for the reply. The only zigbee devices I use are Hue and Aqara. Aqara seems to use a non-standard zigbee implementation, so far I've had problems finding router that works with their devices. Hue will also not mesh with Aqara. I think some Ikea outlets will work with Aqara but never in stock where I live. Think I will pick up this coordinator since other commentators says range is much better.
Still using Deconz with the Deconz stick with suits my needs, it it good to look for Z2M and this device??
I'm wrong person to ask because my first response is always - if Deconz works for you, keep using it! But if you one day decide to replace it, this is really great choice and works awesome with Z2M.
@@BeardedTinker thats what i was thinking, but was just wondering and looking ahead :) thanks
Any plans in the future to add Thread functionality?
AFAIK P7 SoC does support Thread according to TI documentation... But will UZG-01 get support, have no idea about that one, sorry.
@@BeardedTinkerI asked a while ago, and the answer was "sometime yes, but no priority"
I get two of these, one will be coordinator, but how can I make the second as Zigbee router over ethernet?
You just need to flash different Zigbee firmware. In documentation it says what to download and from where if you want router.
@@BeardedTinker I just read it, this will try to pair with zigbee network over zigbee signal. But what if i do not have zigbee wireless signal and want to use this device as router over ethernet.
In my case, Basically router should be connected over ethernet to coordinator, and not over zigbee wireless signals
@@sanketgroup - I think this device can be a zigbee coordinator or a zigbee router. A zigbee router is a device in an existing zigbee network and the network must have one, and only one, zigbee coordinator. So if you do not have a zigbee signal then as a router it is a just an disconnected device and will do nothing.
@@wobbit42 @BeardedTinker
So let's say i have a garage where there is no Zigbee signal, but I have ethernet LAN cable, how can I make Zigbee devices in garage to be connected to same home assistant
instance over ethernet?
too expensive for a router.I prefer routers to be usb sticks or end devices what are powered by 220V
can it be powered via the same USB-C cable while connected to HA Yellow in Zigbee to USB mode?
It should be possible. I've done it a long time ago and forgot, but I think it worked without an issue.
@@BeardedTinker I cannot find it in the official manual. It seems like it's not supported out of the box. I just tried it and the blue power light is almost impossible to see (as opposed to when I power it from my Mac.)
Hi, Is there a similar coordinator supporting Z-Wave with Ethernet for HA? or maybe this one has support for Z-Wave in addition to Zigbee? Thank you!Hi, Is there a similar coordinator supporting Z-Wave with Ethernet for HA? or maybe this one has support for Z-Wave in addition to Zigbee? Thank you!
I'm not saying that there isn't one, but I haven't seen it. I did see combos (for example Z-Station from zwave.me) that have both ZWave and Zigbee, but they use USB cable.
Has anyone found this in the european market?
Doesn't look like there is anything at the moment.
Thanks B.T.
Any time Ron and thanks for the comment!
Is the antenna for wifi or zigbee? Therefore, if I have it setup in LAN mode, do I need to have the antenna fitted?
That's an antenna for ZigBee and it's needed for it.
@@BeardedTinker Thanks
Can this operate with Matter?
This is ESPHome based device. Check github.com/esphome/feature-requests/issues/1430 if you are interested in a (very long) read on support of Matter and Thread in ESPHome. Also, it would require completely different HW.
I have no clue of this, but can I use it to connect Aqara devices and use it with Matter and Apple Home?
Not directly, It's just coordinator. It's not HomeKit certified and currently doesn't have firmware that supports Matter.
@@BeardedTinker Thanks for the help!
Great Video, running in Zigbee to WiFi mode with 160 devices so far and its rock solid! Thank you for exposing me to this product.
That's really great!!! Thank you for the comment!
I wish I had bought this one but instead I purchased the cheaper HamGeek copy. Be warned that all of the HamGeek devices use the same IEEE address so you cannot have more than one on a zigbee network. Fine as a coordinator but you cannot have one as a coordinator and one as a router.
Buy the UZG-01, not the HamGeek one.
BTW - I would really recommend for router to get a bit cheaper device such as Sonoff Dongle P or even E. It is good for that role and much cheaper. But for coordinator UZG-01 is really great!
HamGeek HMG-01 Plus POE (Another name for it)
It's not another name it's a clone that's using ZigStar design but also firmware and ZigStar tools.
@@BeardedTinker Exactly is a clone,what copy-paste everything.
Like slzb-06 was using our firmware and not showing sources.
Wish this also had Thread support.
This is ESPHome based device. Until Thread and Matter are ported to ESPHome it0s not possible. But also, it will require different module inside.
Thread and matter so far are a disappointment to me. Until that changes, having support for them is only useful in niche deployments.
Abernathy Cliffs
SMLIGHT SLZB-06
SLZB-06, SLZB-06M or SLZB-06P ? ;)
SLZB-06
+1! Just moved to SLZB-06 from TubesZB POE. Physically looks pretty ugly, but since using it I now appreciate its industrial/commercial intended usage and the design matches that. Newest firmware makes it simple to manage / upgrade / configure too.
I have SLZB-06, 06M, 06P7 and 07. 06 is most basic and both M and P7 have better SoC, but firmware for plain 06 is better currently as it's older and more tested and tried.
haha, snap! I also have the 06, 06m and 06p7 (was having a lot of problems I eventually traced to the TubesZB I'd been using, so bought all 3 and the UZG-01 in desperation).
Need to revisit notes, but I remember the improved SOC was actually fairly unnecessary (at least to the P7), the processes were not getting anywhere close on the base model for memory and processor, but I remember there being a "recommended" for ZHA being the 6M and 06 Z2M 'preferred'. From what I tested, I had no issues with Z2M or ZHA using either.
Have put base unit (06) into production at home, running around 120 ZB devices across approx 4000sqm - all great so far.
My UZG-01 was DoA so didn't get to compare - but props to the owner, they sent a new one right away, no questions asked.
@@BeardedTinker
Conroy Ferry
Kilback Crossing
Torp Groves