Dear @Alexie any news?
Thank you so much. This worked for me
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Well, I have a test with HA and SkyConnect and iHost is miserable compared with HA/SC.
Testing with Aqara, intelligent plugs and temperature meters and Lidl/Silvercrest (Tuya) cheap plugs, iHost=crap!
About SkyConnect, hardware is Silicon Labs Multiprotocol EFR32MG21.
iHost is not for HA, it was not designed for it, the hardware is expensive, the access is blocked and the zigbee is very limited.
So much so that it makes no sense to spend time and money on programmers to make something that already exists and is free.
For HA the best solution is a mini computer, similar to this:
N95 8GB 256GB
The hardware specification is much better and there is no difference in price iHost:$99 and N95:$109.04.
I am still giving a opportunity to iHost, because I liked the Cast interface and the support of this forum. I am using it with nodeRed for automations and without HA.
But I’ve thought several times about selling it and buying a mini computer to use with HA and no more headaches.
We did a comparative test in the laboratory. In fact, if we only look at the experimental data, we can’t find any problems with iHost.
Compared hardware: ihost vs Raspberry PI with dongle-E (runing HA and Zigbee2Mqtt)
We test 10 times and averaged it, and test another brand plug with these 2 hubs as well, you can see that there are near not different of tow hubs… (The first table compares LQI and the second table compares RSSI)
If you still find that your ihost is in the same location as your Raspberry PI or other HA host, ihost cannot connect and control the device but HA can, please contact us and we will see if there is a hardware problem with your device.
Because the signal strength displayed by HA and the LQI displayed by ihost, please do not simply see the display information, HA is full of cells and ihost has only one cell, and simply think that the signal of ihost is not good.
But if you do experience a bad signal, like I said - you just can’t find or control a zigbee device from this location, but it’s OK to use HA for the same device here, then we’d like to take a look with you: There is a great possibility that there is a problem with the hardware on your hand, such as the antenna part of the interface falling off or some component parameters have problems, we will help you solve this problem
We’re sorry to have caused you any discomfort, and we appreciate the fact that users are willing to take the time to identify and deal with the problem together.
Since we didn’t have skyconnect on hand, we used Raspberry PI and dongle-e, and ran HA and zigbee2mqtt. As I mentioned in the above reply, our own laboratory data comparison, there is not much difference.
Next, we will purchase a skyconnect and do a comparison test. We will send the results here to compare and see where the differences are. Since EFR32MG21 is also used on ihost, theoretically there should be no difference between them.
In addition, we also hope that you can synchronize your test results to us, and want to know what data you are judging by: please do not simply compare the signal strength display icon displayed on the two systems - because they do not show the same parameter
Ok, one easy solution is maybe to just open up the IHost zigbeechip for use with HA?
HA/Skyconnect “works with everything”…
My testbed for the moment
From the pictures provided, we can not see the corresponding signal strength or communication quality information of the equipment. If you are referring to the comparison that the eWeLink cube currently supports fewer device types and product models than Zigbee2Mqtt or ZHA, then we admit that it does. Currently, eWeLink Cube recognizes and supports far fewer device types and product models than open source projects such as Zgbee2mqtt.
But please note: we’re talking about ihost’s zigbee RF capabilities and communication distance here, not the type and model of devices supported.
In addition, according to the users we contacted after selling ihost, 80% of the users are non-technical people who do not understand technology at all, and they do not want to learn how to install and config a opensource sysetem, so they cannot use HA smoothly - they just want to use ihost directly out of box. Our current product development direction is to serve these users well - so in order to ensure the security of equipment data, We will not open zigbee chips to any third party applications.
If you are a technical user or developer who knows HA, then you also want to install and run HA on eWeLink Cube, we have also opened the USB port for Docker, you can plug in skyconnect into USB port and install HA , they can work together.
If your purpose is more specific and you don’t want to use the eWeLink CUBE system, you just want to use the iHost hardware and run your own system, then you can still choose to flash the ihost directly - Reflash your iHost with your own Linux distribution
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@Alexie,
I think in this case the problem is not the transceiver, but how the received data is treated, and the compatibility with devices, as you mentioned.
For example, I have a simple powerplug that works in Zigbee2mqtt and does not work with eWeLink Cube. And all the devices that work still don’t work completely, for example motion sensors that should also report temperature, don’t do it.
And this matters much more for users who don’t have technical knowledge, than for those who do.
Who has technical knowledge, try to make it work.
There are basic features such as setting the device’s default init state that cannot be done on iHost.
Every time the power goes out at home and comes back, some lights stay on.
If you use the Tuya Hub, it is possible to configure the default state and this problem does not occur, but it makes no sense to have to buy a Tuya Hub to be able to configure the devices and use the iHost as it should work.
Please understand that we cannot support all device types and models. We can only ensure 100% support for SONOFF brand and eWeLink support products. For other brand products, we can only say that we will try our best to support them, but we cannot guarantee 100%.
The example you mentioned is because the eWeLink cube does not currently support the socket type with power meter capability, there is not any UI card to show this type of deveice, so it cannot be supported. We will continue to add various types of devices in the future - there are many types that we do not support at present , and we need to add them one by one, if you read the monthly upgrade record, you will find that we are constantly adding new supported device types - but this job which will take time, we will continue to add support for various categories.
For many devices, we can not support all their functional configurations, because each brand supports a variety of Settings are different, the protocol is not standard uniform, need to be compatible with one by one - some Settings are not public need to crack. So we currently only promise to support the standard capabilities of each type of device - the default power-on state you mentioned is not a standard capability, but a private instruction made by tuya itself, so we cannot support it - just like you connect SONOFF devices to tuya gateway, there are many configurations that cannot be displayed and used.
In the end, we can only promise full functional support for the SONOFF brand and eWeLink support products, the rest we can only say - we will do our best, but can not guarantee full compatibility support.
For supported product types and product models, as well as supported capabilities, we update the Zigbee Compatibility list - and we continue to update this list. If your device is not on this list, or is on this list but is not supported, you are welcome to contact us - we will try to see what to do, but will not give you any promises about when it will be supported.
I’m sorry that I gave you a wrong reply… It should be a Reply to another post.
Regarding your inquiry, ZBBridge-P will be supported in the new version of eWeLink smart home addon, which will be released around September 15th. Please be sure to upgrade your ZBBrdige-P to the latest firmware version to support LAN mode, so that ihost can find it in the local area and synchronize the device.
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@Alexie Thanks for your reply.
Just now i see on ZBBridge - P that the last versión of the firmware don’t have the lan mode. Do you update also that?
I understand @Alexie , and that is why I am still using iHost and trying to help.
Sonoff does not have a lot of devices, for example doesnt has a Switch with 4 channels like this. This device is even smaller than the Sonoff ZBmini and has a better zigbee signal.
This is the main problem of ZBBridge, ZBBridge-P, it works only with Sonoff. But even Sonoff devices, the compatibility is not full.
The iHost is sold with the promise that it will be compatible with other brands.
The problem is a lot of people that bought the iHost with this promise will become iHost haters, as we can see in this forum.
I’ve been a Home Assistant user since 2017 and I stopped using it to use iHost looking for a simpler solution for Zigbee devices with voice commands (Google or Alexa) and some customization, without the need for a subscription or workaround. I was already angry when I found out that it doesn’t work on eWelink.
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The new firmware with LAN feature has not been released yet, expected to be available for update in this month.
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Hi Daniel, any news about the new firmware with LAN feature? thx in advance
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We are still working on the development and optimization as we found some issues during the software testing. Sorry for the delay.
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Dear Daniel, Any news?
Thanks in advance
What about device types that are Zigbee 3.0 but don’t have an equivalent in the Sonoff ecosystem?
I am thinking of in particular my Moes Carbon Monoxide meter. It is Zigbee 3.0. I have far infrared heaters attached to Basic R2. I’d like to be able to turn them off with the iHost but the iHost thinks it is a switch.
A also have a Zigbee smoke detector, but don’t know who made it or if it is Zigbee 3.0. I’d need to find it. That also appears as a switch. I think smoke detector is one of your device types?
I have also got some Zigbee Moes Thermostatic Radiator Valves. Bought them ages ago, well before Sonoff had TRV, but I think you are soon adding the device type to the iHost? Is it worth seeing if these Moes TRV work with iHost in a future iHost update or should I not bother? They work in home assistant. Thanks, Eerke
Dear Alexie ,
Is any update for the ZB Bridge Pro support in iHost
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