Sonoff devices (NSPanel Pro & ZBBridge-U) do not act as Matter Hub — Matter devices appear only in LAN mode

Ideas & Suggestion Free discussion
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Hello eWeLink team,

I’m a long-time Sonoff user and an active eWeLink Web Plan subscriber. I need help with Matter hub functionality: my Sonoff devices do not act as Matter hubs for Matter devices — Matter devices only appear in the eWeLink app as LAN-only devices and show no supported hub.

Environment

  • Account: (eWeLink Web Plan subscriber)

  • NSPanel Pro — firmware 4.1.2

  • ZBBridge-U — firmware 1.16.0

  • eWeLink mobile app (current/latest app build on my device)

  • Tested Matter device: simple Matter smart plug (used for verification)

  • Workaround that does work: installing eWeLink Cast on a tablet makes that tablet act as a real Matter hub and Matter devices show correctly.

Problem summary

  • Expected: NSPanel Pro and ZBBridge-U should be recognized and act as Matter hubs (so Matter devices can be added and managed via the eWeLink app through those hubs).

  • Observed: When I add Matter devices, they appear in the eWeLink app only in LAN mode and are not associated with a supported hub. As a result, full Matter functionality through Sonoff hardware is not available. The only practical hub workaround is eWeLink Cast on a tablet.

Steps to reproduce

  1. Ensure NSPanel Pro (FW 4.1.2) and ZBBridge-U (FW 1.16.0) are online and updated.

  2. Open eWeLink app and attempt to add a Matter device (I tested with a Matter plug).

  3. Complete the commissioning process for the Matter device.

  4. Observe the device entry in the eWeLink app: the device shows as LAN-only and there is no indication that NSPanel Pro or ZBBridge-U is acting as the Matter hub.

Actual behavior

  • Matter device is visible in the app but only in LAN mode.

  • No hub is shown as the Matter controller for those devices.

  • Full Matter features / cloud-control through Sonoff hardware are not available.

Expected behavior

  • NSPanel Pro and/or ZBBridge-U should be able to act as the Matter hub/controller so that Matter devices appear as managed through the Sonoff/eWeLink hub (not just LAN-only).

  • Matter devices should show the hub association and provide full functionality through the eWeLink app without requiring eWeLink Cast.

Notes / additional observations

  • I verified both Sonoff devices are on the latest firmware mentioned above.

  • Using eWeLink Cast on a tablet successfully provides hub behavior (i.e., the tablet becomes a working Matter hub and devices show correctly). This suggests the app/hub implementation works in at least that configuration.

  • This issue affects the product user experience because physical Sonoff devices (NSPanel Pro, ZBBridge-U) are expected to be able to operate as Matter hubs.

What I can provide

  • Screenshots of the device listing (showing LAN-only).

  • App logs, device logs, and timestamps if needed.

  • Exact eWeLink app version and platform (iOS/Android) on request.

Please investigate and let me know if you need specific logs or a packet capture. I can provide any additional diagnostic data you request.

Thanks in advance for your help — feel free to ask for any other details.

Best regards,
Tamer