Zigbee OTA Update Tips on eWeLink CUBE

Here’s a short list to walk through before you do OTA for Zigbee devices.

:warning: IMPORTANT: Different firmware may have completed different behavior, make sure you need the update before you do it. Some firmware versions have been known to change device types and clusters, which means eWeLink CUBE may no longer read certain values after the update.

  • Wake Up Battery-Powered or No-Neutral Wiring Devices: These devices need to be awake for the OTA process. Press the pair or function button to wake them up. If no such buttons exist, remove and reinsert the battery.
  • Check Battery Levels: Ensure that battery levels are sufficient. The OTA process can last from several minutes to hours due to Zigbee’s limited bandwidth and can quickly drain the battery.
  • Power Cycle If OTA Fails: If an OTA update fails and you cannot retry the update, power cycling the device usually resolves the issue.
  • Seek Model-Specific Tips: If you encounter difficulties with OTA, search for your device model along with “Z2M” or “GitHub” to find more specific troubleshooting tips. For example, the IKEA Speaker Controller is known to be particularly “sleepy” and may need to be woken up every minute during the OTA process.

Here are additional information about Aqara devices:

Aqara has made specific modifications to Zigbee features, which may result in severe issues with some of their main-powered devices.

If a wireless button was attached to such a device to route information, the device would unexpectedly be togged. And this is not something our developer can interpose and it could happen to other gateways. So please be careful about such devices when you plan to update their firmware.

Based on testing and public information, this issue impacts Aqara’s wall sockets, plugs, and relays. Devices like IKEA remotes and SONOFF 01P are known to trigger this issue, which may also apply to other wireless dimmers and scene buttons.