How-to Migrate coordinator from ConBee II to SONOFF?

[domlen]

Hi all,

Currently, I'm using the following setup to run zigbee2mqtt within home assistant: A ConBee II coordinator and two SONOFF routers

I would like to migrate the coordinator from ConBee II to another SONOFF stick, so my question is: what is the best way, the best process, and what are the necessary steps to do so?

The FAQ (How do I migrate from one adapter to another? and What does and does not require repairing of all devices?) does not specifically cover the ConBee II stick and unfortunately I'm not aware of and was not able to find out, which chipset it uses. So I just want to be 100% sure to do the right thing.

Thank you in advance!

Greetings,

Dominik

[Koenkk]

Conbee II -> SONOFF requires repairing.

[domlen]

Thanks! What exactly does repairing mean/contain? Starting from scratch, naming everything new, adjusting every automation etc. or just the act of physically repairing (enable join all and pushing buttons)?

…

On Fri, Oct 21, 2022, 16:35 Koen Kanters ***@***.***> wrote: Conbee II -> SONOFF requires repairing. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#14574 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AASAQ6FWXK6M2UBRCSW6UCLWEKS4DANCNFSM6AAAAAARLAQ4S4> . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[Koenkk]

If you are using HA I would recommend the following:

• In the z2m configuration set homeassistant: false
• Stop z2m
• Delete the data/database.db
• Update the port in the z2m configuration.yaml
• Power down all routers in your network
• Start z2m and start pairing the devices one by one
• Once done, stop z2m and set homeassistant: true
• Start z2m and HA will think nothing has happened (so automations keep working)

[bavo]

@Koenkk small follow up question because i will be doing the same in a few days.

Is it possible to move de the zigbee2mqtt container (HA add-on) to a different desktop/system with the conbee II stick and start a new container in Home assistant with the Sonoff stick?
This would allow me to move the devices one by one from conbee II to sonoff and force the pairing mode for my Hue devices. Because Hue devices automatically start pairing mode when removed. But the process described above does not force pairing mode (i think?).

I'm having problems with the reset method using the dimmer switch. Therefore my current process requires me to force the hue bulb back into the hue system and remove it from there. This forces the light into a repairing mode but this is really cumbersome.

Any idea's or suggestions to make this process easier?

Thx ❤️

[Danit2]

@bavo
Yes you can do it like that.
But i have done it like this:

• Install the Edge AddOn on HomeAssistant.
• Copy the zigbee2mqtt and paste the folder and rename it to zigbee2mqtt2.
• Then rename in the config of the Edge AddOn the data_path to zigbee2mqtt2.
• Set in the zigbee2mqtt2 config homeassistant: false
• Then change in the normal AddOn the serial path of the coordinator und delete the database file and set homeassistant: false
• Then you can start both AddOn's.

Now you can delet the devices in the Edge version an join in the normal version.

At the end you can change in the normal config homeassistant: false to homeassistant: true and restart the AddOn.

For me this wase working fine.

[linuxstony]

@Koenkk sorry for the necromancing of this thread - but is the repairing still necessary in the current version of z2m?
Currently my config specifies adapter: auto and the port /dev/ttyACM0. Are the devices stored on the stick itself?

[manuelkue]

From my understanding, most Zigbee devices save the coordinator's "unique" ieeeAddr when beeing paired.
So, if your coordinator changes - or better the ieeeAddr of your coordinator - those devices won't work with this new coordinator anymore. So the docs should still be valid.

When you can modify the coordinator's ieeeAddr re-pairing might not be needed. See here:
https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/adapters/flashing/copy_ieeaddr.html

Unfortunately I don't know if changing the ConBee's ieeeAddr is possible. If this is feasible, there is a chance that the devices will work afterwards as if nothing had changed.

[Koenkk]

yes repairing is still needed

[TomKassel]

I also have a Conbee II and 186 devices. I would like to switch to another coordinator, but repairing is an imposition with the amount of devices. It should be much easier to change the coordinator.

[Koenkk]

I agree, but currently we don't have a maintainer for the Conbee adapter integration (Dresden Elektronik did in the past), so it is unlikely that the backup functionality will be added.

[haegar33]

I went thru this process a month ago as my Raspee adapter stopped working in my Pi3. Having restored all the content of /opt/zigbee2mqtt/data I was pleased to see that with the new Sonoff Z3 Adapter appeared in the front GUI list...
however it turned out they most of the devices were not working until you did a repairing :(