Hi everyone, I wanted to share my experience with detecting sensor disconnections in a Zigbee network. I’ve been using Xiaomi Door/Window and Smoke Detectors with Home Assistant, and the setup has been working great overall. However, I encountered an issue where if the Zigbee router (acting as a repeater) gets unplugged, some sensors lose connection, but Home Assistant doesn’t reflect this change. Instead, it keeps showing the last known state, which can be misleading.
I did some research and found that while there isn’t a built-in feature in Home Assistant to automatically detect sensor disconnections, there are workarounds. One approach is to use automation rules that monitor the sensor’s availability and trigger alerts or actions when a disconnection is detected. For example, you can set up a notification to inform you when a sensor goes offline.
I also discovered that using a Zigbee sniffer tool can help monitor the network and identify when sensors are disconnected. This has been really helpful for troubleshooting and ensuring the network remains stable. Additionally, placing the router in a central location to maximize signal coverage has significantly reduced disconnection issues.
If anyone has other tips or experiences with this, I’d love to hear them! It’s been a learning process, but I’m glad I could find some solutions to keep my smart home setup reliable. 