Reconfig as a repeater

[gumbyCAD]

Is it possible to reconfigure my Conbee II stick as a repeater? If not this would be an awesome feature to introduce.

[Hedda]

For reference, "repeater"/"extender" are layman's terms, what you ask for is the option for it to become a "Zigbee Router (ZR)".

That is, you are requesting an alternative Zigbee Router firmware for ConBee II or the ability to configure a ConBee II via software so that the hardware can be repuposes as a separate dedicated stand-alone "Zigbee Router" product, (which is something that I too find interesting because it would allow users to repurpose it if no longer using as Zigbee Coordinator).

I think that a common use case can be that users used an original ConBee or RaspBee and later bought a new ConBee II or RaspBee II and want to repurpose their old ConBee/RaspBee as a "Zigbee Router" (ZR) device (i.e. a routing Zigbee Pro device) in order so they can join it to an existing Zigbee network as a Zigbee Router device to then extend their Zigbee network mesh. That same scenario would apply for ConBee II when dresden elektronik has released ConBee III (ConBee 3).

Preferably a Zigbee 3.0 router device so it can act as a Zigbee Router for Zigbee 3.0 devices if joined to a Zigbee 3.0 (ZB3) network.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zigbee#Device_types_and_operating_modes

Device types and operating modes

There are three classes of Zigbee devices:

• Zigbee Coordinator (ZC): The most capable device, the coordinator forms the root of the network tree and may bridge to other networks. There is precisely one Zigbee coordinator in each network since it is the device that started the network originally (the Zigbee LightLink specification also allows operation without a Zigbee coordinator, making it more usable for off-the-shelf home products). It stores information about the network, including acting as the trust center and repository for security keys.
• Zigbee Router (ZR): As well as running an application function, router devices can act as intermediate routers, passing data on to other devices. These types of Zigbee products are typically mains-powered so they are always available on the network. Zigbee Router devices are sometimes called Zigbee repeaters or Zigbee range extenders.
• Zigbee End Device (ZED): Contains just enough functionality to talk to the parent node (either the coordinator or a router); it cannot relay data from other devices. This relationship allows the node to be asleep a significant amount of the time thereby giving long battery life. These types of Zigbee device products are often battery-powered. A ZED requires the least amount of memory and thus can be less expensive to manufacture than a ZR or ZC.

PS: Zigbee Pro device becomes a non-routing Zigbee End Device (ZED) on a legacy Zigbee network (e.i. a non Zigbee Pro network), so even if could join a Zigbee Light Link (ZLL) network or Zigbee Home Automation (ZHA) network then it would only be a ZED. There is also the follow-up question to about what would happen if it joins a Zigbee 3.0 (ZB3) network?

[ebaauw]

This used to be possible, a long time ago, see dresden-elektronik/deconz-rest-plugin#21. Last time I tried, the device wouldn’t keep the ZLL link key. I don’t think I ever tried to join it to an existing ZHA/Zigbee Pro network, though, using the ZHA link key.

If you have an original RaspBee or ConBee, you could flash firmware from 2017, but you’d probably need a corresponding version of deCONZ to configure the device.

If we’re nitpicking, strictly speaking the coordinator is already a Zigbee router. The term repeater is typically used for a router device with no application function (like light or sensor). The issue is not to get the device to act as a router, but to get it to join an existing network, rather than form its own. If you know the network parameters, you might try and configure them directly, instead of trying to pair the device with the other network.

[Hedda]

This used to be possible, a long time ago, see dresden-elektronik/deconz-rest-plugin#21

Also see this other related request posted in deconz-rest-plugin which are not quite the same request as this since deconz-rest-plugin requires deCONZ while the deconz-serial-protocol does not as use a serial interface to communicate and give commands directly with the application firmware running the ConBee dongle instead of going through deCONZ API:

dresden-elektronik/deconz-rest-plugin#2788

[kavejo]

I'd be looking to reconfigure my Conbee II as a Zigbee Router too.
I do have a couple of Sonoff ZBDongle-E working one as a Coordinator and one as a Router, and changing mode there is a no brainer.

[Hedda]

This repurpose use case is more relevant now that many ConBee II users may be migrating to the newer ConBee III (ConBee III)

https://phoscon.de/en/conbee3

Relevant is dresden elektronik released OpenThread firmware to allow users to repurpose ConBee II as a Thread Border Router:

https://github.com/dresden-elektronik/openthread-r21

Obviously a OpenThread Border Router does not help Zigbee users but is proof-of-concept that can release other firmware types.