How are you integrating the Aqara hub into HE?
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Homebridge to expose virtual switches to HomeKit. HomeKit automations sync the virtual switches to real sensors. Works for everything except using the temp sensor values in comparison to another sensor. So that sensor is still directly paired (which, with carefully placed TRÅDFRI outlets, remains stable).
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Oh OK. I purchased a Mi Home hub and using Mi Connector and an RPi have managed to connect the Xiaomi/Aqara devices to my HE hub. The devices are paired to the Mi Home hub and I've not had any drop off with no repeaters required. Working very well.
I was just wondering how you were doing it in case I could cut out the middle man (RPi).
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Yeah, I was following that thread. Nice you and @Royski have that working so well. If I hadn’t already gotten it to work this way, and it wasn’t so stable, then I would probably find the hub you need and do what you did. It’s a nice alternative for non-iOS users.
But since I’m already in iOS user, and already had an Apple TV 4, this was a no brainer for me, once I saw how stable the MakerAPI version of Homebridge could be.
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As an update to this issue, I made a test where I moved my button to the same room of my Hubitat Hub. And I didn't use it in the last 3 days. Now I tested and it worked fine at first.
In the room that I use to have the button, it stopped working after 1 or 2 days.
So I guess this is a sign that I need a Zigbee repeater
Yes, but did you try putting in a fresh battery and putting it back in the original location? The Xiaomi sensors, as an example, that drop off the network are all on batteries. The ones that I’ve converted to be powered by a mains adapter do not drop.
It seems the Xiaomi sensors are more prone to dropping off a non-Xiaomi Zigbee network when their batteries hit around 50% capacity.
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I have 15 Xiaomi & Aqara Devices (battery powered) + 4 Ikea plug/repeater, those are all my zigbee devices.
There is not one Xiaomi device directly connected on the Hubitat
I use WatchDog to monitor the sensors every hour.
All sensors are checking in each hour except 1 sensor.
This sensor is about 3 meters from an Ikea repeater.
Sometimes the sensor is checking in well for hours but suddenly there is no last checkin anymore BUT the sensor is still working well on the hubitat. (open/close)
Most of the time the problem is fixed automatically after a few hours (3-4-5)
I reseted the sensor, removed the battery, reinstalled it on the hubitat again but nothing is solving this last checkin issue
Has anyone a similar issue or solution?
The only solution I can offer is to get some less troublesome sensors like those, almost as cheap ones, from SmartThings.
I had two Xiaomi sensors (1 x door/window, 1 x Temperature) and they made trouble for me every week !
I replaced them with ST versions and have never touched them in 10 months !
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replacing all sensors, rather drastic since I have 14 sensors that working well since +6 months...
Who said anything about replacing them ALL ??
Yeah man, if the others are working for you - just replace the one that is NOT !
Then see how you go. 
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Distance is not the only factor. RF waves have polarity. There is an electric field and a magnetic field. Often rotating either the sensor or the receiver can have a huge impact.
Also any metallic object in the way can disrupt the fields creating chaotic degradation of the fields and resulting in sub-harmonics.
Unfortunately, the plug router orientation is predetermined by the location of the power outlet. Thus I would try moving the sensor if possible. Otherwise you're probably out of luck.
I also find that each sensor should be able to 'see' at least two routers or they drop off for sure.
Also you may have luck with changing the zigbee channel.
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This is probably mentioned somewhere above, but when I pair these direct to the hub, they are pretty stable. If I pair with repeaters in the system, they drop off constantly, often within a day. I also found that I shouldn't do a Zigbee "repair" by turning off the hub as the Xiaomi/Aquara then pair back to a repeater.Rebooting is OK, but after a few minutes with the hub off, the Aqara again go into discovery and pair to a repeater.
It is a pain as I have to unplug all my line powered Zigbee devices, pair the Aquara, then plug everything back in. But once I did this method, I haven't had any drop off the network.
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This is discussed a lot. The devices don't like a lot of the repeaters. You have to find repeaters that work well with them and get rind of anything else that could be repeating. I highly recommend the ikea repeaters. They really work well.
And if you get repeaters, make sure you get enough. I think the ratio is 6 devices to a repeater or something like that. There is a limit.
Directly connected gives no issues but there is also a limit to the number of devices that are directly connected (I think its 32 or around that) and your hub would also need to be within range of them all.
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I don't have that many Aqara devices, so I haven't hit that 32 device cap so far. My house is not that large so I haven't had any range issues with direct connection to the hub.
I have the Iris combo Zigbee/Zwave outlet, and they apparently aren't good repeaters for Aqara. I also had the Peanut Plugs, and they seemed to cause more problems than they solved in general.
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I'm not going to pretend to have any technical knowledge about what Shenzhen Green Rice Lianchuang Technology Co., Ltd did to make this work, but we can speculate about RF all day long, and I don't think it's much of anything to do with it. It's something to do with the way they have implemented Zigbee. When I pair Aqara or Mijia devices to the Aqara HomeKit Gateway, they DO NOT DROP. The guys that have the Mijia Gateways and MiConnector have the same experience.
I was looking into grabbing one of these to play with and then read that one hub can support up to 32 devices. Of course I'm probably the extreme case with the number of my devices, but I'm guessing I would have to go with multiple hubs (maybe 3 at this point) if I wanted to go this route.
That being said, I wonder if the good reliability with this hub is because it is using no repeaters (also would explain the limit). Repeaters were one of the main causes of issues. It might also have a stronger radio than HE as well so it probably covers the house better.
I can certainly vouch for that.
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I mean, based on it's small size, I don't think it's antenna size difference. I'm not going to know how many end devices are actually supported until I get the Mijia Mult-Mode gateway (and maybe not even then because I don't have that many Xiaomi devices) if the limit is 32 or 64. The currently missing in action Aqara M2 gateway is supposed to support 100 end devices.
Yeah, I think that's a fair guess on the repeaters. I know that I read somewhere that the relays (which I have two of) act as repeaters (on HE anyway) and someone wrote that the Xiaomi outlets (apparently now available for NA sockets, but no idea where to get one) will also repeat. How you confirm that on a Xiaomi hub, I have no idea.
If you think about the typical Chinese home (a small apartment), then no repeaters and as many end devices as possible, makes total sense.
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I did have 33 working at one point.
One was a neutral single button light switch. (I toasted that unfortunately). 
Then I took a couple of motion sensors off and put them on HE as I was having issues and wanted to try and prove what was happening. I think I have diagnosed to my router.
Somehow it had switched channels to 2+6.
Switched it back to 1 and things have settled again.
I may put the 2 motion sensors on HE back but I tend to leave things alone while they are working OK.
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Hmmm... looks like there are multiple devices so the limit may only be on the one I was looking at. Only able to go by the amazon listing. But looks like they may expand the limits with the other models.
