I'm still fairly new to Home Assistant, so apologies if this is a basic question.

I'm currently running Home Assistant in Docker on Ubuntu 26.04, and I'm at the stage where I want to start adding Zigbee sensors around the house. In the future I'd also like to get into Thread/Matter devices, but that's not an immediate priority.

I've been looking at the SONOFF Dongle Max (Dongle-M) as a Zigbee coordinator for Zigbee2MQTT, but I honestly haven't been able to find many genuine opinions or detailed reviews on it. Most of the YouTube videos I've come across feel sponsored or are just product overviews without much real-world experience.

For those of you using Zigbee2MQTT, how has the Dongle-M been? Would you recommend it?

One thing I'm a little confused about is its Zigbee + Thread support. From what I understand, it can be used for both, but does that mean it's trying to run Zigbee and Thread simultaneously on the same radio using Silicon Labs' multiprotocol setup (which I've read hasn't always had the best reputation)? Or are they effectively separate implementations where you're not dealing with the old unreliable multiprotocol issues?

If I eventually want both Zigbee and Thread in my Home Assistant setup, would you trust the Dongle-M, or would you still recommend sticking with something more established like an SMLight SLZB coordinator?

Speaking of SMLight, I'm also a bit lost because there seem to be quite a few SLZB models now. I noticed one with dual antennas that also mentions Zigbee and Thread support. Is that essentially the same idea as the SONOFF Dongle-M, or is it implemented differently?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have actually used these coordinators long-term. Reliability is much more important to me than having the latest features.

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone,
I’m hoping someone here can help me figure out what’s going on with Matter commissioning on my setup. I’ve been troubleshooting this for days and I’m stuck at the final step of pairing every time.

My Setup

• Home Assistant Core in Docker on Ubuntu 24.04
• Running on a Beelink Mini PC (Intel N150, 12GB RAM)
• This is a temporary setup — once I’m confident, I’ll likely move to HAOS
• LocalTuya, Tapo camera control, and other integrations work fine
• Trying to add Matter devices:
  • Tapo Matter smart plug
  • Zemismart Matter bulb

Both devices pair perfectly with SmartThings Station (Matter controller), so the devices themselves are good.

Network Topology

Here’s my network layout:

Code

ISP Router/Modem → ASUS ZenWiFi BT8 (AP Mode, main node)
                         ↓
                3 x ZenWiFi XD4 nodes (AiMesh) , 1 x TUF AX3000 (AiMesh node), 1 x BT8 

Important notes:

• The ISP router handles routing
• The ASUS mesh is in AP mode only
• 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz are separate SSIDs
• No VLANs, no guest networks, no isolation

What Happens When I Try to Pair in HA

Using the Home Assistant mobile app (required for Matter):

1. BLE pairing works
2. Wi‑Fi credentials transfer successfully
3. Device joins the network
4. Device contacts HA
5. Fails at the very last step: “Adding to Home Assistant” → “Something went wrong”

This happens with both devices.

What I’ve Already Tried

Device Resets

• Fully factory reset the Tapo Matter plug (long reset to clear all fabrics)
• Fully reset the Zemismart bulb
• Removed both devices from SmartThings completely
• Also tried the reverse:
  • Paired to SmartThings first
  • Generated a Matter pairing code
  • Tried adding to HA using that code
  • Still fails at the final step

Docker Configuration

Rebuilt both containers with correct settings:

Home Assistant container:

• --network=host
• --privileged
• --restart=unless-stopped
• Mounted /run/dbus:/run/dbus:ro
• Mounted /home/yusuf/homeassistant/config:/config

Matter Server container:

• Also running in --network=host
• Data volume mounted

Verified:

• IPv6 inside the container (ip -6 addr shows link‑local + global)
• mDNS advertising (avahi-browse -a shows _matter._tcp and _matterc._udp)
• Firewall ports open (5353/udp, 5540/udp, 5580/tcp, 1900/udp)

ASUS Mesh Adjustments

Even in AP mode, ASUS applies Wi‑Fi steering features. I disabled:

• Roaming Assistant
• WiFi Agile Multiband
• Xtra Range 2.0
• OFDMA/MU‑MIMO
• WMM APSD

Rebooted:

• BT8
• All XD4 nodes
• TUF AX3000
• My Beelink mini PC

Still fails at the same final step.

Where I’m Stuck

At this point:

• BLE commissioning → works
• Wi‑Fi credential transfer → works
• Device joins network → works
• HA advertises _matter._tcp → works
• IPv6 inside container → works
• Multicast/mDNS → works
• Router isn’t blocking anything (ASUS is in AP mode)
• Both devices fail at the exact same final commissioning step

This makes me wonder if:

• Home Assistant Core in Docker has a known limitation with Matter
• The Matter Server container is missing something (Thread stack, commissioning components)
• Or if there’s still some network detail I’m overlooking

What I’m Asking

Has anyone successfully commissioned Tapo Matter plugs or Zemismart Matter bulbs on:

• Home Assistant Core
• Running in Docker
• On Ubuntu
• With Matter Server container
• On an ASUS AiMesh system in AP mode

If yes:

• What Docker config did you use?
• Did you need to enable anything special for IPv6?
• Did you disable additional ASUS features?
• Did you hit the same “Adding to Home Assistant” final‑step failure?

I’m trying to figure out whether:

• This is a known limitation of HA Core in Docker
• Or if I should just move to HAOS to get the full Matter stack
• Or if there’s still something I can fix in my current setup

Any help, similar experiences, or working configs would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi everyone

I am a smartthings user and I am now learning about home assistant. I still havent made the switch and im tackling all my doubts via reddit before I jump in:

​

I'm looking for advice on a network setup issue. I'm in Sri Lanka, using SLT Fiber as my ISP, and I have a ZenWiFi mesh system connected to the SLT Fiber modem/router. I'm using PPPoE, but no matter what I do, PPPoE hasn't worked, even with SLT support. I tried DHCP mode, and it was stable at first, but after a few weeks, the mesh network would stay up, but lose internet. I had to reboot both the SLT router and the main mesh node to restore connectivity. So, I switched to access point mode, where the SLT router assigns IPs. The issue now is that the SLT router doesn't seem to remember devices consistently. When I used the mesh's DHCP, it always gave the same IP to my devices, which was great. But now, with the ISP router assigning IPs, the addresses change randomly. My concern is: will this cause issues with my local integrations (like SmartThings or Tuya) if their IPs keep shifting? Should I look for another solution, or is there a way to keep the IP stable even with the ISP router managing it? Thanks so much!

Hi everyone!

I'm pretty new to the soundbar space so bear with me. I recently picked up the Samsung HW-S61D (basically the black version of the S60D) and paired it with my Samsung Crystal UHD DU7000 75 inch TV. From what I've read, both devices support Q-Symphony, so I was excited to get it set up — but I've been hitting a wall.

I connected the soundbar to the TV via eARC, making sure it was plugged into the correct eARC port on the TV. The TV recognised the soundbar just fine and shows it as the HDMI eARC output — but the Q-Symphony setting is completely greyed out. If I try to click on it, it just says "This function is not available."

I've tried pretty much everything I can think of:

* Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) was already enabled

* Made sure the soundbar was powered on first with the source set to eARC before turning the TV on

* No Bluetooth connections active on the soundbar

* TV firmware is fully up to date

* Tried it in Wi-Fi mode too — same result, still greyed out

* Attempted a manual USB firmware update on the soundbar, but it failed every time — the centre light just blinks red 3 times

After all that I did a full factory reset on the soundbar and tried again from scratch

Still nothing. Has anyone managed to get Q-Symphony working on a similar setup? Any ideas would be massively appreciated!

I'm currently trying to pick a flagship robot vacuum for my home and I'm really torn. I was initially leaning heavily toward the new Dreame X60 Ultra or L60 Pro Ultra because of a feature I really like: the active 40°C on-the-go heated mopping.

Before I pull the trigger, I wanted to get your opinions on my specific scenario, whether these Dreames are the right move, or if I should consider other brands like Roborock.

My Setup & Requirements:

• The Floors: The house is mostly hard composite marble tiles. Because they are engineered stone, they require regular maintenance with a heavy, industrial single-disc floor polisher to keep their high-gloss/mirror shine.
• The Carpets: I do have some carpets, but they aren't the priority. We mostly handle deep cleaning of the carpets manually over time.
• No Software Hassle: I don't really need or use complex no-go zones or boundaries in the app for the layout where this robot will live.
• The Logic: I initially loved the idea of Dreame’s active 40°C onboard water heating because warm water is great for melting grease/sticky stuff on tiles, and it evaporates faster, which prevents water spotting on highly polished stone. Plus, the X60/L60 can handle lifting or completely detaching their pads for the carpeted rooms.

The Dilemma & Headaches I'm Worried About:

I'm starting to get cold feet about committing to the Dreame ecosystem long-term. I've been doing some research and a few things are making me wonder if owning a Dreame is going to be a headache down the line:

1. Proprietary Replacements & Cost: Dreame changes their parts drastically year-over-year. The X60 uses highly specific thermal pads and custom brushes, meaning first-party kits are super expensive, and cheap, third-party generic replacements on Amazon are scarce.
2. The Chemical Lock-In: Composite marble etches instantly if it touches acidic cleaners. Dreame uses proprietary, custom-shaped detergent cartridges in the dock. I'm worried I'll be forced to buy their expensive official soap forever instead of just pouring in a trusted, cheap, pH-neutral commercial stone restorer.
3. App Glitches: I've heard the Dreamehome app can be pretty cluttered, disorganized, and prone to visual bugs/promotions compared to the seamless "set-and-forget" competitors.

The Competitors on My Radar:

I've been told to look at Roborock as an alternative, specifically the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra or the Roborock Qrevo Master.

• The Roborock Pros: Their parts are basically the "industry standard" (super cheap generic 20-packs everywhere). They use an open fluid chamber so I can pour whatever stone-safe cleaner I want right into the dock. The S8 MaxV Ultra also uses a linear vibrating sonic pad instead of spinning circles, which might completely eliminate the risk of faint, circular water swirl marks on my mirror-finished tiles. The Qrevo Master has a dual-rubber blade roller system that won't trap hard grit against the floor and scratch the stone.
• The Roborock Con: None of Roborock's robot vacuums actually heat the water on-the-go. They wash with hot water at the dock, but the robot mops your floors with room-temperature water.

My Question to You:

Given that my main goal is protecting and maintaining polished composite marble tiles with minimal carpet hassle...

Is the active 40°C heating on the Dreame X60/L60 a true game-changer that makes it worth dealing with the expensive proprietary parts and software quirkiness? Or should I drop Dreame and go with something like the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra for the open soap system and safer floor-vibrating mechanism, even if it means losing hot water mopping?

Appreciate any advice or long-term ownership experiences!