HowTo: Zigbee - Administration of Zigbee2mqtt via Dashboard

Initially, Zigbee2mqtt could only be accessed via the configuration file or access to the MQTT server configure and control.

There is now a very useful extension for cigbee2mqtt which makes it possible to configure zigbee2mqtt via an integrated web server. This means you simply visit a website that can be accessed via the same Raspberry Pi on which zigbee2mqtt is installed.

All configuration options are then made available there in a clear and stylish manner. You no longer have to struggle through the configuration file and can configure everything conveniently from the browser.

I have summarized information on how to activate the zigbee2mqtt dashboard and a brief overview of the functions in the following article.

Safety instructions

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Requirements

Helpful articles:
Before you start with this article, you should have prepared a RaspberryPi so that it can be reached via the network and controlled via SSH. In addition, zigbee2mqtt should of course already be installed.

The following articles describe what needs to be done to prepare the RaspberryPi.

• Zigbee - Installing zigbee2mqtt on the Raspberry Pi
• Zigbee - register devices, sensors and actuators with zigbee2mqtt

In the following lists you will find all the parts you need to implement this article.

Required tool:

Required material:

Enable Zigbee2mqtt Dashboard

By default, the zigbee2mqtt dashboard is not activated (yet).

To activate it, a simple entry in the zigbee2mqtt configuration file is enough.

To do this, open the configuration file with the following bash command.

sudo nano /opt/zigbee2mqtt/data/configuration.yaml

Then use the arrow keys to navigate to the end of the configuration file and insert the part below into the configuration file.

You should definitely adjust the password (auth_token). This will be needed later to open the dashboard.

frontend: port: 8080 host: 0.0.0.0 auth_token: secretPassword url: https://url.org

Further information about the dashboard configuration options can be found at the following link.

• https://www.zigbee2mqtt.io/guide/configuration/frontend.html#nginx-proxy-configuration

Open dashboard

The dashboard can be opened via a simple web browser. All you have to do is enter the address of the Raspberry Pi on which zigbee2mqtt is installed in the address bar of your browser. It is important that you add the port defined in the configuration file to the address.

For example, if the Raspberry Pi is accessible at the address "ADDRESS_DES_PIS" and the configured port is "8083", you would reach the zigbee2mqtt dashboard at the following address.

• http://ADRESSE_DES_PIS :8038/

Setting the language

The first setting you will probably want to change is the language of the dashboard.

You can set the dashboard to your desired language using a simple menu. To do this, simply click on the flag symbol in the top menu bar of the dashboard and select your desired language.

Register new devices to zigbee2mqtt

You can also easily register new zigbee devices via the dashboard. Previously, this required changing the configuration file or sending messages via MQTT.

This process is made much easier using the dashboard. One click is enough and zigbee2mqtt allows you to add new Zigbee sensors or actuators.

I have described how to add Zigbee devices in more detail in the following article.

• Zigbee - register devices, sensors and actuators with zigbee2mqtt

To add new devices to zigbee2mqtt, just click on the button shown in the top menu bar.

It is then possible to add new Zigbee devices.

This permission is automatically deactivated after 255 seconds.

Show overview of devices registered to zigbee2mqtt

Now a few words about the individual menu items of the zigbe2mqtt dashboard.

In the top menu bar under the "Devices" tab, you can view all devices registered to your zigbee2mqtt installation. Here you can see at a glance the "Friendly Name", the IEEE address, the manufacturer, the model, the signal strength and, if applicable, the charge status. The last icon also shows whether the respective device is powered by a battery or mains power.

Dashboard by zigbee2mqtt

The next tab in the dashboard menu is the "Dashboard" tab. Most Zigbee devices are also listed here. The difference here is that the registered devices can also be controlled or read out.

For this purpose, the individual Zigbee devices are grouped together in tiles. Each tile represents a Zigbee device. The appearance of the tile varies depending on the type of device.

On the left you can see the view of the dashboard tile for one Xiaomi Aqara MCCGQ11LM door or window sensor.

The following data can be viewed:

1. Friendly name
2. Name of the first status
3. Name of the second status
4. State of the first state
5. State of the second state
6. "Last seen" timestamp
7. Reception strength icon
8. Reception strength in the value range 0-255 (bigger better)
9. Charging status or type of supply

On the left you can see the view of the dashboard tile for one IKEA lamp LED1903C5/LED1835C6.

The following data can be viewed:

1. Friendly name
2. Name of the first status
3. Name of the second status
4. Name of the third status
5. State of the first state
6. State of the second state
7. Third status state
8. "Last seen" timestamp
9. Reception strength icon
10. Reception strength in the value range 0-255 (bigger better)
11. Charging status or type of supply

Show map / network map of the devices registered to zigbee2mqtt

A really cool function to get an overview of the connected devices is the map tab.

Not only all devices are shown here. It is also visible how they are connected to each other. Some devices are not always directly connected to the Zigbee USB dongle. Many mains-powered devices also function as repeaters or routers for the Zigbee network. An end device can be indirectly connected to the Zigbee USB dongle via a router. Such a configuration is very clearly visible using the map view.

To display the network map, you must first click on the "Load Map" button.

This will retrieve the network configuration and display it shortly afterwards.

Configure / set Zigbee2Mqtt

Most of the settings for zigbee2mqtt are hidden behind the Settings tab.

You can configure most of the settings here without having to edit the zigbee2mqtt configuration file.

Combine devices as a group

Another helpful function is hidden behind the Groups tab. Here you can combine Zigbee devices into groups.

For example, two or more lamps can be combined into a group and controlled centrally. Switching commands are forwarded in parallel to each lamp in the group. This is practical, for example, if you want to switch all the lamps in a chandelier at the same time.

Initiate Over the Air (OTA) update

The OTA tab offers the option (if available) to carry out an over-the-air (OTA) update on the Zigbee devices.

So if new firmware is available for your Zigbee sensors or actuators, you can easily transfer it to the respective device with a simple click.

Use touchlink function with zigbee2mqtt

You can find the options for the touchlink function in the touchlink tab. This function is primarily known from IKEA Zigbee devices and is practical if you want to pair devices quickly and easily.

To do this, you have to activate the Touchlink function and place the device to be connected close to the Zigbee base station (for example the Sonoff zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus) hold.

You can also find information on how to add devices to your Zigbee network in the following article.

• Zigbee - register devices, sensors and actuators with zigbee2mqtt

View log from zigbee2mqtt

It is particularly useful for debugging and registering new Zigbee devices to be able to display the log output from zigbee2mqtt.

In the logs tab you can see all status changes in zigbee2mqtt (depending on the log level set).
Using simple filter options, you can also set which messages you want to see and also which log level you want them to be filtered by.

Toggle theme between light and dark mode

With the sun or moon icon you can change the look of your zigbee2mqtt dashboard between dark and light design. Simply click on the icons marked in red and the design will be adjusted accordingly.

On the left you can see the "bright" view of the dashboard of zigbee2mqtt.

By clicking on the sun in the red area you can switch the design to the dark design.

Here you can see the "dark" view of the dashboard of zigbee2mqtt.

By clicking on the moon in the red area you can switch the design to the light design.

More articles on the topic

I have summarized other articles on the subject of Zigbee and zigbee2mqtt in the following category. There you will also find articles on various Zigbee devices and how they look like NodeRed can be controlled.

• https://nerdiy.de/category/smarthome/zigbee/

In the following category I have also listed some Zigbee devices that can be controlled or read using the NodeRed code offered there.

• https://nerdiy.de/category/zigbee-geraet/

Have fun with the project

I hope everything worked as described for you. If not or you have questions or suggestions please let me know in the comments. I will then add this to the article if necessary.
Ideas for new projects are always welcome. 🙂

PS Many of these projects - especially the hardware projects - cost a lot of time and money. Of course I do this because I enjoy it, but if you think it's cool that I share the information with you, I would be happy about a small donation to the coffee fund. 🙂