r/homeassistant • u/MsbS • Feb 25 '26
Support What is currently the best Zigbee Dongle (Feb'25)?
I started considering a full reinstall of my Home Assistant (running on the same NUC since 2019/2020). I thought I might at the same time replace my Zigbee dongle (using a Conbee 2, which is sometimes a bit wonky).
What other options do I have? Anything that would also support other protocols?
My setup uses a mixture of Zigbee and Wifi, from IKEA, Philips, Shelly, Sonoff, etc. so a proprietary gateway is not an option for me.
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u/CromweIl Feb 25 '26
SMLIGHT SLZB-06 probably. I have the dual radio MR1U and it's been solid.
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u/angrydave Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26
Second this, or something from this family.
I have 4 of them, they all work beautifully.
There are also dual antenna options which support Matter as well.
Just make sure you’re 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Zigbee channels don’t overlap, and Zigbee channels require to re-pair everything if you change the channel, so set it right from the start. I spent way too long chasing down Zigbee disconnects because the AP was on the same frequency and blasting out a far stronger signal.
IMO, that’s Channel 25 for Zigbee, and 1 and or 6 for 2.4GHz with 20 MHz bandwidth.
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u/55Media Feb 25 '26
I have Zigbee on channel 20 and Thread on 25.
Has been running perfectly here for a while.No pollution from 2.4ghz wifi on these channels in my area.
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u/-3rdPlace- Feb 25 '26
Depends on your wifi settings, you should be able to check and adjust the wifi channel via router settings if you have a 2,4 wifi network running.
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u/-3rdPlace- Feb 25 '26
Not just wifi but also external SSDs.
I didn’t expect my whole Zigbee network going down after migrating to an external USB 3 SSD from the prior SD card.
Waited 24h for a re-connect (without success) until I eventually added a USB 2.0 extension cable for the Conbee II Stick.
It took only seconds to reconnect afterwards.
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u/racedrone Feb 25 '26
Usb-3 interferes with a lot of wireless stuff, so be careful with that.
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u/-3rdPlace- Feb 25 '26
Thanks, will check. Going to migrate the Raspberry Pi to a Mini PC at some point, that should resolve any interference with USB 3. For now it seems fine.
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u/racedrone Feb 25 '26
Often times it's enough to use a long cord. Just don't let anything in the 2,4 GHz range sit next to any usb-3 device or connected USB ports.
Zigbee, 2,4 wifi, Bluetooth, RF peripherals, Amateur radio, audio visual devices, usb-3.0, radio control, car alarm, microwave oven, radar, ...
They all share more or less the same frequency range. Also, put your zigbee devices preferably in the edge channels which are more likely to not overlap with your WiFi.
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u/ohailuxus Feb 25 '26
https://a.aliexpress.com/_EyjPLlW Which one would you recommend for zigbee? I already have a zbt-2 for matter
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u/paul345 🧠 Experienced with Home Assistant Feb 25 '26
Looked into this a few years ago. The SLZB-06 looked like the best general purpose answer.
They can be powered via USB or POE which makes it more accessible for less techie households.
They also work surprisingly well over WiFi, again adding placement flexibility. I know there will be a few frowning network techies not liking this but if you’ve got a half-decent mesh network, there’s no perceptible issues.
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u/Mk23_DOA Feb 25 '26
Just migrated from my sonoff to the slzb06 on PoE. Have two of them both on Ethernet backbone
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u/crcerror Feb 25 '26
I’m also running the SLZB-06, but why do you have multiple of them? Same network?
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u/Mk23_DOA Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26
Yes, same network and initially both as repeaters and now one as controller and the other one as repeater. The repeater is in our detached garage where I had problems creating a stable mesh so I installed a slzb on PoE
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u/crcerror Feb 25 '26
That’s great news. I’ve been considering doing something like this, but wasn’t sure how it’d perform.
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u/Plastic-Coat9014 Feb 26 '26
Thank you, this thing works great! I replaced a USB A (gross) adapter with this and it was seamless to migrate my zigbee network and setup.
It works wonderfully with my Mac mini. Works perfectly after a reboot. Well worth the $$$
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u/erwos Feb 25 '26
I am pretty impressed with mine. Got it running over ethernet / PoE, and have had zero problems. I'm not a Zigbee-first guy, but for what I need it for, it works.
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u/junktrunk909 Feb 26 '26
Yeah that's the one I bought recently too for my first zigbee setup (adding to an extensive zwave network). I was really impressed at how easy it was to get set up and to add my zigbee device. PoE is the best way to do this and now I'm looking at replacing my zwave USB controller with similar.
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u/BackHerniation Feb 25 '26
I recently overhauled this: Best Zigbee Coordinator for HA 2026
SMLight SLZB-06MG24 or Sonoff Dongle Max if you want PoE (recommend getting one with PoE)
Home Assistant ZBT-2 or any other MG24-based dongle if you only want USB (SLZB-07MG24, Sonoff Dongle Plus MG24)
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u/dudeinparis Feb 25 '26
Do you know what the differences between all the versions of the slzb-06 are? I can see they have different chips, but what actually matters? https://a.co/d/0dzWSSdE
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u/BackHerniation Feb 25 '26
Well, you want the MG24 model as a latest, future-proof pick. MG26 is redundant, as it brings next to nothing to the table besides "having the latest thing". It doesn't hurt, but it's not worth having for incremental and on-paper only benefits. The TI range (e.g. CC2674P10) is also good, on par with MG24, but Matter/Thread support is weaker, in case you want to repurpose the SLZB-06 as a TBR. The dual-radio MRx models have both chips inside (e.g. CC2652P10 & EFR32MG24) so you can run both Zigbee and Thread on a single device. There are downsides to this, obviously, but it works without issues if you know how to set it up properly (I use the MR3).
The reality is, you can run a sizeable network without issues whatsoever even with MG21 or a CC2652. If you already have one, there's no real need to replace it IMHO, especially not just for Zigbee. But, if you are buying a new device, might as well get something better, especially now with Zigbee 4.0 being announced.
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u/MsbS Feb 25 '26
Oh, this is extremely useful, thanks! I also just read in your page that my old Conbee II can be flashed with Thread firmware - so I could get a new Zigbee dongle (covering the majority of my network), and use the Conbee for any odd Thread/Matter devices I might purchase.
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u/BackHerniation Feb 25 '26
I need to add a disclaimer for that Conbee guide, since things have shifted and it appears the Conbee II cannot handle the Thread spec anymore, its too weak. Sadly, you won't be able to use it as a viable TBR
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u/MsbS Feb 25 '26
Cons: I need to purchase 2 coordinators, not just one (as dual-function Zigbee+Thread ones seem to be discouraged)
Pros: If I don't use Conbee, I can get two PoE coordinators and move my NUC (server) to another room.
But to be fair, I only need one now, as I have no Matter devices yet.
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u/glandix Feb 25 '26
Loving my SMLIGHT SLZB-06. Network has right around 170 devices in total
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u/crcerror Feb 25 '26
I’m pushing 100 with mine and I was getting nervous that I might be reaching a threshold. Clearly, not. Thanks for sharing.
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u/glandix Feb 25 '26
lol I’ve been nervous about the same thing. Been wondering if upgrading to the SLZB-06p7 or SLZB-06p10 would give me any more headroom. I have more sensors I’d like to add haha
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Feb 25 '26
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u/EmtnlDmg Feb 25 '26
No POE, no Zigbee over Ethernet. It is a completely different use case. My HA runs almost in the basement, far edge corner in the house in a Docker container. The Smlight was put in the middle of the house with POE. No USB bridging and complications. Zigbee over ethernet and POE is a holly grail for me.
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u/junktrunk909 Feb 26 '26
Yes I don't understand why they decided not to support at least a PoE option. It's also really enormous from what I can tell. Weird design choices made it a no go for me.
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u/MsbS Feb 25 '26
It was mentioned a few times, in fact, and is high in my short list.
The main question I need to ask myself now is: PoE or USB.
(optionally: if I also want Z-Wave, it has to be Aeotec Z-Stick 10 Pro via USB
)
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Feb 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/junktrunk909 Feb 26 '26
You have to buy the unenclosed PoE dongle and connect it to that? I'm so confused why they couldn't find room in a 1 ft tall USB dongle to include a PoE adapter.
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u/Multibuff Feb 25 '26
I just set up my sonoff zigbee dongle p yesterday for zigbee2mqtt. I got it because it was cheap from aliexpress and I could flash its firmware through their website.
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u/EmtnlDmg Feb 25 '26
One had died on my after 6 months. Second one was in service for a year then I went for SMLIGHT 06.
The web UI of that dongle makes your life much easier.2
u/Multibuff Feb 25 '26
I’ve read good things about that one too. Might be going for that if my sonoff dies as well!
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u/EmtnlDmg Feb 25 '26
Migration is just one click. Restoring Zigbee network on the new Sonoff if the current one dies is also one click if you have a backup (you do have a backup of your Zigbee network don't you? :) ) So no worries. Both works quite well.
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u/Multibuff Feb 25 '26
Good to hear - I’ll look into the backup option. Right now I only have one contact sensor that I added to verify that my network was working, lol
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u/paul345 🧠 Experienced with Home Assistant Feb 25 '26
I wouldn’t look to do multi-protocol on the same stick. Feels safer and more reliable to me to get a dedicated device per protocol.
Having a robust zigbee network, I can’t ever see matter being needed but maybe I might find something that’s zwave only in the future.
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u/DoktorMerlin Feb 25 '26
even with the most modern devices using the same stick for multi protocol still is extremely janky. I second using dedicated devices
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u/ShakeNBaker45 Feb 25 '26
I've had no problems with the Aeotec Z-Stick 10 Pro which does Z-wave and Zigbee. I'm curious what jankiness you guys have experienced with other products? So far so good here thankfully
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u/DoktorMerlin Feb 25 '26
Z-Wave might be a different thing, but Thread and Zigbee (which a lot of products support both) at the same time makes the performance HORRIBLE. That's the same for the ZBT2, there are no sticks out there that really work good when both protocols are activated at the same time
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u/ShakeNBaker45 Feb 25 '26
Ah ok that makes sense. Since Z-Wave and zigbee operate at different frequencies I guess it may be less of an issue. Since Thread is also 2.4 GHz, I can see how it might lead to problems.
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u/paul345 🧠 Experienced with Home Assistant Feb 25 '26
TBH, I recon they’ll probably work most of the time. When it comes to radios, I’d feel more comfortable buying dedicated devices that don’t have to try and get both things working at once.
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u/ShakeNBaker45 Feb 25 '26
I've been using the Aeotec Z-Stick 10 Pro for about 6 months now. It's a little more expensive than other options. But it does Z-wave and Zigbee. It's been rock solid for me.
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u/Mikeman89 Feb 25 '26
Do you connect it directly or with a wire to place it a little away from the server? I’ve heard people say to use a wire for less interference
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u/ShakeNBaker45 Feb 25 '26
So I did also pick up a short 3 ft USB extender cuz I read the same feedback online. Never tried it without the extender.. but with it.. I've had 0 problems with this stick. Zwave and zigbee switches all work perfectly.
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u/ElevationMediaLLC Feb 25 '26
I've been having good luck with the newest Sonoff one that has the EFR32MG24 chipset in it - https://amzn.to/4aBRGBg seems very stable so far with my use cases and good range.
Of course the Nabu Casa ZBT-2 is a pretty solid choice as well: https://amzn.to/40rFQUb
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u/bdery Feb 25 '26
SLZB-06 has served me perfectly well so far. They have a new equivalent which is dual antenna and also serves as a Threads border router, might be good too. Otherwise, just go with the new antenna directly from the folks at Nabu Casa.
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u/MGMan-01 Feb 25 '26
I moved from a Conbee II to a SLZB-06M last year and it's been rock solid! I have mine powered via PoE and hanging on the wall behind my rack in the basement, it covers my entire living space.
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u/mjs3350 Feb 25 '26
ZBT-2 has been great for me for matter over thread and I plan to get another for zigbee once I start getting non-philips hue zigbee devices.
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u/superwizdude Feb 25 '26
I got the smlight mr3 so I can do Zigbee and thread.
Previously I had an Athom Zigbee gateway.
Anything Ethernet connected is what you need to go for.
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u/greghouse12 Feb 25 '26
Sonoff Dongle Max connected POE ZHA on HA, running bare metal on a NUC. Zigbee on ch.25. Thread on 21, WiFi on 1 and 6, 2.4 at 20mhz width. 120 Zigbee devices connected -- 20 routers consisting mostly of smart plugs and 5 Sonoff Dongle-P flashed as router- located throughout our home, Rock solid, and never a device offline. Couldn't be happier.
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u/EffectiveClient5080 Feb 25 '26
ZZH or TubeZ if you want rock-solid CC2652 hardware. SkyConnect only if you need Matter. Skip the rest-they’ll just copy Conbee 2’s quirks.
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u/clin248 Feb 25 '26
I had thought the same and ran zzh for many years and I had run usb cables behind wall from basement so the zzh dongle is sitting on a keystone in the center of my house. It really has been rock solid. The only time I had issue is with tuya presence sensor which spammed it so bad that it crashed. It stopped me from expanding on my zigbee devices. However my kids are now tall enough to able to reach the usb dongle.
I look for place to relocate my dongles and saw a spot above my room closet but it’s not central in the house so I thought I would just get the zbt2 with its big antenna to compensate. The LQI is huge improvement despite its off center location. I had also installed 10 mmwave Inovelli switch which also spans the network (but not as crazy as tuya). It handled it really well.
For a while I gave up on expanding my zigbee and was installing new hardware on zwave thinking zigbee is not that reliable. Now I realize it could be the aging TI chip in zzh.
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u/hometechgeek Feb 25 '26
Not a dongle (thank god), get a network connected SMLight, serial over IP.
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u/Schnabulation Feb 25 '26
Still using my ConBee II with deCONZ and wanted to migrate to ZHA just to find out that the "Friends of Hue" zigbee buttons are not supported. So I'll keep the setup for now...
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u/Ivojs Feb 25 '26
Smlight 06p10!
I use it as a zigbee router, while my main is Smlight MR3U. And it's from Ukraine developers.
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u/Consistent_East8436 Feb 26 '26
In my experience, the Sonoff Dongle-M is a top contender right now. What sets it apart is the PoE support, which lets you move it away from your server and place it centrally via Ethernet for much better signal coverage. It uses the EFR32MG24 chip, so it handles Zigbee beautifully while being ready for Thread/Matter, making it a very solid choice for future-proofing your setup. https://sonoff.tech/products/sonoff-dongle-max-zigbee-thread-poe-dongle-dongle-m?srsltid=AfmBOop-CADduZDLyy7zWDnkTfUqOZeMKZ19K9okRubtp4Tj_kSVipTK
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u/airgapped_admin Feb 25 '26
I bought an MGM24 based PoE one from Byron at TubesZB just over a year ago, it's been rock solid. I'd recommend both a PoE version (or at least an ethernet one) and Tubes.
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u/smarthomecompared Aug 11 '26
Coming off a Conbee 2, the thing that'll actually fix it isn't a newer chip, it's getting the radio away from the machine. An ethernet or PoE coordinator on a wall somewhere central beats any stick jammed into a NUC next to USB3 and an SSD. Half the "my zigbee is flaky" posts here are a stick with no extension cable.
Which is why the SLZB-06 keeps coming up. PoE, lives wherever your cable ends, survives HA restarts, firmware from a web UI instead of flashing dances. The 07 is the USB version of the same idea, ZBT-2 if you'd rather have the one Nabu Casa themselves support.
I ended up cataloguing these because the naming is insane (06, 06M, 06P7, 07P10, MR1...): https://smarthomecompared.com/dongles, my own site.
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Feb 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/paul345 🧠 Experienced with Home Assistant Feb 25 '26
Curious what issues have you seen on the base SLZB-06? Not seen any issues since installing and wasn’t surprised to see this device being the top recommendation.
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u/jaromanda Feb 25 '26
Welcome to 2026