Getting started with ZigBee - coordinator and ZHA/Z2M | Home Assistant | Page 1

heavy crypt Jan 17, 2025, 10:24 AM

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Hi,
I want to start with ZigBee - mainly for TRV.

I've been using HA for a long time, but I haven't worked with ZigBee yet. I need some sort of LAN Adapter (because my HA is running on a Proxmox in a basement rack - not ideal for USB ZigBee). I have noticed that the smlight slzb-06 is used a lot. But on the website they have several versions - which one to choose, what is the difference between them? I couldn't find much..

And the second question - to choose Zigbee2MQTT or ZHA? What do you recommend?

I want to avoid mistakes to begin with. Thank you very much for your advice and insights

high roost Jan 17, 2025, 10:25 AM

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Their site tells you the diference - I'd suggest the EFR based model

heavy crypt Jan 17, 2025, 10:25 AM

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high roost Jan 17, 2025, 10:25 AM

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ZHA is part of HA, Zigbee2MQTT is external. Do you prefer all your eggs in one basket?

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heavy crypt Jan 17, 2025, 10:29 AM

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Oh, dumb me - somehow I didn't find this. Thank you, I'll look into it

high roost Jan 17, 2025, 10:30 AM

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Personally if I were buying new, I'd buy the EFR32MGM24 model

heavy crypt Jan 17, 2025, 10:31 AM

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high roost ZHA is part of HA, Zigbee2MQTT is external. Do you prefer all your eggs in one b...

From what I've looked at on the internet it seems to me that Z2M is more widespread and has more support, more options...

I wouldn't have a problem with it being external, I run some custom compnents in HA as well. I was more wondering if there is any major difference between ZHA and Z2M, why to avoid one or the other.

high roost Jan 17, 2025, 10:31 AM

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There's no red flags with either, both work well, just differently

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I like Z2M, others like ZHA, we're all right

raw bane Jan 17, 2025, 10:34 AM

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I prefer z2m as I think it supports more devices more fully and has a nice searchable database of those devices that I can check before I buy something.
I'd be happy with zha, but when I set up ha I couldn't use addons, so was on z2m by default and have no reason to want to change now that I could use zha

raw night Jan 18, 2025, 10:37 PM

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I ordered this MGM24 PoE model a few days ago and will be using it with Z2M: https://tubeszb.com/product/efr32-mgm24-poe-coordinator-2/

TubesZB

tubeszb

TubesZB EFR32 MGM24 PoE Coordinator 2024

heavy crypt Jan 20, 2025, 5:06 PM

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Thanks a lot for the help, I have selected, ordered the EFR version. And will probably go the Z2M route, seems better to me.

I also came across (in connection with SMLIGHT) that there are 2 versions of the "driver" - EZNET and Ember. What is the difference between them? Alternatively, how do you change one for the other? Is it directly the FW of the whole coordinator, or part of it?

I couldn't find any summarizing article anywhere...

Thank you very much!

vivid zinc Jan 22, 2025, 4:14 AM

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ember is the newer once...

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there is also the deconz option

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while may not support as many devices as zha/z2m is quite solid

#Getting started with ZigBee - coordinator and ZHA/Z2M