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Dongles · Head to head

Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 vs Smlight SLZB-06p7U

Full Smart Dongles comparison in 2026

Updated October 2026
Data from Amazon and official Nabu Casa and Smlight sites.
2026 verdict
Among Zigbee and Thread coordinators for Home Assistant, the Smlight SLZB-06p7U outscores the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 with network placement and more radio power.
Smlight SLZB-06p7U
Winner
Smlight SLZB-06p7U
$78.99
Buy on Amazon USACheck price
It connects over Ethernet, PoE, Wi-Fi or USB, runs +20 dBm of transmit power and a +5dBi antenna, works as a Zigbee router, relays Bluetooth sensors as a proxy and can pass another USB dongle over the network. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is the more affordable, official Home Assistant radio, a USB stick on the EFR32MG24 that owners praise for automatic setup and whole-home range. Both can run Zigbee or Thread, one at a time. Pick the Smlight SLZB-06p7U if the coordinator needs to live away from the server, and the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 if a USB port is well placed and you want the simplest setup.
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FeatureNabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2Smlight SLZB-06p7UWinner
Price$65.00$78.99Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2
Rating4.74.6Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2
PowerUSBUSB, PoESmlight SLZB-06p7U
ConnectivityUSBUSB, Ethernet, 2.4 GHz WiFiSmlight SLZB-06p7U
Zigbee RouterNOYESSmlight SLZB-06p7U
Transmit Power+10dBm+20dBmSmlight SLZB-06p7U
Antenna Gain+4.16dBi+5dBSmlight SLZB-06p7U
Bluetooth ProxyNOYESSmlight SLZB-06p7U
Zigbee Chip ModelEFR32MG24CC2652P7Different strengths
Warranty1 year1 yearTie
Z-Wave ControllerNONOTie
Thread Border RouterYESYESTie

What the differences mean

Connection

The Smlight SLZB-06p7U works over Ethernet, Wi-Fi or USB and can be powered by PoE, so it can sit centrally. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is USB only and sits by the Home Assistant host.

Radio power

The Smlight SLZB-06p7U runs +20 dBm of transmit power and a +5dBi antenna; the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 10 dBm of transmit power and a +4.16dBi antenna. Owners of both still describe whole-home coverage.

Extra roles

The Smlight SLZB-06p7U doubles as a Bluetooth proxy and a USB-over-Ethernet bridge, and is listed as a Zigbee router. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is a coordinator or Thread radio only.

Setup experience

The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is official Home Assistant hardware that owners describe as set up automatically. Several Smlight SLZB-06p7U buyers had to check or reflash their unit on arrival.

Which one to buy if

What owners say

Owners of the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 and the Smlight SLZB-06p7U both report steadier Zigbee networks after the switch. Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 owners single out setup that happens on its own with Home Assistant Green, coverage across a large home without repeaters, fast Matter-over-Thread pairing and a device that looks good on a shelf. They mention that Thread border router setup can be fiddly and that Thread devices need the mobile app. Smlight SLZB-06p7U owners credit moving the radio to the centre of the house on a network cable for ending dropped devices, and a migration with no re-pairing. Their complaints are about delivery: units that arrived opened or wrongly flashed, a recovery that meant opening the case and a rough web interface.

Price history compared

Every price change of both, in the same store, so the gap between the two lines is what one costs more than the other.

  • Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2
  • Smlight SLZB-06p7U

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Frequently Asked Questions

Smlight vs ZBT-2: is the Smlight SLZB-06p7U better than the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2?

On features, yes: the Smlight SLZB-06p7U adds Ethernet, PoE and Wi-Fi, higher transmit power, a Bluetooth proxy and USB-over-Ethernet. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is the more affordable, official radio with the easiest setup.

What is the biggest difference between the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 and the Smlight SLZB-06p7U?

The Smlight SLZB-06p7U is a network coordinator you can place anywhere on Ethernet or PoE; the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is a USB stick attached to the host.

Do both run Zigbee and Thread?

Both can act as a Zigbee 3.0 coordinator or a Thread border router, but neither the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 nor the Smlight SLZB-06p7U runs both at the same time.

Which chips do they use?

The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 uses a Silicon Labs EFR32MG24, and the Smlight SLZB-06p7U a Texas Instruments CC2652P7. Both work with Home Assistant and Zigbee2MQTT.

Who should buy the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2?

Home Assistant users, Home Assistant Green owners above all, who want official plug-and-play Zigbee or Thread hardware on a well-placed USB port.

Who should buy the Smlight SLZB-06p7U?

Anyone with a PoE switch or a large mesh with dropouts who wants the coordinator placed centrally, plus a Bluetooth proxy, and is ready to check the firmware on arrival.

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