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Dongles · Head to head

Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-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
Where the smart home runs on Zigbee, Thread and Bluetooth sensors, the Smlight SLZB-06p7U is the more versatile radio, a PoE coordinator that outscores the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 on features.
Smlight SLZB-06p7U
Winner
Smlight SLZB-06p7U
$78.99
Buy on Amazon USACheck price
It connects over Ethernet, PoE, Wi-Fi or USB, runs a Texas Instruments CC2652P7 as Zigbee coordinator, router or Thread border router, doubles as a Bluetooth proxy and can pass another USB dongle over the network. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 wins the one row that decides many purchases: it is a Z-Wave 800 controller, official Home Assistant hardware with an external antenna and +20 dBm of transmit power, and the Smlight has no Z-Wave radio at all. Choose the Smlight SLZB-06p7U for a Zigbee network placed centrally on a network cable, and the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 when your devices are Z-Wave.
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FeatureNabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2Smlight SLZB-06p7UWinner
Price$79.00$78.99Smlight SLZB-06p7U
PowerUSBUSB, PoESmlight SLZB-06p7U
ConnectivityUSBUSB, Ethernet, 2.4 GHz WiFiSmlight SLZB-06p7U
Zigbee RouterNOYESSmlight SLZB-06p7U
Z-Wave ControllerYESNONabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2
Thread Border RouterNOYESSmlight SLZB-06p7U
Antenna Gain+3.38dBi+5dBSmlight SLZB-06p7U
Bluetooth ProxyNOYESSmlight SLZB-06p7U
Rating4.64.6Tie
Warranty1 year1 yearTie
Matter BridgeNONOTie
Transmit Power+20dBm+20dBmTie

What the differences mean

Protocol

The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 is Z-Wave only. The Smlight SLZB-06p7U handles Zigbee 3.0 or Thread and has no Z-Wave radio of its own. Most buyers can stop here: the devices you own choose the radio.

Connection and placement

The Smlight SLZB-06p7U works over Ethernet with PoE, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi or USB, so it can sit anywhere a network cable reaches. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 connects by USB to the Home Assistant host, and relies on its external antenna for reach.

Extra duties

The Smlight SLZB-06p7U also works as a Bluetooth proxy and as a USB-over-Ethernet bridge, which can share a Z-Wave stick you supply over the network. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 does one job.

Setup

As official hardware, the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 is offered for setup as soon as Home Assistant sees it. Owners of the Smlight SLZB-06p7U advise checking the unit on arrival and being ready to reflash it.

Which one to buy if

What owners say

Owners of both radios give placement and range the credit for fixing a troubled network. Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 owners single out range so strong that most sensors connect directly to the hub, reaching locks and contacts through stucco and glass where other coordinators failed, plus a setup Home Assistant offers the moment it is plugged in; their notes are that it is Z-Wave only and costs a bit more than generic dongles. Smlight SLZB-06p7U owners describe dropped Zigbee devices stopping once the radio moved to the middle of the house on PoE, and migration from another Z-Stack coordinator without re-pairing, but they complain about units arriving opened or wrongly flashed, no obvious factory reset 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 ZWA-2
  • Smlight SLZB-06p7U

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better: Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 or Smlight SLZB-06p7U?

The Smlight SLZB-06p7U has far more features: PoE, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Zigbee router and Thread border router modes, Bluetooth proxy and USB over Ethernet. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 is still the one to buy for Z-Wave, which the Smlight does not have.

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

The protocol. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 is a Z-Wave 800 controller, while the Smlight SLZB-06p7U is a Zigbee and Thread coordinator on a Texas Instruments CC2652P7. They serve different devices and can run side by side.

Can the Smlight SLZB-06p7U run Zigbee and Thread at the same time?

No. The Smlight SLZB-06p7U has no dual network mode, so it runs Zigbee or Thread at any one time.

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

Home Assistant users with Z-Wave devices, especially in large or hard-to-cover homes, who want official plug-and-play hardware with strong range.

Who should buy the Smlight SLZB-06p7U?

Home Assistant and Zigbee2MQTT users with a PoE switch and a large Zigbee mesh, who want the coordinator placed centrally and are comfortable checking and reflashing firmware.

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