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Dongles · Head to head

Smlight SLZB-06p7U vs Sonoff Dongle Max

Full Smart Dongles comparison in 2026

Updated October 2026
Data from Amazon and official Smlight and Sonoff sites.
2026 verdict
Want Bluetooth sensors and Zigbee from the same PoE box?
Smlight SLZB-06p7U
Winner
Smlight SLZB-06p7U
$78.99
Buy on Amazon USACheck price
The Smlight SLZB-06p7U is the better network coordinator of these two, adding a Bluetooth proxy and USB over Ethernet to the same PoE, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and USB options as the Sonoff. Both have +20 dBm of transmit power with +5 dBi antennas, both act as a Thread border router and both work with Home Assistant through ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT, and the Smlight is the better reviewed of the pair. The Sonoff Dongle Max answers with a Silicon Labs EFR32MG24, two external antennas and an experimental mode that runs Zigbee and Thread together, where the Smlight uses a Texas Instruments CC2652P7 and one protocol at a time. Pick the Smlight SLZB-06p7U for Bluetooth relaying or sharing a second USB radio over the network, and the Sonoff Dongle Max if you want to try Zigbee and Thread on one radio.
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FeatureSmlight SLZB-06p7USonoff Dongle MaxWinner
Price$78.99€32.13Sonoff Dongle Max
Rating4.64.3Smlight SLZB-06p7U
Bluetooth ProxyYESNOSmlight SLZB-06p7U
Zigbee Chip ModelCC2652P7EFR32MG24Different strengths
Antenna Gain+5dB+5dBiDifferent strengths
Warranty1 year1 yearTie
PowerUSB, PoEUSB, PoETie
ConnectivityUSB, Ethernet, 2.4 GHz WiFiUSB, Ethernet, 2.4 GHz WiFiTie
Zigbee RouterYESYESTie
Z-Wave ControllerNONOTie
Thread Border RouterYESYESTie
Matter BridgeNONOTie

What the differences mean

Bluetooth proxy

The Smlight SLZB-06p7U relays Bluetooth sensors to Home Assistant from wherever it sits. The Sonoff Dongle Max has no Bluetooth proxy, so BLE devices need something else nearby.

USB over Ethernet

The Smlight SLZB-06p7U can share another USB dongle, a Z-Wave stick for instance, over the network. The Sonoff Dongle Max has no passthrough.

Zigbee and Thread together

The Sonoff Dongle Max offers dual-network operation, still marked experimental. The Smlight SLZB-06p7U runs Zigbee or Thread, never both at once.

Chip and antennas

The Smlight SLZB-06p7U uses a Texas Instruments CC2652P7 with one external antenna, the Sonoff Dongle Max a Silicon Labs EFR32MG24 with two. The chip matters most when migrating: Smlight owners moved existing Z-Stack networks across without re-pairing.

Which one to buy if

What owners say

Owners of both coordinators say the same thing about placement: putting the radio on a network cable away from the server is what fixed their range and dropouts. Smlight SLZB-06p7U owners add that migrating from another Z-Stack coordinator needed no re-pairing, and their complaints are about the units they received, some opened, one carrying another buyer's password and one flashed with the wrong firmware, plus no simple factory reset and a rough web interface. Sonoff Dongle Max owners credit it with covering a detached garage and praise build and value, while they warn that a firmware update needs an undocumented physical power cycle, that the web portal keeps asking for a login and that a few devices dropped off on their own.

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.

  • Smlight SLZB-06p7U
  • Sonoff Dongle Max

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better overall: Smlight SLZB-06p7U or Sonoff Dongle Max?

The Smlight SLZB-06p7U, for its Bluetooth proxy and USB over Ethernet on top of the same PoE, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity. The Sonoff Dongle Max is the choice for trying Zigbee and Thread together on its EFR32MG24 radio.

Does the Sonoff Dongle Max have Bluetooth?

Not as a proxy: the Sonoff Dongle Max does not relay Bluetooth sensors to Home Assistant. The Smlight SLZB-06p7U does, which is one of the main differences between the two.

What is the biggest difference between the Smlight SLZB-06p7U and the Sonoff Dongle Max?

The extras around the radio. The Smlight SLZB-06p7U adds a Bluetooth proxy and USB over Ethernet on a Texas Instruments CC2652P7, while the Sonoff Dongle Max adds a second antenna and experimental dual-network mode on a Silicon Labs EFR32MG24.

Do the Smlight SLZB-06p7U and the Sonoff Dongle Max both support PoE?

Yes. Both can take power and data over one Ethernet cable from a PoE switch, and both also run on USB power or connect over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.

Who should buy the Smlight SLZB-06p7U?

Home Assistant users who want one central PoE box for Zigbee, Bluetooth sensors and a passed-through USB radio, and who will check the unit and firmware on arrival.

Who should buy the Sonoff Dongle Max?

Tinkerers who want a PoE coordinator with two antennas on a Silicon Labs radio and are keen to try Zigbee and Thread running together.

Full comparison table

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