Sonoff Dongle Plus MG24 Review: A Truly Plug-and-Play Zigbee (and Thread) Coordinator for Home Assistant
A compact, cool-running USB Zigbee 3.0 coordinator on the newer MG24 chip that works out of the box with Home Assistant and doubles as a Thread border router, with a fixed antenna.
The Sonoff Dongle Plus MG24 is the successor to the popular ZBDongle-P, built on Silicon Labs' newer EFR32MG24 chip, and owners love that it is genuinely plug-and-play: plug it into a Home Assistant server and it is recognized instantly with no flashing or tinkering, working cleanly with ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT. It is a nicer design than the older Sonoff dongle, more compact, cooler-running and heatsink-free, and it ships with a USB extension cable to move the antenna away from interference for better range. Range and stability are strong, running dozens of Zigbee devices without dropouts, even through thick walls. It can also be flashed (easily via Sonoff's web flasher in Chrome) to serve as a Thread border router for Matter. The main gripes are minor: the external antenna is permanently fixed (you cannot swap in a bigger one, only use the USB extension), there is no mounting point, and USB passthrough on Hyper-V requires a workaround. It is Zigbee/Thread only, with no Z-Wave. For a hassle-free, modern Zigbee coordinator for Home Assistant, it is an excellent choice.
- Home Assistant Zigbee networks
- Plug-and-play Zigbee2MQTT or ZHA setups
- A dedicated Thread border router
- Upgrading from an older Sonoff dongle
Pros
- Truly plug-and-play with Home Assistant (ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT), no flashing needed
- Compact, cool-running design; a clean upgrade over the older ZBDongle-P
- Includes a USB extension cable to place the antenna away from interference
- Strong range and stability with dozens of devices, even through thick walls
- Doubles as a Thread border router for Matter (easy web-flasher firmware)
- Good build quality and value; easy web firmware updates
Cons
- External antenna is permanently fixed and not replaceable
- No mounting point
- Hyper-V requires a COM-port workaround (no native USB passthrough)
- Zigbee/Thread only, no Z-Wave
- USB-only rather than a network-connected coordinator
Who is the Dongle Plus MG24 for?
This is a USB Zigbee 3.0 coordinator on Silicon Labs' newer EFR32MG24 chip, with an external antenna and a +20dBm amplifier, aimed at Home Assistant users. It works as a Zigbee coordinator (and router) via ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT, and can also be flashed to act as a Thread border router for Matter. It is USB-A, plugging into a Pi, mini-PC or server, ships with a USB extension cable, and has no Z-Wave. It best suits Home Assistant Zigbee networks, plug-and-play Zigbee2MQTT or ZHA setups, anyone wanting a dedicated Thread border router, and users upgrading from an older Sonoff dongle. If you need a replaceable/external antenna, Z-Wave, or a network-connected (Ethernet/PoE) coordinator, read the caveats first.
What buyers love
The standout is that it is truly plug-and-play: owners plug it into a Home Assistant server and it is recognized instantly with no flashing or tinkering, pairing devices within minutes via ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT. The design is a real improvement over the older ZBDongle-P, more compact, cooler-running and free of the big metal heatsink, and it matches the size of Sonoff's newer Z-Wave dongles so the two sit tidily side by side. It ships with a USB 3.0 extension cable, which owners appreciate for moving the antenna away from a metal case or other interfering devices to boost range. Range and stability are strong: the MG24 chip handles dozens of Zigbee devices without dropouts and reaches through thick walls in older homes. It works across HAOS, Proxmox, Windows 11 (VirtualBox and Hyper-V) and Raspberry Pi 5, and, notably, it doubles as a Thread border router for Matter, easily flashed to the Thread RCP firmware via Sonoff's browser-based web flasher and run with OTBR and the Matter server, with several owners dedicating it to Thread alongside a separate Zigbee stick. Build quality feels good for the price, and firmware updates are simple over the web.
What to know before you buy
The most noted gripe is the antenna: it is permanently fixed to the dongle, so unlike many Wi-Fi dongles you cannot unscrew it to fit a larger replacement antenna, your only option to reduce interference is the included USB extension cable to move the whole dongle away (one owner docked a star for this after buying an extension antenna they could not use). There is also no mounting point, which a couple of owners wish it had. USB passthrough can require configuration in virtualized setups, and specifically on Windows Hyper-V, which lacks native USB passthrough, you cannot use the USB device directly and must instead run Zigbee2MQTT and pass the COM port to Home Assistant (attempts to bind the USB via usbipd caused disconnects). Beyond that, it is Zigbee/Thread only with no Z-Wave, and it is a USB stick rather than a network-connected coordinator. When it comes to actual function, complaints are essentially nil.
Is the Dongle Plus MG24 worth it?
For a modern, hassle-free Zigbee coordinator for Home Assistant, the Sonoff Dongle Plus MG24 is an excellent choice and a clean upgrade over the older ZBDongle-P: truly plug-and-play, compact and cool-running, with strong range, a bundled USB extension for placement, and the bonus of doubling as a Thread border router for Matter. The trade-offs are minor, the antenna is fixed (use the USB extension rather than swapping antennas), there is no mounting point, and Hyper-V needs the COM-port workaround. It is Zigbee/Thread only, with no Z-Wave. Buy it if you want a reliable, easy Zigbee coordinator (or a dedicated Thread radio) for Home Assistant; if you need a swappable external antenna, Z-Wave, or a network-connected coordinator you can place anywhere, weigh those points, or look at an SLZB-06, first.
Frequently asked questions
Is it plug-and-play with Home Assistant?
Yes, genuinely. Owners plug it into a Home Assistant server and it is recognized instantly with no flashing or tinkering, then pair devices within minutes via ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT. It also works across HAOS, Proxmox, Windows and Raspberry Pi setups, though virtualized hosts may need USB passthrough configured.
Can it act as a Thread border router?
Yes. It can be flashed to the Thread RCP firmware easily using Sonoff's browser-based web flasher (in Chrome) and then run as a Thread border router for Matter with Home Assistant's OTBR and Matter server. Several owners dedicate it to Thread alongside a separate Zigbee stick for better stability.
Can I replace or extend the antenna?
No, the antenna is permanently fixed to the dongle, so unlike many Wi-Fi dongles you cannot unscrew it and fit a larger replacement. To improve reception or reduce interference, use the included USB extension cable to move the whole dongle away from a metal case or other devices.
How is it different from the older ZBDongle-P?
It uses the newer Silicon Labs EFR32MG24 chip and has a more compact, cooler-running design without the older model's large metal heatsink, and it adds Thread border router capability. Owners find it a cleaner, tidier upgrade that also matches the size of Sonoff's newer Z-Wave dongles.
Does it support Z-Wave?
No. It is a Zigbee 3.0 coordinator that can also run as a Thread radio, but it has no Z-Wave. For Z-Wave you would use a separate controller, and Sonoff makes a matching-size Z-Wave dongle if you want both protocols side by side.
