Zigbee Protocol Setup

Use this guide when your setup includes Zigbee devices such as sensors, plugs, switches, locks, or lights that communicate through a Zigbee coordinator.

Before You Start

Confirm the following before setting up Zigbee:

1. Your Home Assistant system is installed and running.
2. A supported Zigbee coordinator is available.
3. You have a USB extension cable (at least 1 meter recommended to reduce USB 3.0 radio interference).

Supported Coordinators

• Home Assistant SkyConnect / Connect ZBT-1 / ZBT-2
• SONOFF ZBDongle-P (CC2652P)
• SONOFF ZBDongle-E (EFR32MG21)
• ConBee II / ConBee III
• Other CC2652- or EFR32-based coordinators

Step 1: Connect the Coordinator

1. Connect the Zigbee coordinator to your SeloraBox PC using a USB extension cable.
2. Go to Settings → System → Hardware and confirm the dongle is detected.

Step 2: Choose Your Zigbee Integration

Home Assistant supports two Zigbee integrations. Choose the one that fits your needs:

ZHA (Zigbee Home Automation) — Recommended for Easy Setup

ZHA is built into Home Assistant with no extra dependencies. It is the fastest way to get a Zigbee network running and is recommended for most standard residential installations.

ZHA Setup and Operations Guide →

Zigbee2MQTT — For Advanced Users

Zigbee2MQTT runs as a separate add-on and communicates through an MQTT broker. It offers deeper per-device configuration, broader OTA firmware coverage, and a dedicated management frontend. It requires installing Mosquitto and the Zigbee2MQTT add-on.

Zigbee2MQTT Setup and Operations Guide →

Not Sure Which to Use?

See the full comparison guide for a side-by-side breakdown of features, setup complexity, device support, and recommendations by use case.

ZHA vs Zigbee2MQTT Comparison →

Step 3: Set Up the Integration

Follow the setup instructions in the guide for your chosen integration (ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT) to install and configure it. Once the integration is active and the coordinator shows as online, your Zigbee network is ready to receive devices.

Next Step

Once your coordinator is connected and your chosen integration is set up and running, you are ready to pair Zigbee devices.

Pairing Zigbee Devices →