The SLZB-07MG24 Zigbee dongle uses Silicon Labs’ EFR32MG24 chipset with the latest enhancements for using Zigbee technology.
Why is the SLZB-07MG24 priced like this?
Smlight offers a Zigbee dongle with an excellent price/performance ratio compared to other popular Zigbee dongles, which are generally more expensive. Additionally, this dongle features the latest version of the Zigbee chip: EFR32MG24.
Advantages and disadvantages of the SLZB-07MG24
Advantages
- Built-in Zigbeetechnology: If you want to unify your smart home, Zigbee technology is an excellent compromise.
- EFR32MG24 chipset: If you want to enjoy the latest advances, this dongle incorporates an EFR32MG24 chipset, being the first in the market.
- Coordinator or Router: You can choose 2 Zigbee modes (Coordinator or Router).
- Size: The SLZB-07MG24 dongle takes up little space so it is easy to install in a USB port of a home automation hub.
- Long range: The SLZB-07MG24 Zigbee dongle has an integrated +20 dB amplifier and a +3 dB rotating antenna, which allows a good communication range.
- Compatibility: This Smlight Zigbee dongle is compatible with both Zigbee2Mqtt and ZHA so you can use it with Home Assistant and Jeedom.
- Price: The Smlight USB dongle is one of the cheapest options on the market.
Disadvantages
- Does not work over Ethernet: It is a dongle that you must connect via USB to a home automation hub but Smlight has other dongles that work over Ethernet.
SLZB-07MG24 user tutorial
Smlight is a Ukrainian company that designs very interesting devices for a smart home and we have already discovered in other content the innovative Zigbee dongles that can be connected via Ethernet and thus, deport our Zigbee network from the home automation hub.
This is very practical if, for example, we have this home automation hub in a technical room or in any remote area of our home automation installation and we want to have the Zigbee dongle in the most strategic area.
But Smlight does not only offer this type of dongles.
It also has Zigbee USB dongles in its catalogue, which is what we always find in the market, with other brands.
Today we are going to discover the SLZB-07MG24 Zigbee dongle.
General characteristics of the SLZB-07MG24
Why use a Zigbee USB dongle instead of a Zigbee Ethernet dongle?
In many cases, you do not need a Zigbee over Ethernet dongle, since your home automation hub is already in a strategic area of the house.
The Zigbee USB dongle is therefore of interest.
Firstly, because it takes up very little space and is easy to install: simply plug it into the USB port of your compatible home automation hub, such as Home Assistant Green, configure it and that’s it, you’ll have it working without having to run an Ethernet cable or power supply cable.
The second thing is the price. The USB Zigbee dongle is much cheaper than an Ethernet dongle and Smlight offers very attractive prices. Proof of this is the SLZB-07MG24, which you can buy for less than 20 euros from online shops such as Domadoo.fr, a company I work with on a daily basis.
And if that’s not enough, Smlight is a pioneer in the smart home market by being the first to launch the most advanced chipset of the moment.
What is the interest of the latest chipset called EFR32MG24?
Nowadays, we used to find a wide variety of USB Zigbee dongles with the EFR32MG21 chipset from technology company Silicon Labs.
For example, the famous ZBDongle-E dongle from the company Sonoff.
The Connect ZBT-1 dongle from the company Nabu Casa, creator of the Home Assistant project.
The ConbeeIII dongle from Phoscon.
The SLZB-06M and SLZB-07 dongles of this Smlight company.
And even home automation hubs such as Jeedom Luna, which integrates its own EFR32MG21 chipset internally, to mention a few examples.
But in this life, everything evolves, and of course this is also the case with Zigbee technology.
And Smlight has taken the first step with its EFR32MG24 dongle, which is already proving to be a great success.
This EFR32MG24 chipset offers improvements in memory and processing capabilities compared to its predecessor, the EFR32MG21, so we will have better performance and it will also be more suitable for use with the Matter over Thread protocol.
It incorporates a +20 dB amplifier, which boosts the signal for more reliable communication with Zigbee devices.
This dongle is aesthetically very similar to previous versions, with a rotating antenna and a transparent base.
This 3 dB gain rotating antenna improves the coverage and stability of the Zigbee signal.
Its dimensions are 40x17x10 mm, being compact and practical since you will be able to use it in the USB port of your home automation hub without disturbing other USB ports.
As you can see, in my case I can use both a Z-Wave Zooz ZST39 dongle of the latest generation and this Zigbee Smlight dongle.
Unlike other dongles that may take up more space and therefore you will have difficulty connecting them directly to the USB port of the home automation hub.
You will need to purchase an additional USB extension.
It is worth noting that Smlight takes care of all the details as it also has a page(https://smlight.tech/flasher) where you will be able to update the firmware of your Zigbee dongle.
Either to enjoy the latest news, to use it as a Matter dongle over Thread or also to use it as a router, i.e. if you need it to repeat the communications signal instead of using it as a coordinator, you can change its use for a router.
How to install the SLZB-07MG24 with a Zigbee home automation hub
The first thing you need to do is to connect the rotating antenna to the Smlight dongle.
Now, you can connect it via USB to a compatible home automation hub such as Home Assistant Green.
That’s it, now you can configure it with both ZHA and Zigbee2MQTT.
How to configure the SLZB-07MG24 with ZHA
Zigbee Home Automation is another popular alternative for using Zigbee devices in Home Assistant, being easier to install, but with less compatibility than Zigbee2MQTT at present.
If you use this method, go to “Settings”.
And to “Devices and services”.
You have the Smlight dongle available in the interface and you have to click on “Add”.
A popup appears and you have to click on “Send”.
You must choose the option “Keep radio network settings”.
And you must click on “Finish”.
Now, if you go to “Zigbee Home Automation”.
And click on “Add device”, you will be able to link Zigbee devices.
At this point, you can add your Zigbee device by following the manufacturer’s instructions, and it should appear on your home automation hub interface.
And you can repeat the process for each Zigbee device you want to link.
And now, you have control of your Zigbee devices from anywhere in the world on your computer or phone.
How to configure the SLZB-07MG24 with Zigbee2MQTT
Zigbee2MQTT is currently, in my opinion, the most complete solution for a unified smart home with Zigbee technology.
You can see in the Zigbee2MQTT compatibility page the different compatible products and, based on my experience, almost 100% of the Zigbee devices are integrated to Zigbee2MQTT with some exceptions, although I always recommend you to verify the compatibility of each device before any purchase.
In other content, I have detailed how to install Zigbee2MQTT in Home Assistant, so I invite you to see it if you are not yet the case.
Once you have Zigbee2MQTT installed, you will be able to configure it with this Smlight dongle.
The first thing we need to do is identify it. To do this, go to “Settings”.
Now, under “System”.
A “Hardware”.
Click on “All Hardware”.
And we will be able to see the SLZB-07MG24 dongle, so we copy its “ID”.
Now, go to “Settings” and “Add-ons”.
And “Zigbee2MQTT”.
Click on “Settings”.
This is where we are going to fill in the information of our dongle. In “Serial” we are going to write “port:” and paste the “ID” of our Smlight dongle that we have previously copied.
Now, type: “adapter: eszp”. Click on “Save”.
And under “Information”, click on “Start” Zigbee2MQTT.
We can go to “Registration”.
When we see “Zigbee2MQTT started!”, it means that we have Zigbee2MQTT operational.
Now that you have your Zigbee USB dongle configured, you will be able to link each Zigbee device, one by one. To do this, go to “Zigbee2MQTT” and click on the “Allow to join” button, choosing the Smlight dongle.
You will have a countdown to include your Zigbee device and, for this, you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Ready, if your device has been put in association mode, it should appear in the interface of your home automation hub.
So you will be able to repeat the same process for each Zigbee device you want to add.
Whether you choose Zigbee2MQTT or ZHA, once your Zigbee devices are included, you will be able to control them from anywhere in the world thanks to the interface of your home automation hub and this Smlight dongle, which acts as a coordinator.
In short, if you want an affordable, state-of-the-art and powerful option, this new Zigbee USB Smlight dongle, compatible with Home Assistant and therefore usable with a Home Assistant Green home automation hub and ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT, is a perfect combination for the ultimate smart home experience.
