Want to connect Zigbee sensors, lights, and switches to Home Assistant without relying on cloud services? The Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus makes it incredibly simple to build a fast, private, and reliable Zigbee network — all controlled locally from your Home Assistant setup. It is almost as easy as plug and play.
Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus
A device running Home Assistant OS (Raspberry Pi, NUC, or mini-PC)
(Optional) USB 2.0 extension cable — improves signal and reduces interference
Home Assistant ZHA integration (built-in) or Zigbee2MQTT add-on
Insert the dongle into an available USB port on your Home Assistant device.
Tip: If using a Raspberry Pi, connect the dongle via a short USB extension cable to move it away from the Pi’s Wi-Fi antenna.
ZHA is built directly into Home Assistant and is the fastest setup option.
Go to Settings → Devices & Services → Add Integration → Zigbee Home Automation
Select the detected serial port (e.g. /dev/ttyUSB0)
Press set up automatically and wait for initialisation. Once the device has created give it a name and room, then press finish. 
You can also set this up via Zigbee2MQTT, which can be installed via the Add-on Store.
Your integration is now active, simply start your Zigbee devices ( put them in pairing mode if applicable), they should now appear automatically and can be added through:
ZHA: Settings → Devices & Services → Zigbee → “Add Device”
Q: Can I use multiple Zigbee dongles?
A: Home Assistant can only run one Zigbee network per integration, but you can run multiple with different adapters if configured properly (e.g. one for ZHA and one for Zigbee2MQTT).
Q: Does this dongle work with other systems like Homebridge or Zigbee2MQTT standalone?
A: Yes — it’s compatible with Zigbee2MQTT, ioBroker, openHAB, and other Zigbee gateways using the EZSP protocol.
Q: Do I need to flash custom firmware?
A: Not for Home Assistant — the preloaded firmware works out of the box. Only flash if you need experimental features or updates.
We stock a large range of Home Assistant servers that come pre-installed with Home Assistant OS. Each machine is hand-picked to provide reliable, local smart home control with silent, fanless operation. Below, we compare the specifications of each model so you can decide which one is the right choice to run your Home Assistant server on.
You’ve probably heard of Matter — the new smart home standard backed by Apple, Google, Amazon, and others. It promises to fix compatibility headaches by letting all your devices talk to each other, regardless of brand or ecosystem.
Sounds great. But if you’re already deep into smart home setups — especially with Home Assistant and Zigbee — you might be wondering: is Matter even relevant to me?
Winter is when energy bills hit hardest — and it’s also when smart home technology proves its real value. While no single device is a magic fix, the latest research shows that well-designed smart heating systems consistently help households cut waste, improve comfort, and make heating far more efficient during the coldest months.
{"one"=>"Select 2 or 3 items to compare", "other"=>"{{ count }} of 3 items selected"}
Leave a comment