Choosing an integration: Zigbee SMLIGHT SLZB vs. SLZB-06U Zigbee Dongle

Configuration Zigbee
1

I have an SMLIGHT SLZB-06U Zigbee (Ethernet) dongle and installed the SMLIGHT SLZB integration. I also have Z2M installed. It is all working okay (though I have no basis for comparison, being new to HA and Zigbee). However, there is another integration under “Discovered” called SLZB-06U Zigbee Dongle. From reading the documentation, they both seem to do the same thing, but are there differences?

I am not very pleased with the LQI, using the Zigbee SMLIGHT SLZB integration, but I’m guessing that’s more of a function of the dongle itself and physical layout. Do I need both integrations? I’m afraid to test it because last time I had to restore a backup a few weeks ago, it took way too long (failed to restore all folders).

2

The SMLIGHT SLZB-06U is an upgraded, newer version of the SLZB-06

, featuring an enhanced ESP32-S3 chipset with more RAM and, crucially, USB Passthrough functionality. While both support PoE, Ethernet, and WiFi for Zigbee2MQTT/ZHA, the 06U allows connecting a second USB device (like a Z-Wave stick) directly to it, bridging it over LAN.

[image]Reddit +4

Key Differences:

  • Processor & RAM: The SLZB-06U uses the newer ESP32-S3 (with more RAM), whereas the older SLZB-06 uses a standard ESP32.
  • USB Passthrough (06U feature): The SLZB-06U acts as a USB-over-IP server. You can plug a Z-Wave dongle or BLE module into the 06U, and your Home Assistant server can access it over the network.
3

Thanks for the clarification. Good to know I have an updated unit, although mine is ethernet, not USB. Do you think I should delete the SMLIGHT SLZB integration and install the SLZB-06U Zigbee Dongle integration instead? I don’t want to break my system since the backup/restore process is so bad.