Nothing happens to device names that you named yourself within HA. Custom names are always preferred over what the driver presents.
Your HA devices are correlated to Z-Wave nodes using the home ID, node ID, vendor ID, product type and product ID.
Ok, and the final question…
After the previous disappointment with following advice from devs to switch from ZWave to ZWave-JS, and finding out later, it was a bad move, a really relevant question…
How do I know, the move from ZWaveJS to ZWave2MQTT is not the same now good advice, later a trap? How do I have to believe now, that no one say’s 6 months later, that only ZWaveJS will stay supported? Or that both will be deprecated?
Not like you had a choice. 
I would say most people would not agree with this assessment. Z-Wave JS is miles ahead of the legacy integration.
That’s one of the reasons the official add-on exists. It is controlled by HA. If you want guarantees, stick with it. It’s entirely possible for zwavejs2mqtt to become unmaintained due to some calamity.
Given the the creator of Z-Wave JS has been hired by Nabu Casa to develop Z-Wave JS full time, I’m not too worried.
ZWave2MQTT supports other home automation systems that aren’t Home Assistant, and because of that it is very likely to be around for a long time. OpenZWave is dead, ZWaveJS (which ZWave2MQTT uses) has been the official replacement for quite some time already.
Then I still don’t understand, why it is not possible in all the months passed to copy the functionality from MQTT to bare JS. (Firmware update’s and network map). If it is so much similar, why the HA JS is so slow getting this done?
If only those two steps were finished, many people will not have to struggle with all above written… 
Because there are very few UI developers. The UI implementations between HA and zwavejs2mqtt are completely different.
From the perspective of HA, they are of course going to recommend their own add-on. It is supported by HA and provides the simplest installation experience.
Well, I don’t have choice again. I do need to update firmware on some of my ZWave outlets, before they stop counting energy. There is a bug in them, fixed by new firmware…
For that specifically the other option is to use the Windows PC-Controller software. Not saying it’s the simple option, but it’s an option.
The next minefield. I’m not going to pull my controller from the HA machine and plugging it into a another machine for this. If that fails, I have headaches again… No no no, not gonna happen 
Anyway, thanks for your time today, i think, i do know more now, than yesterday. Still afraid, but going to give it a shot next week, when I’m home alone for 2 day’s. So I’m safe of being shot by family members…
…
You would rather use 3rd Party software to update the firmware of your ZWave devices, than use the official manufacturer specified software to update the firmware?
There is more chance (though granted probably not that likely) of having an issue by not using the manufacturer software method.
I’m just afraid of losing my whole network and having to start over again…
been there once with the above bespoken migration, trying to avoid that.
Yes, I would 100% rather use zwavejs2mqtt to update firmware, then move my usb stick to a Windows PC, sign up for a Si Labs account, agree to their license terms, download a 700 MB ISO, install a bloated IDE, and then run the Windows software.
In fact, I did that the other day and it worked flawlessly. I didn’t have to download anything extra, or even stop the Z-Wave network.
Other hubs like HomeSeer or Hubitat also support firmware upgrades. Silicon Labs doesn’t expect end users to use their own development software to do so. The Firmware Upgrade process is part of the Z-Wave specification.
(I do have the Si Labs software though)
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Si Labs don’t expect you to upgrade your firmware with development software no -
but the manufacturers of the actual devices, will blame you if you don’t follow their instructions and the device breaks. One of my biggest issues with ZWave is around the firmware upgrade process. Even trying to find out if there is actually any new firmware for each of your devices - is as much of a headache, as actually upgrading them is.
I saw the other day, that one manufacturer - expects you to install the software, backup the stick, use the software to create a NEW ZWave network. Exclude the device you want to upgrade from the main network, include it to this new network, upgrade the firmware, exclude it from the new network and then shut the new network down, restore the stick backup, and then re-include the device back to the original network.
How insane is that?!
Just try getting firmware for fibaro devices. Spoiler: they don’t give it out. I’ll never purchase fibaro again because of this.
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Manufacturers won’t take responsibility for any firmware upgrades, even if you use the Silicon Labs software. The email I got from Zooz said “Apply the firmware update at your own risk.”
FWIW, Aeotec has guides using HomeSeer software.
I would agree that the story around fw upgrades with Z-Wave is not the best.
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Inovelli drops all their firmware on an FTP where anyone can download them.
Zooz will usually supply you a firmware after a few hoops to jump through.
Aeotec has firmware posted on their support site for download.
I’m sure there are a few others, but that’s my shortlist.
Like petro stated fibaro forces you to buy their $200+ hub in order to update firmware.
In my case it’s Qubino, and they also do accept requests for FW:
But… guarantees of what? There’s been no obvious upgrade in at least a year…
This of course leads right into the next question: should we forget about ZWaveJSMQTT and just keep waiting for ZWaveJS to receive the functionality we need for the long haul (updates, backups, diagnostics)?
What if I jump through the hoops, move to the MQTT version, deal with the fallout, and then a month later, it looks like a mistake? Would the reverse move be just as easy/difficult?