GoControl CECOMINOD016164 HUSBZB-1 USB Hub

The GoControl CECOMINOD016164 HUSBZB-1 USB Hub is a versatile and reliable device for managing both Zigbee and Z-Wave devices in a single solution. It stands out for its robust connectivity and user-friendly design. Here’s a closer look:Pros1. Dual Connectivity (2-in-1): Combining both Zigbee and Z-Wave capabilities, this hub eliminates the need for separate devices, making it a convenient choice for smart home setups.2. Strong Signal Range: The hub delivers a reliable connection across a wide range, ensuring stable communication with smart devices throughout your home.3. Ease of Installation: Setup is straightforward, with minimal technical expertise required. It integrates easily with most home automation systems.4. Good Build Quality: The compact yet sturdy design feels durable and well-crafted, promising longevity.Cons1. Limited Compatibility Information: While it works with most systems, some users may need to verify compatibility with less common platforms.Overall TakeThe GoControl HUSBZB-1 USB Hub excels in providing strong, dual-protocol connectivity in a compact and user-friendly package. It’s a great value for money, especially for users looking to simplify their smart home network. While it could benefit from a few extra features, its solid performance and ease of use make it a reliable choice for managing a wide range of smart devices.

So I saw various warnings against using this dongle because it’s old or something. The main concern seems to be that it will never support future protocols like Thread and Matter.If this…matters…to you, then you should look elsewhere, of course. From what I can see, dongles that tend to be recommended still don’t support these and have it on their roadmap for future support. But…as they say…don’t buy a product based on promises of features, buy based on current features.This stick supports both Zigbee and Z-Wave and this was attractive to me. Home Assistant picked up the Zigbee part automatically. I migrated all of my Zigbee devices quickly and easily.The Z-Wave side required a separate service (ZWaveJS), but once set up and connected to Home Assistant, all worked without issue.Setup was pretty easy. Nothing felt fiddly to make it work. Range seems fine, but I also was intentional on building my Zigbee network with as much meshing as possible. So the stick only has to reach the nearest router device, which is pretty close. All Zigbee devices work flawlessly through this.The one Z-Wave device I have is a bit farther away than the nearest Zigbee router, so there was a little concern over whether that device would work okay, given some of the claims of range issues. But it connects and communicates fine without needing devices in between. So it seems the range is fine.I think for most people who are looking to keep the hardware simple and have a need for both wireless protocols, this will work fine. Yeah, you won’t get Thread and Matter support. But if that’s not important to you, and it probably won’t be for some time because device support is nearly non-existent as of now, then this will work for you.

There's really not much to say about this, and that's a good thing. When I originally started using Home Assistant, I was torn between Zigbee and Z-Wave. Then I saw this and said, "why not both?"For real - why not both? I plugged this in and it just worked. No setup, no frills, it was immediately detected by HA and that was that. I originally used a USB extension cable to mount it on the wall about 6 feet away from my server since people said you can have interference issues between this and your Wifi hardware, but I run my server on a wired connection and have replaced the wifi card with a Coral TPU, so it's now plugged directly into one of the USB ports.Even before removing the wifi card, I tried this plugged directly in to the server and had no issues. Maybe with some fancy wifi channel strength scanning tool you'd find something, but in terms of what the average person will see there were no problems.That aside - it's great. Don't compromise and pick just Z-Wave or Zigbee. Having both is the best. When I'm looking for a new device, I'm not forced into one ecosystem; I can pick the one that has the best price, the best reviews, or whatever else I want without limit.tl;dr version: Buy it, plug it in, and you're done.

Using this unit in Home Assistant, on the recommendation of my step-son. It's a great unit that combines both Zigbee and Z Wave into one hub. That's the great part.The not so great part is that this unit seems to be sensitive to interference, as most radio devices can be, but it has far too little rejection to ensure that stability is 100%. I'd say it is about an 80% reliability at this point.For the price, it competes well, though, as it is both Zigbee and Z Wave, eliminating the need for two similarly priced hubs having to be purchased.I will be moving this unit via a USB 3 extension cable to another spot, hopefully better for reception, as a GoControl GD00Z-7(8) continues to drop from the network repeatedly, causing the unit (garage door opener) to be nothing more than a high priced brick. I'm too old to be up and down a ladder once a week to disconnect the unit from the garage door opener and bringing it next to the hub to reconnect it to the network, then up the ladder again to reinstall it. I've gotten efficient at doing so, however, so that's a plus, I guess.As for this unit, you will need to place it as far away from your computer/pi as possible so that it doesn't receive interference from the wifi card in the computer/pi. Best practice is to put it about shoulder level (to a normal person) and in a spot that is not going to receive a lot of other transmissions (RF is everywhere, I get it, but limit it the best one can...).