Home Assistant has officially released the Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2. This is a new Z-Wave adapter that looks like a major upgrade for anyone using Z-Wave devices in their smart home. It’s a complete redesign from the stick form factor of older adapters and has a standalone antenna and base.
If you’re not familiar with Z-Wave, its big advantage over other smart home standards like Zigbee, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth is that it uses a different radio frequency (865-926 MHz). This sub-GHz frequency is much better at getting through thick walls and across large houses than the crowded 2.4 GHz airspace used by a lot of other smart devices.
The new Connect ZWA-2 takes that natural range and cranks it up, thanks to the optimized antenna. The antenna is a full foot long, which is a good size for Z-Wave’s sub-GHz wavelength. This big antenna and its ground plane work together to maximize the signal’s range and reliability. In fact, Home Assistant says this helps the Connect ZWA-2 to “speak loudly and clearly” while also being a “great listener”.
The new adapter’s design is a big part of why it’s so much better. Home Assistant’s previous adapter, the Connect ZBT-1 (formerly SkyConnect), came with a USB extender because USB ports can cause a lot of interference. The Connect ZWA-2 instead focuses on its adapter with a separate base and USB cable, which lets you place the antenna away from any noisy components.
The team has even included an accelerometer to make sure you position the antenna upright, and it will subtly blink a status light if it’s placed on the side. Home Assistant has had some incredible range test results from this new adapter when placed upright, including a line-of-sight connection of 0.9 miles (1.5 kilometers). That’s more than enough range for any home.
The biggest news here might be the support for Z-Wave Long Range. This is a modern take on the standard that doesn’t use a mesh network. Instead, each device talks directly to the hub, which is perfect for reaching devices in tricky spots. It uses the same frequency as regular Z-Wave but with higher power and new technology that lets it go farther, handle more devices, respond faster, and save battery.
Don’t worry, though, the Connect ZWA-2 can still run both a regular Z-Wave mesh network and a Z-Wave Long Range network at the same time. The Connect ZWA-2 is built around the latest Z-Wave 800 chip and is fully Z-Wave certified, so you can be sure it works with all Z-Wave devices.
The adapter supports Security 2 (S2), SmartStart, Z-Wave Plus, and Z-Wave Plus V2. It also seems super easy to set up with Home Assistant. When you plug it in, it automatically detects and sets your region based on your Home Assistant system’s location. There are also handy wizards to help you set up your network, add new devices, and even migrate from an old Z-Wave adapter. Also, you can update the adapter’s firmware and even do over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates for your Z-Wave devices right from Home Assistant.
The price of the adapter isn’t so bad either. You can buy a Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2 for $69, but you’ll have to pick a retailer on the official website.
Source: Home Assistant