Connect ZWA-2 anywhere: Use Z-Wave over Wi-Fi or PoE

Final month, we launched the Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2, our tackle the absolute best Z-Wave adapter. Based on the reviews, it feels like we hit the mark 😎. At the moment, we’re saying a brand new, experimental firmware that means that you can do much more with the final word Z-Wave adapter.

I’m Keith, a Senior {Hardware} and Software program Engineer at Nabu Casa, however you additionally would possibly know me from my work on the ESPHome undertaking. In case you weren’t conscious, Nabu Casa is the business associate of the Open Dwelling Basis, and the group that helps construct official Dwelling Assistant {hardware}.

Through the launch, one piece of suggestions we regularly acquired was that folks wished extra flexibility in the place they might place Join ZWA-2 of their house — usually far-off from their Dwelling Assistant system. It was no simple feat (extra on that beneath), however we had been in a position to construct an answer that means that you can put it anyplace you’ve a community connection.

This experimental firmware will let you not solely leverage the Wi-Fi chip contained in the Join ZWA-2, but in addition use it with different {hardware} to facilitate the usage of the much-requested PoE. 🎉 This new firmware is just attainable due to the second-generation platform we constructed Join ZWA-2 on, which is open by design, permitting you to tinker and lengthen the machine you personal. Every bit of Dwelling Assistant {hardware} displays Nabu Casa and the muse’s philosophy of fixed evolution, and the software program it launches with is only the start. At any time when we consider a cool new functionality, we are going to work collectively so as to add it.

If you wish to start using your Connect ZWA-2 with Portable Z-Wave today, go to the brand new home for all the foundation’s web-based tools. Simply bear in mind that that is experimental, and we advocate you learn by way of this weblog to grasp the way it works and its limitations. You can too watch the upcoming ESPHome livestream, the place we’ll focus on this new tech in depth.

Getting began

• Wi-Fi – the new firmware will be installed on the Connect ZWA-2 and use its built-in Wi-Fi chip to communicate over your network.
• PoE – the new firmware will be installed on an external development board that helps Energy-over-Ethernet (PoE); Join ZWA-2 will use its inventory firmware and can plug into this new machine through USB.

First, earlier than putting in this new firmware, be sure to back up your Z-Wave network and guarantee your Dwelling Assistant occasion is operating model 2025.10.2 or later. Solely after these steps do you have to use the toolkit website for Portable Z-Wave. The toolkit’s wizard will stroll you thru the entire course of of putting in and connecting your machine to your community. When the set up is full, it ought to be part of your community and be found by each the ESPHome and Z-Wave integrations in Dwelling Assistant.

This firmware has confirmed to work effectively in our lab and residential environments, however the true world is a unique place; your native community and Z-Wave community would possibly behave in another way. For that reason, we’re in search of your suggestions. In case you strive it out, please tell us about your expertise – good or unhealthy, temporary or long-winded – by leaving a remark beneath. We’re desirous to know the way and the place we will enhance it!

The Moveable Z-Wave experiment

Making things mesh

For Z-Wave to work over a network, we need to address the latency-sensitive parts on the actual device; everything else can be forwarded over the network. This is where ESPHome steps in: it’s the open supply software program for network-capable microcontrollers that runs on ESP32 units. We constructed an ESP32 into the Join ZWA-2, and it has the horsepower (and Wi-Fi antenna) to deal with this job.

To assist make this all attainable, we added Z-Wave support to ESPHome, permitting it to speak to Z-Wave chips. We then added the flexibility for Dwelling Assistant and Z-Wave JS to speak with Z-Wave adapters through ESPHome. As this work is open supply, it shouldn’t be restricted simply to our Join ZWA-2. Theoretically, it ought to be capable to work with any licensed Z-Wave adapter related to an ESP32. Nonetheless, earlier than we take a look at supporting different adapters, we wish to make sure that it’s secure when operating on the Join ZWA-2.

Dwelling Assistant related to the ZWA-2 through its built-in Wi-Fi chip.

Dwelling Assistant related to the ZWA-2 through the PoE module.

ESPHome handles serial message acknowledgments internally, then leverages its API (particularly its Protobuf implementation) to ship the messages over the community extra reliably than serial-over-IP. Even when your own home community is slowed down by some spikes in site visitors, ESPHome may have you coated, holding your Z-Wave community secure. That’s to not say this has no impression on efficiency, however it might be lower than you suppose – or may even discover!

Efficiency

Your results will likely differ somewhat, especially in less ideal conditions and environments. For instance, if you place your Connect ZWA-2 in a spot with really poor Wi-Fi connectivity, you might notice devices not reflecting their actual state or other buggy behavior. Avoid using VPNs or other complex network routing or configuration, as that will add latency. Also, don’t worry about Wi-Fi interfering with your Z-Wave network, as they operate on totally different radio frequencies that don’t interact. I think with a healthy dose of common sense, you can find a great spot that gets both great Wi-Fi connectivity while nicely optimizing your Z-Wave network.

Thanks

This project was brought to you by a collaboration between Nabu Casa and the people below from the Open Home Foundation. None of this would be possible without the support of Home Assistant Cloud subscribers and those that care about Z-Wave and have bought the Dwelling Assistant Join ZWA-2. Thanks!

Due to Dominic, founding father of Z-Wave JS, for rapidly leaping in on this undertaking, including help to Z-Wave JS, and constructing the browser set up tooling.

Due to Nick and Jesse for his or her help with the ESPHome implementation.

Due to Steven for making the brand new Open Dwelling Basis toolbox web site to permit simple set up of the experiment.

FAQs

A: Theoretically, it should work with other Z-Wave adapters, but thus far we have only tested it with the ZWA-2. The code is part of ESPHome 2025.10, Dwelling Assistant 2025.10.2, and Z-Wave JS v15.15.0. We selected Dwelling Assistant Join ZWA-2 as the primary machine with help because it already comprises an ESP32-S3. In case you’d wish to strive it out along with your favourite Z-Wave adapter, it is best to begin by taking a look at our ESPHome configuration for the ZWA-2 (all that ought to want altering are the vendor and product IDs to match the Z-Wave adapter).

Q: Is the Moveable Z-Wave experiment restricted to Dwelling Assistant?

A: No. It’s made to work instantly with Z-Wave JS. In case you use Z-Wave JS v15.15.0, both standalone or with one other good house platform, you’ll be able to use it, too! Configure Z-Wave JS to hook up with esphome://<IP OF THE ZWA-2>.

Q: Can I take advantage of Ethernet as a substitute of Energy-over-Ethernet?

A: Sure. Use a Energy-over-Ethernet injector together with the Waveshare ESP32-S3-ETH board.