Zigbee hardware budget: a wired wall switch, SONOFF relay and local controller

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ZerOne
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Building on the Zigbee network-design guide, here is a complete one-light example with both a real wall switch and local network control. It avoids relying on an unverified button-to-bulb binding.

The control paths
The Clipsal switch operates the ZBMINIR2's local switch input, which operates its relay and the SAL light. Separately, Home Assistant Green communicates through a SONOFF USB coordinator to the same relay over Zigbee. The existing wall control is therefore not waiting for a cloud automation each time someone presses it. Keep the relay in a normal coupled input mode, not detached mode.

What the selected parts can do
ZBMINIR2 is a 100–240V, neutral-required, one-channel Zigbee 3.0 relay. The manufacturer quotes 10A resistive, not a universal 2400W LED-driver capacity. It switches, not dims, and can act as a Zigbee router. The SAL WAVE is one complete 9W light with integral driver, so there is no uncosted LED supply hiding behind the relay.
Priced equipment subtotal: AUD454.39 (about USD313.53).

Home Assistant Green has no Zigbee or Z-Wave radio built in. This budget deliberately adds the radio and an Australian supply: the international Green box has EU/US/UK plug adapters, not an AU plug. Its included Ethernet lead connects to an existing router/free LAN port. An existing phone/computer and internet for initial downloads are reused, at AUD0 / USD0 additional purchase cost here; those are assumptions, not free equipment for a new house. Green needs 12V DC, 1A, centre positive, 5.5 × 2.1mm, not USB power or PoE.

Software, setup and wiring
Use the MG24's Zigbee coordinator firmware, Home Assistant OS, the free Mosquitto broker and free Zigbee2MQTT app. SONOFF publishes the exact MG24/Home Assistant/Zigbee2MQTT setup guide below; select its documented Ember adapter and the correct USB serial device. Pair the relay using its manual and configure the physical input for the installed rocker switch. No paid commissioning licence or eWeLink cloud account is required for this chosen local stack. Do not run ZHA and Zigbee2MQTT against the same coordinator, or expect this one radio to provide Thread simultaneously.

The included USB extension separates the coordinator from noisy equipment. Data to the relay is 2.4GHz Zigbee, not Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Green uses its included Cat5e-or-better Ethernet patch lead to the existing router; that lead carries networking, not lighting power. The relay and wall input use manufacturer-specified mains-rated wiring, with neutral at the module and normal mains lighting cable to the load. Never substitute a spare Cat5 pair for that mains circuit.

Required site items, not hidden in the subtotal
An electrician must also allow for suitable approved enclosure/backbox and mounting, protected mains circuit, required neutral/earth arrangements, mains-rated connections and an appropriate controlled outlet if using the plug-equipped downlight. These are required installation items, not optional smart-home accessories; they need a site quote in addition to the priced components. Do not leave a module or live terminals loose above a ceiling or in a demonstration box. Australian fixed mains wiring is licensed-electrician work. The driver and light are included in the SAL item; no separate LED power supply is missing.

SONOFF additionally requires an upstream 10A MCB or RCBO as specified in its manual; having some existing lighting breaker is not proof that this requirement has been met.

Complexity, ongoing use and extra lights
Expect electrician installation plus intermediate computer setup: broker, coordinator, pairing and backups, rather than just downloading a bulb app. In normal coupled mode the physical switch operates locally; dashboards and any controller-based scenes require Green/radio/software to be running. Test the ordinary switch after temporarily stopping the automation software, without opening equipment.

Green, its power supply and the radio are reusable infrastructure (AUD417.00 (about USD287.73)). Another independent channel's relay, switch and complete light is AUD37.39 (about USD25.80), before installation, provided the network has coverage. A remote-only switch would need its own documented supported event/automation or binding path; the Zigbee logo alone does not guarantee one.

Price basis
Prices checked 8 November 2026 (Australia/Sydney). These are Australian listings, not US kits. USD figures are converted equivalents using RBA 6 November 2026: AUD1 = USD0.6900, rounded to cents; converted totals use the unrounded AUD sum. GST is confirmed only where stated above; the other extracted listings did not establish tax inclusion. Stock and offers can change. Subtotals exclude shipping, cables/building wiring, duties if importing, labour and the separately identified site items. No purchases or hardware testing are claimed.

Manufacturer / implementation references
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