You have questions, we have answers (FAQ)
What is Home Assistant Green?
Home Assistant Green is the official smart home hub made by Nabu Casa, the company behind Home Assistant. It comes with Home Assistant OS pre-installed. Plug in power and an Ethernet cable and it's ready to go. You don't need to flash an OS or touch a command line. It runs 24/7 as the central controller for your smart home.
What do I actually get in the box?
You get the Home Assistant Green hub, an Ethernet cable, a universal 12V DC power supply with EU, US, and UK plug adapters, a Quick Start Guide, and a Warranty and Safety Information booklet.
Do I need any technical experience to set it up?
No. Connect the Ethernet cable to your router, plug in the power supply, and the hub boots up on its own. It automatically downloads the latest version of Home Assistant. From there, open a browser or the Home Assistant app on your phone and follow the on-screen setup. It will detect compatible smart devices on your network during this process.
What are the hardware specs?
Home Assistant Green runs a Rockchip RK3566 quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor clocked at 1.8 GHz, with 4 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 32 GB of built-in eMMC storage. It has two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI port (diagnostics only), and a MicroSD slot for recovery. The enclosure is a semi-transparent polycarbonate shell with an aluminum heat sink base. It measures 112 × 112 × 32 mm and weighs 340 g.
Does Home Assistant Green have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth built in?
No. It connects to your network through the Gigabit Ethernet port only. There's no built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, or Thread radio. If you need wireless protocol support for smart devices, you add it through the USB ports with adapters like the Connect ZBT-2 or Connect ZWA-2.
What smart home protocols does it support?
Out of the box, Home Assistant Green works with any device that connects over your local network or Wi-Fi (through your router). That includes things like Philips Hue, IKEA DIRIGERA, and other hubs that have Home Assistant integrations. To add Zigbee, Thread, or Matter-over-Thread devices, pair it with a Connect ZBT-2 USB adapter. For Z-Wave and Z-Wave Long Range, add a Connect ZWA-2. Both plug into the USB ports on the back.
What's the difference between the Connect ZBT-2 and Connect ZWA-2?
The Connect ZBT-2 handles Zigbee and Thread. You pick one protocol at setup: dedicate it to either Zigbee or Thread (it does not run both at the same time on a single adapter). It uses a Silicon Labs MG24 chip and connects via USB-C cable with an external antenna for better range.
The Connect ZWA-2 handles Z-Wave and Z-Wave Long Range, and it does run both simultaneously. It's a larger adapter with a tall antenna optimized for Z-Wave frequencies.
If you want both Zigbee/Thread and Z-Wave, you'd use one of each plugged into the two USB ports.
How much power does it use?
About 1.7 watts at idle and roughly 3 watts under load. For context, that's less than a typical LED light bulb. The hub is fanless and completely silent.
Does Home Assistant Green work with Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit?
Yes. Home Assistant has built-in integrations for Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit. You can expose your Home Assistant devices to any of these platforms, so you can still use voice assistants while keeping local control through Home Assistant.
Do I need to pay for a subscription?
No subscription is required. Home Assistant is free, open-source software and runs entirely on your local network. There's an optional paid service called Home Assistant Cloud (by Nabu Casa) that makes remote access and voice assistant integration easier to set up, but it's not required. You can configure remote access yourself for free.
How many devices can it handle?
Home Assistant Green can manage hundreds of smart devices. The 4 GB of RAM and quad-core processor handle automations, dashboards, and add-ons well. Home Assistant supports over 1,000 built-in integrations for devices from brands like Philips Hue, IKEA, Aqara, Sonoff, and many others.
What kind of maintenance does it need?
Not much. Home Assistant releases monthly updates that you apply through the web interface with one click. Set up automatic backups so you can recover quickly if anything goes wrong. Keep the hub in a ventilated spot away from heat sources and direct sunlight. The operating temperature range is 0°C to 40°C, and it should stay in a dry, dust-free area.
Can I expand the storage?
The MicroSD slot is for recovery purposes only, not for general storage expansion. The 32 GB eMMC is enough for most users, including years of sensor history.
How is Home Assistant Green different from running Home Assistant on a Raspberry Pi?
Home Assistant Green comes ready to use with no assembly or OS installation. A Raspberry Pi requires buying a board, case, power supply, and SD card separately, then flashing Home Assistant OS yourself. Green's eMMC storage is faster and more reliable than an SD card (which can wear out over time). If you want something that works out of the box, Green is the simpler option.
Why buy Home Assistant Green from a Canadian store?
Ordering from a Canadian retailer means you pay in Canadian dollars without exchange rate markups or cross-border duties and brokerage fees. We ship coast to coast across Canada with free shipping, and you get Canadian-based customer support if you run into questions during setup.