The coordinator is the one device your whole network depends on. Pick it by chip family and firmware support, not by brand.
Chip families (Zigbee2MQTT categories)
| Family | Status in Zigbee2MQTT | Also in ZHA as |
|---|---|---|
| zStack (Texas Instruments CC2652 / CC1352) | recommended | ZNP |
| EmberZNet (Silicon Labs EFR32) | recommended | EZSP |
| deCONZ (Dresden Elektronik ConBee) | recommended | deCONZ |
| ZiGate | not maintained | – |
| ZBOSS (Nordic Semiconductor) | experimental | – |
Home Assistant's ZHA documentation lists its own official adapter first and supports EZSP, ZNP and deCONZ radios.
Details that matter
- Power amplifier: TI chips ending in P (e.g. CC2652P) transmit up to 20 dBm; R/RB variants up to 5 dBm. More power helps reach, but a well-placed coordinator plus routers matters more.
- Coordinator backup: in Zigbee2MQTT only zStack and EmberZNet adapters support
coordinator_backup.json. A backup is what lets you replace a failed adapter without re-pairing everything. Strong reason to choose one of these two. - Firmware: coordinators run their own firmware. Keep it at a version the project recommends, and follow the adapter's flashing instructions. The Zigbee2MQTT guide notes you may need the USB-UART bridge driver (Silicon Labs or FTDI) before the adapter even shows up.
- Old chips: the adapter list and FAQ show how limited very old coordinators are (e.g. the CC2531 is documented with only 20 devices directly connected). Don't build a new network on them.
Checklist
- Supported and recommended by the stack you chose (Zigbee2MQTT or ZHA).
- zStack or EmberZNet if you want coordinator backups.
- Current, recommended firmware.
- Connected with a USB extension cable to a USB 2 port (see the interference warning).