September 8, 2026 • Hardware

SMLIGHT SMHUB Nano MG24 Review

4.0

Intro

I was kindly sent an SMLIGHT SMHUB Nano MG24 to test free of charge by SMLIGHT, but SMLIGHT have had no editorial control over this review. I have been testing it with both Zigbee and Thread devices to see how well it performs and whether it could genuinely become the centre of a small smart-home setup.

What Is the SMHUB Nano MG24?

At first glance, the SMHUB Nano MG24 looks similar to SMLIGHT’s SLZB range of network coordinators. However, it is much more than a coordinator. It is a compact, Linux-powered smart-home hub capable of running applications such as Zigbee2MQTT, an MQTT broker, Node-RED and OpenThread Border Router directly on the device.

The SMHUB Nano MG24 is essentially a small Linux computer combined with an EFR32MG24 radio. The radio can be used for either Zigbee or Thread, while the Linux side of the device runs SMLIGHT’s SMHUB-OS and hosts the applications needed to operate your smart-home network.

This is an important difference between the SMHUB Nano MG24 and a standard network coordinator. A device such as the SLZB-06MG26U provides the radio connection, while Zigbee2MQTT or OpenThread usually runs somewhere else. The SMHUB Nano MG24 can run both the radio and its supporting software without requiring a separate server.

Because it has a single MG24 radio, it cannot operate separate Zigbee and Thread networks simultaneously using its built-in radio. I tested it first with a fresh Zigbee network before reconfiguring it for Thread.

Design and Connectivity

The SMHUB Nano MG24 follows the familiar design used by several other SMLIGHT devices. It is compact, passively cooled and fitted with an external antenna for the MG24 radio.

I chose to connect it over Ethernet and power it using PoE. This provides power and network connectivity over a single cable, making the installation exceptionally tidy.

It also means the hub doesn’t need to be physically connected to the computer or server running Home Assistant. You can position it more centrally in your home, where its Zigbee or Thread radio can provide better coverage.

Unlike a simple Ethernet coordinator, the SMHUB Nano MG24 does not require another server to host its core applications. Zigbee2MQTT, MQTT and Node-RED can all run locally on the hub itself.

Setup

Setting up the SMHUB Nano MG24 was just as straightforward as setting up one of SMLIGHT’s other coordinators, such as the SLZB-06MG26U. Once it was connected to my network, I was able to access SMHUB-OS and install or configure the applications I wanted to test.

I tested:

Zigbee2MQTT
MQTT
Node-RED
Thread

Having these applications available directly through the hub makes the process more accessible than manually installing and maintaining each service on separate hardware.

More experienced users still have the flexibility to integrate the Nano into a larger Home Assistant or MQTT-based system. It doesn’t lock you into one particular way of building your smart home.

Zigbee Testing

For the Zigbee test, I created a completely fresh network containing:

Three Zigbee temperature sensors
One Aqara FP300 presence sensor
Two Zigbee bulbs

I deliberately created a fresh network rather than migrating my existing Zigbee network. This allowed me to test the setup and pairing process without affecting the devices in my main smart-home installation. It also allowed me to test the idea of using the Nano as a standalone, self-contained system running alongside my existing setup.

Zigbee2MQTT ran directly on the SMHUB Nano MG24, alongside its local MQTT broker. All six devices paired successfully on the first attempt and remained connected throughout approximately one week of testing.

I experienced no dropouts, stability problems or software bugs while using the hub as a Zigbee coordinator. Commands sent to the bulbs were responsive, while reports from the temperature and presence sensors arrived as expected.

This was only a relatively small test network, so it doesn’t demonstrate how the Nano would perform with hundreds of devices. However, it represents a realistic basic smart-home installation, and everything worked without any problems.

Thread Testing

After completing the Zigbee test, I reconfigured the MG24 radio for Thread and used it as a replacement for my existing Thread network coordinator, which contained:

Four IKEA temperature sensors
Two IKEA bulbs
One Aqara FP300 presence sensor

All seven devices operated reliably throughout the test. I didn’t experience any unexplained dropouts or stability issues, and the hub remained responsive.

The ability to configure the MG24 radio for either Zigbee or Thread makes the device flexible. If you only require one protocol, or already have another coordinator or Border Router covering the other, the Nano provides a compact way to host your chosen network and its supporting services.

Running Applications Locally

The most interesting part of the SMHUB Nano MG24 isn’t simply its MG24 radio—it is the ability to run smart-home applications locally on the device.

During my testing, I used Zigbee2MQTT, Node-RED, MQTT and Thread. There are other applications available, including Matterbridge and ZwaveJS, but I haven’t yet had the opportunity to test them.

Node-RED can provide the automation logic, MQTT handles communication between devices and services, and Zigbee2MQTT manages the Zigbee network. Combined, these applications provide the core components required for a basic local smart home.

This means the SMHUB Nano MG24 could potentially serve as a lightweight alternative to Home Assistant for someone with a relatively straightforward collection of devices and automations.

It isn’t a complete like-for-like replacement for everything Home Assistant offers. Home Assistant provides a much larger selection of integrations, dashboards, add-ons and device-management features. However, the Nano demonstrates that a functional local smart home does not necessarily require a full Home Assistant installation.

Not Just for Beginners

Although its simplified application management makes the SMHUB Nano MG24 approachable for beginners, I don’t think it should be viewed only as a beginner’s product.

More advanced users could use it to separate important services from their main Home Assistant server. For example, Zigbee2MQTT, MQTT and Node-RED could continue running on the Nano while Home Assistant is restarted, updated or moved to different hardware.

It could also be installed elsewhere on a property to provide a separate Zigbee network, placed in an outbuilding or used as the basis of a remote smart-home installation.

This makes it useful both as the centre of a simple setup and as an extension to a much larger system.

Who Is It For?

The SMHUB Nano MG24 would be particularly well suited to:

Beginners or experienced users wanting a small, entirely local smart-home hub
Users who want Zigbee2MQTT without running a separate server
People who prefer Node-RED and MQTT-based automations
Home Assistant users wanting to move critical services away from their main installation
Outbuildings or remote locations requiring their own coordinator
Users wanting to separate or strengthen parts of an existing setup
Anyone wanting to experiment with Zigbee or Thread using the same hardware

Its biggest limitation is that the single MG24 radio must be used for either Zigbee or Thread. Anyone wanting to run both networks from one unit would need to connect additional radio hardware through the USB passthrough port or choose a multi-radio version of the SMHUB.

Conclusion

I have been really impressed with the SMLIGHT SMHUB Nano MG24.

It combines a capable Zigbee or Thread radio with a Linux operating system that can run many of the services normally hosted on a separate smart-home server. During my testing, Zigbee2MQTT, MQTT, Node-RED and Thread all worked reliably, with no bugs or device dropouts.

For a basic smart home, the combination of Zigbee2MQTT, MQTT and Node-RED means the Nano could provide a genuine alternative to running Home Assistant. It won’t replace every feature or integration offered by Home Assistant, but it contains everything needed to build a straightforward and completely local automation system.

It should not be viewed as a device aimed only at beginners. More experienced users could use it to extend an existing installation, isolate important services from Home Assistant, create an additional network or provide smart-home coverage in a remote area.

The SMHUB Nano MG24 is much more than another Zigbee coordinator. It is a compact, flexible and impressively capable smart-home platform that can either become the centre of a smaller installation or strengthen a much larger one.