Hands-On: Home Assistant’s Smart Multi-Tool Tackles Two Long-Delayed Projects

A box with many connections

The Aux-2 is about the size of a deck of cards and includes 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB-A and USB-C. It also has an audio jack, a Grove port for peripherals such as sensors and buttons, and two RS-232 serial ports.

It can bring Bluetooth devices into Home Assistant, or connect a Z-Wave or Zigbee antenna through USB. Serial connections can control equipment such as TVs, AV receivers and solar inverters, while the audio jack can send music to older speakers or amplifiers.

Built on open integrations

The device is based on ESPHome, an open platform for building smart home devices using ESP boards. Its features use existing Home Assistant and ESPHome integrations. The serial integration was developed earlier this year. Music Assistant and SendSpin, which support the audio output feature, remain in active development.

Two projects put to use

The writer uses Google Home, Apple Home and Home Assistant, but says time and setup friction have kept Home Assistant from becoming the primary smart home platform. One existing use is monitoring a garage fridge and freezer, where doors may be left open.

Earlier Aqara temperature sensors connected through a discontinued Zigbee dongle often lost connection and used coin-cell batteries. Govee Bluetooth hygrometers offered another option, but getting them into Home Assistant required a Bluetooth proxy—a capability the Aux-2 provides.

Speakers and setup

The writer also has unused in-wall speakers and had delayed choosing an amplifier. The Aux-2’s audio connection offered a way to explore using the speakers without first settling on an amp purchase.

Initial setup involved connecting the Aux-2 to a computer over USB-C, installing firmware through a browser and entering Wi-Fi credentials. After moving it to a media console and connecting power, the writer continued in Home Assistant, where the interface prompted an ESPHome installation and detected the device.