SONOFF sent us a sample of the NSPanel Pro Gen2 Smart Home control panel for review. It’s a standard 86-type controller powered by a Rockchip RK3326-S SoC, equipped with 2GB RAM and 32GB eMMC flash storage, a 3.95-inch touchscreen display, and a 2-channel relay supporting up to 10A. The Android device supports dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, Zigbee 3.0, and Matter, and also includes a built-in 1.5W speaker and microphone for two-way audio. It’s an update to the NSPanel Pro we reviewed in 2024.
In this review, we’ll start with an unboxing and a teardown, before going through the initial setup in standalone mode, and finally use the panel with the eWelink app and Home Assistant. We’ll connect one of the relays of the NSPanel Pro Gen2 to a ceiling LED light, test Zigbee through a SONOFF AirGuard TH (SNZB-02DR2) temperature and humidity sensor, WiFi through a SONOFF AirGuard PM2.5/PM10 air quality sensor, connect it to a security camera through an RTSP stream, use the Voice Call function in the eWeLink app for two-way voice communication with a smartphone, and integrate it with Home Assistant to control the SONOFF MINI DUO-L (MINI-ZB2GS-L) Zigbee 3.0 switch.
SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 unboxing
We received the SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 in its retail package, clearly indicating it’s a “Smart Home Control Panel” compatible with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Matter. The package includes the main unit, a user manual, mounting screws, and a mounting plate.
The device features a sleek, slim touchscreen display. It measures 86 x 86 mm. A microphone hole is located at the top to support voice commands, and the speaker is positioned at the bottom of the unit.
On the back, there is a screw-type terminal block for connecting the mains power and two loads. L Out2 and L Out1 signals are for the loads, and L (Live) and N (Neutral) are used to connect the mains.
We’ll also find useful information on the back, with the model (NSPanel86PB-Relay), rating (100-240V AC 50/60Hz input), maximum load per gang (5A) and in total (10A), and maximum LED load (150W @ 240V/Gang, 75W @ 100V/Gang). Unsurprisingly, it’s made in China.
SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 teardown
We performed a (partial) teardown of the NSPanel Pro Gen2. After removing the back cover, we can see the PCBA with a metal shield over the Rockchip processor, RAM, and storage, Reset and Boot buttons, a Silicon Labs MG24 chip for Zigbee connectivity with one antenna, a Wi-Fi module with one antenna, and an FPC/FFC cable going to the touchscreen LCD, a smaller FPC cable for the light sensor (ALS = Ambient Light Sensor), and the speaker on the bottom left.
Installation, wiring, and initial setup of the SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2
While 86-type boxes are designed to be integrated into a wall, we rely on larger 120-type boxes in Thailand, based on the US standard. So instead, we asked the company to send an enclosure stand for the SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 so that we can safely use it on a desk.
We connected the NSPanel Pro Gen2 directly to a magnetic ceiling LED light for testing. We routed all wires through the opening in the mounting bracket, connected the mains cable to the L and N screw terminals, and the LED light wires to the Neutral and L Out1 terminals, following the instructions in the user manual.
After wiring was complete, we secured the display on the stand and connected the device to the mains. Booting took about 30 seconds or so before we reached a Welcome screen with a Start button. From there, we selected the language and region and configured WiFi. We were also presented with a QR Code for the eWelink app setup, but we skipped it at this stage.
After that, we got to the home screen with date, time, and weather data automatically synchronized over the Internet. We could also turn the LED light on/off using the left virtual switch on the touchscreen display.
Swiping down on the home screen brings up the menu. Let’s update the software first by going to Settings → About → Software Update.
Let’s now tap on Add Device to scan for Smart Home devices, and add the SNZB-02DR2 Zigbee temperature and humidity sensor.
We can see the temperature and humidity data from the SONOFF AirGuard TH (SNZB-02DR2) synchronized on the NSPanel Pro Gen2 with some delays, explaining the small differences between the values.
Let’s now tap on the Cameras icon. It brings two options: RTSP Cameras and DIY Cameras. The latter refers to cameras on smartphones or tablets leveraging the eWelink app.
But since our Reolink TrackMix PoE security camera supports RTSP, we typed the RTSP URL on the SONOFF control panel, and it worked well, including audio output. The camera also supports ONVIF, but the NSPanel Pro Gen2 does not, at least not yet.
Review of the SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 with the eWeLink app
Let’s now install the eWeLink app on our smartphone, and bring the eWelink QR code from the Settings on the NSPanel Pro Gen2.
Once the NSPanel Pro Gen2 has been added to the eWeLink app, we can still control Channels 1 and 2 to turn on/off the devices connected to the relays, such as our LED light. There’s also a Voice Call menu that supports two-way voice communication between the smartphone and the panel. We also wanted to use the built-in microphone and speaker for voice interaction (Smart Speaker) function, but this only works with your smartphone after connecting the eWelink app to an app like Google Home or a compatible Smart Home gateway. The NSPanel Pro Gen2 can’t be used directly as a smart speaker with the current firmware.
If we already have other devices in the eWeLink app, such as the SONOFF MINI-DIM and SONOFF AirGuard PM2.5/PM10 (SAWF-07P), we add them to the control panel by going to Screen Settings → Edit Screen → Add Widgets.
After adding the two devices, we can see the PM2.5 and PM10 values from the sensor and control the bedroom light through the MINI DIM switch.
SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 and Home Assistant integration
The NSPanel Pro Gen2 is an Android device with the FDroid app store, from which we can install the Home Assistant Companion app.
We already have Home Assistant set up on a Raspberry Pi 4 connected to a SONOFF Dongle Max (Dongle-M) for Zigbee connectivity.
We can enter the URL of our Home Assistant server and then our credentials (username/password) to access the Home Assistant Overview dashboard.
From there, you can control smart home devices, check device status, and turn devices on/off through the NSPanel Pro Gen2’s touchscreen, just like when accessing Home Assistant on a smartphone or web browser on a computer.
Conclusion
We found the NSPanel Pro Gen2 to be easy to install and fairly straightforward to set up and use. We installed it on a desk enclosure, but as an 86-type control panel, it can also be integrated into your wall if your country uses this box size. Controlling the relays via the touchscreen was fast and responsive, and the eWeLink app allows the user to add widgets for other WiFi, Zigbee, or Matter Smart Home devices, such as switches, sensors, or security cameras. There’s also a Voice Call function for two-way audio calls between the control panel and smartphones running the eWelink app. If you already have a Home Assistant server, installing the Android app through F-Droid is super easy and transforms the NSPanel Pro Gen2 into a Home Assistant control dashboard.
Overall, the SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 is a great choice for anyone looking for a desk or wall-mounted smart home control panel with a touchscreen. It supports eWelink, Home Assistant, and Matter (not tested here since we didn’t have Matter devices) out of the box. We were hoping for a smart speaker function leveraging the built-in microphone and speaker, but it’s not implemented (yet), and users have to rely on third-party smart speakers.
We’d like to thank SONOFF for sending the NSPanel Pro Gen2 control panel for review. It’s sold for $134.90 in white or dim gray colors, and you may consider adding the optional Desk Enclosure Stand for an additional $9.90. The discount coupon CNXSOFT will lower the price of orders on the SONOFF website by 10% off (except pre-orders or special promotins).
CNXSoft: This article is a translation – with some additional insights – of the original review on CNX Software Thailand by Suthinee Kerdkaew.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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