My early-1960s detached house is built like a multistorey car park, with substantial cavity-brick external walls and brick internal walls. Matter-over-Thread proved virtually useless in my home, whereas Zigbee worked extremely well. However, I ended up with several separate smart-home networks and hubs, including a Hue Bridge Pro, Aqara Hub M3, Alexa devices and an Apple TV. It was becoming messy, so when I discovered Home Assistant and its direct Zigbee support using the Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2, I decided to give it a try. I have now consolidated my Zigbee devices into a single mesh covering the whole house. The difference has been transformative: no dropouts, no dead zones and consistently reliable sensors, switches and automations. I can also choose the device that is best for each job, rather than being tied to one manufacturer. My single mesh now includes Aqara sensors and switches, Sonoff Zigbee plugs, and Philips Hue bulbs and switches. For a solidly built home like mine, the ZBT-2 has been a game changer. Highly recommended.