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Set up Home Assistant Connect AUX-2

This article takes you from an unboxed Home Assistant Connect AUX-2 to a device that's ready to use in Home Assistant.

The three 3.5 mm ports are not interchangeable

RS-232 Port 1 and Port 2 carry RS-232 signaling at ±5 V and can damage audio equipment. Use the 3.5 mm audio output for audio equipment only, and Port 1 and Port 2 for serial equipment only. See Ports and controls.

Front of Connect AUX-2 with port labels

Prerequisites

  • Home Assistant 2026.9 or newer.
  • Power: a Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch or injector, or a USB-C supply. Use one power source at a time.
  • Network: wired (Ethernet or PoE) or Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is off while an Ethernet cable is connected. See Power and network options.
  • Cabling for your setup. See What's in the box.
  • A spot within reach of your power, network, and audio equipment. See Choosing a location.

Set up the device

Set up Connect AUX-2 within 15 minutes of powering it on. After that, it leaves pairing mode. To return to pairing mode, disconnect the power and connect it again.

The steps differ for a wired connection and for Wi-Fi.

Over Ethernet

  1. Add your Connect AUX-2 to the same network as Home Assistant with an Ethernet cable. With PoE, the same cable powers it. Without PoE, also connect a USB-C supply.
  2. In Home Assistant, go to Settings > Devices & services.
  3. Under Discovered, select Configure on the Connect AUX-2 card and follow the ESPHome adoption flow.
  4. Assign it to an area and finish.

Over Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi setup uses Improv via BLE. Home Assistant sends your Wi-Fi details to Connect AUX-2 over Bluetooth, which needs one of the following:

  • A Bluetooth proxy in Home Assistant, in range of Connect AUX-2.

  • The Home Assistant app on your phone, with Bluetooth turned on and Bluetooth access allowed for the app.

  • Power Connect AUX-2 from a USB-C supply, with no Ethernet cable connected.

  • In Home Assistant, go to Settings > Devices & services.
  • Under Discovered, select Add on the Connect AUX-2 card marked "Improv via BLE".
  • Choose your Wi-Fi network, enter its password, and follow the ESPHome adoption flow.
  • Assign it to an area and finish.

Connect AUX-2 in the Discovered list in Home Assistant, ready for Wi-Fi setup with Improv via BLE

Connect AUX-2 runs on ESPHome and is adopted like any other ESPHome device. To see what happens after adoption, read What Connect AUX-2 is and how it works. To pick a first project, see Starter projects.