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

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.

1. Power Connect AUX-2 from a USB-C supply, with no Ethernet cable connected.
2. In Home Assistant, go to Settings > Devices & services.
3. Under Discovered, select Add on the Connect AUX-2 card marked "Improv via BLE".
4. Choose your Wi-Fi network, enter its password, and follow the ESPHome adoption flow.
5. Assign it to an area and finish.

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 the guides for audio, TV control, Z-Wave, and Bluetooth on the Connect AUX-2 product page.