Why Thread is Matter’s biggest problem right now

The fight for who will own your Thread mesh network is creating an even more fractured smart home. #tech

https://www.theverge.com/23820078/matters-biggest-problem-apple-google-thread-border-router-interoperability

Why Thread is Matter’s biggest problem right now

The Matter smart home standard uses Thread, an open-source wireless protocol, to fix some of the smart home’s biggest problems. But it's relying on Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung to work together. So far, that’s not going well.

The Verge

This is the best summary I could come up with:

We already had plenty of wireless protocols for most use cases — Zigbee for lighting, Z-Wave for security systems, Bluetooth for proximity control of devices like locks, and Wi-Fi for high-bandwidth needs such as cameras.

But while the open-sourced Thread protocol does have compelling features (see sidebar), its rollout as part of the major shift Matter is trying to make in our smart homes needed to be better.

“The platforms have yet to agree on a standardized way to share Thread credentials amongst each other,” Stefan Bauer-Schwan of smart home device maker Eve Systems tells me.

Nanoleaf has updated its border-router-capable lighting panels to support joining existing Thread networks, and Amazon’s Thread-capable Eero Wi-Fi routers are on 1.3.0.

“The Thread Group is working with the industry on best practices for identifying when a given network should change its configuration and how to enable users to easily do so without disruption to their existing setup,” he said.

So, while you might get a robust Thread network if you have all HomePods and Apple TVs and Google Nest devices that were set up on iOS, or all SmartThings hubs, or all Amazon’s border routers, you can’t easily mix and match — yet.

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@thehatfox I was so confused. So this is not "Thread" by "Meta"? I first thought the article was written by an AI and "Matter" was meant to be "Meta". But this has nothing to do with it, lol.

Nope, "Thread" and "Matter" are smart device protocols. "Threads" is a microblogging platform by "Meta", the owner of Facebook and Instagram. Tech companies suck at naming things.

Neither are to confused with the delightfully grim 1984 movie "Threads" about a nuclear apocalypse, or maybe they should be considering the possibly doomed trajectory both may be headed for.

I wish there were more thread devices available