I picked up some Cync downlights that are Matter-compatible. I have an Apple TV, so I added them to the Home app, then enabled pairing mode, and added them to my HA Matter integration using the pairing code. They seem to work flawlessly. Would there be any benefit to using a dedicated Thread router instead?
#Matter devices - Any benefit to dedicated Thread router vs pairing via Apple Home?
quasi jacinth
naive mason
if you already have an apple tv i would just continue using apple border routers for any additional expansion
i would also pair matter devices directly through the home assistant companion app and skip pairing them through apple home- and instead bring any devices into apple home through the homekit bridge
quasi jacinth
@naive mason I’m running into the issue I’ve read that others are having — it added a 2nd Apple border router and credential sharing isn’t going to the correct one. Seems to be a common issue. So I can’t set that as my preferred router. I have a Google hub but no android tablet to install HA on.
naive mason
actually hang on you said cync lights- aren't those wifi only?
quasi jacinth
Cync makes Matter lights now too
quasi jacinth
quasi jacinth
Roger. I was conflating the 2 I suppose
naive mason
in fact there is only one company making thread-integrated lighting solutions- nanoleaf. and i would avoid them like the plague
quasi jacinth
They are working flawlessly via the Matter integration passed through from the Home app — instantaneous response and less than $20 a pop — so I’ll stick with them for now
naive mason
<@112803593584697344> I’m running into the issue I’ve read that others are havin...
i don't know about the 2nd apple border router issue but as for nest hubs, there is an iOS Google Home app and when you use it any nest border routers will automatically join any thread network started by an apple device
quasi jacinth
Yes the ATV and nest hub both show as border routers but I can’t set either as the preferred
naive mason
and just to be clear you did hit the send credentials button
naive mason
do you actually have a thread device paired via matter?
quasi jacinth
Well, I thought I had but as I’ve learned now, I do not
I haven’t done any major additions outside of Zigbee/Z-Wave in over 2 years so this is a lot of re-learning
naive mason
how i understand the path to loading apple tbr credentials is supposed to work is
- you add a matter-via-thread device through the home assistant companion app, your iPhone should automatically use your Apple TV's TBR credentials from your device keychain
- your matter-via-thread device is added to home assistant but home assistant at this point does not know your keychain credentials
- you hit send credentials and then it should work
quasi jacinth
I’ll have to get an actual thread device to tinker with. Outside of that I grabbed an ESP thread router for like $10 so might just roll with that
naive mason
i would recommend getting the apple TBR credentials working first and then adding additional TBRs later.
OpenThread border routers can easily join an existing thread network, but as of this moment, Apple and Google border routers will not join thread networks created by other border routers. (i have another post from earlier today lamenting exactly this)
(or rather, Google border routers will join Apple border routers, Apple border routers currently don't play nice with anyone)
i made the mistake of setting up a new thread network on a skyconnect and now that i have other thread border routers in my home i currently have no way of joining them together unless i factory reset all my thread devices and start from scratch #1300823787691970581 message