ATV and SkyConnect Thread networks are no longer joined | Home Assistant | Page 1

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 2:19 AM

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I tried to install updates to a few of my Inovelli Thread devices and received the error "target node did not process the update file." I've seen this error once before and with a little help from friends I was able to resolve it by joining my ATV and SkyConnect networks together into one network (https://discord.com/channels/330944238910963714/1266088259348594708).

Looking at my Thread Integration Config, it has reverted back to two separate networks (screenshot attached). There doesn't appear to be any options to join them back together, and after going through the docs and my the convo referenced above, I don't see any options to rejoin them. All of my devices are paired to the SkyConnect network and are working properly, except they cannot update.

Ideally I would like to rejoin the networks, but if there's an easier solution to just resolve the 'target node not processing the update file' issue, I'd be OK with that.

trail sail Mar 27, 2025, 8:18 AM

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As long as you have any apple BR's in your network, you wont be able to update your devices. So better switch to only the SkyConnect if you want to solve that. Question is to which network your devices are joined. Go into the devic epage of one of your Matter over Thread devices and check the details for the thread network.

noble dagger Mar 27, 2025, 12:39 PM

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weird, yesterday I updated almost 30 inovelli switches from home assistant using a single thread network of 17 apple thread BR and a skyconnect.

trail sail Mar 27, 2025, 12:54 PM

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noble dagger weird, yesterday I updated almost 30 inovelli switches from home assistant using...

Then it somehow magically always routed through teh skyconnect - so basiclaly you were lucky

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 4:41 PM

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trail sail Then it somehow magically always routed through teh skyconnect - so basiclaly yo...

FWIW, previously my setup was the same (ATV + SkyConnect joined) and the updates were always successful until this last week when the networks split.

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I don't mind removing the ATV from my setup. It's nice to have as it will survive a HAOS VM host migration when the SkyConnect does not, but that's a pretty rare use case, and I imagine as time goes on there will be another device added to my home that can fill the void.

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Question is then, how do I remove the ATV BR? Only place I can think to do that would be the Thread Integration Configuration page, but there's no options available for the ATV BR.

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All my devices are joined to the SkyConnect thankfully

trail sail Mar 27, 2025, 4:48 PM

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You cant "remove" it - it sits on its own dedicated thread network so you simply ignore it

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 4:49 PM

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trail sail You cant "remove" it - it sits on its own dedicated thread network so you simply...

Hmm, then sounds like I need to solve the issue with "target node did not process the update file." I've seen a lot of discussion on this but can't find much on a proper resolution path.

trail sail Mar 27, 2025, 4:50 PM

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hoary jewel Hmm, then sounds like I need to solve the issue with "target node did not proce...

Well, that issue happens if the traffic is routed through a Apple BR.
We have never seen it with SkyConnect or other BR's, only with Apple

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Sp are you 100% sure your devices are using your skyconnect as BR ?
Try to stop the OpenThread Border router add-on and if your devices keep working, you have the answer

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 4:52 PM

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Yeah I believe so. 1 sec, will send screenshots just to make I'm not mistaken

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 4:53 PM

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trail sail Sp are you 100% sure your devices are using your skyconnect as BR ? Try to stop ...

Did this yesterday and they all stopped working.

trail sail Mar 27, 2025, 4:54 PM

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hoary jewel Did this yesterday and they all stopped working.

yeah. then... you're kind of screwed so to say.

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 4:54 PM

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In the screenshot that opened this discussion you can see MyHome1764637697 is the SkyConnect

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So this would be an example of it happening just with SkyConnect, right? Or am I missing something

trail sail Mar 27, 2025, 4:55 PM

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hoary jewel In the screenshot that opened this discussion you can see MyHome1764637697 is th...

what happens if you do a reinterview device ?

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the data could be outdated

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 4:57 PM

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Haven't done that before. Just to make sure, you mean to click this, right?

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 5:03 PM

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trail sail the data could be outdated

The issue persists.

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 5:20 PM

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Other things I've tried: unplugged ATV, restarted OBTR and PMS, reinterviewing again from the device page, removed local update json from core_matter_server/updates (this was a workaround I tried earlier but didn't help--update is already on main)

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 6:00 PM

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Correction: the update has not been released to main. Initially the update didn't appear in HAOS but when I clicked update from the PMS it said an update was found, so I assumed it was on main. In hindsight I think it was finding the local json I had for the previous update version. I've added the JSON back (pointing to the newer update), fully rebooted HAOS, and the issue persists.

trail sail Mar 27, 2025, 6:03 PM

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so... is the json correct then ?
The error means that the update can not be processed. This happens on Apple Border Routers where the traffic is actualy blocked but in fact the same error can also appears if the Matter Server is actually not able to process the file. You're playing with manual files so there's a chance that is the issue. Is there a full URL in the json ? And is that URL accessible from within your HA server ?

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 6:16 PM

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Great question, was just wondering the same. I'm able to download it on my laptop. HAOS has full WAN access AFAIK but I'm struggling to figure out how to confirm it can download the file. I entered the file URL into the ping integration and it says disconnected, but I'm not sure if you can ping a file like that.

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Gonna try turing back on SSH to see if I can curl it

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 6:42 PM

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I can ping the host url. Having issues confirming that HAOS can curl it though but I think it's safe to assume it can?

trail sail Mar 27, 2025, 6:53 PM

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yeah, I think so.

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Try unplugging the ATV from power, wait at least 30 minutes and then try again

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 7:09 PM

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trail sail Try unplugging the ATV from power, wait at least 30 minutes and then try again

ATV has been unplugged for about an hour and still getting the same error--cannot process target node. I asked if anyone else has been able to successfully update using the JSON but no responses yet. I don't think I can share it publicly but if you want to peak at it I could DM it to you

trail sail Mar 27, 2025, 7:13 PM

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hoary jewel ATV has been unplugged for about an hour and still getting the same error--canno...

what device ?

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 7:21 PM

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trail sail what device ?

VTM31-SN
A few others just confirmed they were able update using the JSON

trail sail Mar 27, 2025, 7:22 PM

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OK, then I'm actually out of options. Did you try restarting the entire host, just to be safe

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 7:25 PM

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I did not but let me try that quick

trail sail Mar 27, 2025, 7:28 PM

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yeah and also wait long enough with the apple tv shutdown, you never know

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 7:51 PM

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The issue persisted after host reboot buuuut

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I downloaded the ota file to my laptop, copied that into the folder core_matter_server\updates\29, fully rebooted HAOS, and it looks like it's updating now. First one almost complete ~~and it looks like it automatically copied the OTA into all of my node's folders~~. Does seem like it may have been a curl issue afterall?

trail sail Mar 27, 2025, 8:56 PM

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hoary jewel I downloaded the ota file to my laptop, copied that into the folder core_matter_...

Yeah, seems so. So the matter server was somehow not able to download the file ?!
Strange!

noble dagger Mar 27, 2025, 9:22 PM

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@hoary jewel have you double checked the inovelli-VTM31.json file has the correct checksum and file size?

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 9:33 PM

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I ran into issues with subsequent updates. Eventually I deleted everything in core_matter_server\updates except for the JSON, the node folders, and the OTA file in each folder. After that I was able to update 1-2 devices before running into the same error again--target node did not process update file.

So far I've updated about half of my devices by rinsing and repeating this process. I'll hold off on updating the last few devices in case you want me to run some tests. Very strange indeed. Seems like it actually be some kind of cacheing issue instead.

hoary jewel Mar 27, 2025, 9:34 PM

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noble dagger <@970240307725762561> have you double checked the inovelli-VTM31.json file has t...

I did not check that but I'm not sure if that would matter with a JSON. It's a very small object so I was able to verify all lines were correct.

hoary jewel Mar 28, 2025, 5:28 AM

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noble dagger <@970240307725762561> have you double checked the inovelli-VTM31.json file has t...

I understand what you're asking now, my bad. The OTA filesize matches but I can't seem to figure out what format the JSON checksum is in: "otaChecksum": "Jel/+HWadwIb1KTKV0oSg3P0/9JK2OOPYq0xwSlThEA=",. I've run it through a 7Z and Exactfile but neither output a similar checksum format.

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I was able to update 6 out of 13 of my devices, but eventually the method above stopped working. I've tried numerous variations over the past few hours and nothing seems to work anymore. Also did basic troubleshooting again like reinterviewing, air-gapping, infinite HAOS reboots, etc. If I remove everything from the updates directory and leave just the JSON, PMS is able to download the OTA file but it still results in the same error.

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I don't see relevant errors in the ota_provider###.logs, but would it be helpful to provide those?

noble dagger Mar 28, 2025, 1:44 PM

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I have noticed that after updating several switches quickly the thread network really struggles for quite a while and may be renegotiating routes and routers versus endpoints for 30 minutes or more. If I reboot all potential thread BR and wait for the thread network to solidify, updates can proceed again I have also found that waiting 5-15 minutes between each inovelli switch update (time from the updated switch coming back online with 1.0.6 and starting the install on the next switch) helps keep the thread network from spiraling out of control.

hoary jewel Mar 28, 2025, 5:21 PM

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noble dagger I have noticed that after updating several switches quickly the thread network r...

You're a genius. Yesterday, I restarted the host right before I tried the method w/ clearing out the updates folder, which was the only time the BR truly restarted. I did try to update after BR restart but before clearing the updates folder, which failed, so it appears the combination of restarting the BR and clearing the updates seems to have done the trick.

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Clearing out the updates folder was a suggestion from Eric, the Inovelli CTO. He ran into a similar issue before and that's what worked for him.

hoary jewel Mar 29, 2025, 5:02 PM

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I've only managed to update one more device using the method above. Not sure what I'm doing is helping or just dumb luck.
Ideally I'd like to add the ATV back to the network or perhaps add a SLZB-06 into the mix to see if that helps. I don't see any options to delete the ATV. Would a factory reset of the ATV help or will HA still see it as the same device?

trail sail Apr 1, 2025, 7:08 AM

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If you want more instability, add the SLZB-06 to the network

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If you want to use it for Thread, only use it via USB

hoary jewel Apr 2, 2025, 2:19 PM

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Getting the error on official main updates as well (ie not just local json updates)

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I was able to commission a new matter/thread device yesterday so at least it appears isolated solely to updates

low sluice Jul 12, 2025, 8:06 PM

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This is definitely an issue. I opened a GitHub issue on this and the docucumentation about Apple BR's, which is incorrect AFAIK.

GitHub issue: https://github.com/home-assistant/core/issues/145478

Documentation issue: https://github.com/home-assistant/home-assistant.io/issues/39431

As far as I can tell, the problem happens regardless of which brand of border routers are being used. It also happens regardless of how many BR's there are, or how large the fabric is. As I noted in the issue, I had this show up when my fabric had a single node.

Testing entirely with official updates from main (no local updates)

GitHub

Thread/Matter - Cannot Update Node Firmware (Eve Energy, Inovelli a...

The problem Hello. I am trying to update my Thread/Matter nodes and I am noticing that HomeAssistant cannot do this nearly as well as Apple Home can. In fact, for me, HomeAssistant cant do this at ...

GitHub

Matter Documentation for Firmware Updates · Issue #39431 · home-a...

Feedback I want to point out an inconsistency I've noticed in the real world compared to how it is documented on the website. On the Matter documentation page, it is noted that firmware updates...

#ATV and SkyConnect Thread networks are no longer joined