#Matter devices connect, starts setup, then fail to complete setup

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

empty oxide
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Hi, sorry if this has been answered before, I searched here, other places on the internet, and I cannot figure this out. I have HAOS installed on a mini PC and added the ZBT-1 dongle to give it thread support. Now I'm trying to add devices to Home Assistant and they all fail at the same point. I get the pop-op that asks to scan the QR code and it quickly connects and then starts setting up, and then fails saying it cannot add the device. I've tried multiple different devices (an Eve Outlet, Eve smart plug, an Aqara P2 sensor, Inovelli White light switch). They all get stuck at the same spot.

Is there a way I can diagnose why this is failing, or does someone have an idea on how to fix this?

I can add them easily to my HomeKit/AppleTV based thread network. So clearly something is wrong with my HA installation or the ZBT-1 dongle

twin orbit
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it would be helpful to know what type of mobile device (android, ios) you're using, and precisely where it is failing.

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the matter over thread provisioning requires three steps. 1) the phone connects to the matter device over bluetooth and tells it how to connect to thread. 2) the phone connects to the matter device over thread (via your thread border router) to finish the initial setup. 3) the phone "shares" the matter device with home assistant over the thread connection.

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it sounds like it might be failing at 2) for you, which usually means that the phone can't talk to the thread border router (e.g. because the phone is on a wifi network in a different subnet)

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also, you normally don't want to have two separate thread networks. unless you have a specific problem with the apple thread border routers, maybe just use them?

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two separate thread networks will interfere with each-other if they're on the same channel, and they don't mesh with each-other so you'll have worse signal coverage.

heavy crater
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in the home assistant app on your phone go to
settings -> companion app -> problem/solutions (or something like that part of my app is in German, no idea why) -> synchronize thread credentials

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and try again

empty oxide
empty oxide
heavy crater
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it's not the same thing - at least the send credentials to phone didn't help in my case

twin orbit
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Can you describe what your network layout is like? Subnets, type of hardware used?

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In order for your phone to be able to talk to thread devices via home assistant otbr, it must receive ipv6 router announcements and mdns replies from otbr.

empty oxide
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I have Ubiquti stuff. Which I’ve seen can cause problems, but I’ve enabled all the IPV6, and confirmed I have IPV6 addresses on my phone and other computers on the network. Everything is on one VLAN to remove other sources of failure. MDNS is enabled

twin orbit
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Turn off multicast enhancement if you have that enabled.

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If everything is on the same subnet/VLAN you do not need unifi's mdns relay enabled, so try with that off too.

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Although I would expect these issues to affect both the apple border routers and home assistant's.

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Just to confirm - are you using the open thread border router add-on on HAOS?

empty oxide
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And yeah running it on HAOS on dedicated hardware

twin orbit
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Other things you can do is check your phone settings to see if it receives an ipv6 address from the range advertised by otbr, and use mdns test tools on the phone to make sure you can see the _meshcop._udp entry for home assistant otbr.

empty oxide
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Okay I’ll look into it

twin orbit
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I have heard of people having problems using an iPhone to attempt to join devices to a non apple thread network when there is also an apple network configured, though I don't know the details (I use Android)

empty oxide
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Interesting. Well I got some work to do and stuff to try, I really appreciate your help, truly.

heavy crater
void atlas
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@empty oxide - I have same config (HAOS on mini-PC + OTBR with ZBT-1 + Unfi network) and am experiencing the same issue--provisioning via companion app fails but succeeds via Apple Home Kit. (BTW, you may have found this as well, but once connected via Home Kit, you can then connect to HA via matter sharing from Home Kit. As far as I can tell, the end result is the same as if the device were originally connected via the companion app). For now, I'm living with it as-is, but revisit from time to time in search of a solution. Reply here if you figure it out, and I'll do the same.