Samsung Smartthings Finally Adds Support For Joining Existing Thread Networks

3 months ago

A schematic of Samsung and Thread logos showing connections.

We’re 1 measurement person to a smart location that tin negociate Thread separator routers from different manufacturers. Samsung SmartThings now supports “two-way Thread web unification,” its fancy measurement of saying Thread credentials sharing. This intends that now, if you adhd a Samsung instrumentality that’s a Thread separator router to your home, it can subordinate an existing Thread network from different ecosystems, alternatively than mounting up its own.

The capability, which is portion of nan Thread 1.4 spec released past year, will motorboat connected prime SmartThings hubs — including nan Aeotec Smart Home Hub and nan Aeotec Smart Home Hub 2. More hubs will follow, according to nan company.

A caller “Manage Thread Network” paper successful nan SmartThings app Hub interface will let you to link a compatible hub to an existing Thread web utilizing a QR code, one-time passcode, aliases your mobile OS credential locker. It will besides let you to adhd a third-party separator router to an existing SmartThings hub’s Thread web via a QR codification aliases OTP.

A Thread separator router is simply a gateway for Thread devices. Thread is simply a wireless smart location protocol designed for low-power devices specified arsenic door locks, lights, and sensors, which is utilized by nan Matter smart location standard. Border routers are required to link section Thread devices to different networks and to nan internet. The tech tin beryllium built into devices for illustration streaming boxes, smart speakers, and Wi-Fi routers, which intends it’s easy to amass respective successful a smart home.

Having aggregate Thread separator routers tin amended nan scope of Thread devices you’re using, arsenic good arsenic nan reliability of nan self-healing mesh network. If 1 separator router goes down, different tin prime up nan traffic.

When Matter launched successful 2022, location was no modular measurement for a Thread separator router from 1 manufacturer, specified arsenic an Apple TV, to link pinch Thread separator routers from another, for illustration an Eero Wi-Fi router. This often resulted successful each mounting up abstracted Thread networks, preventing devices connected them from talking to each other.

Initially, separator router manufacturers — including Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung — said they would activity together to travel up pinch solutions to this problem, but they mostly didn’t. While Apple and Google implemented Thread web credentials sharing utilizing their mobile OSes, via iCloud Keychain and Google Play services, this is mostly ecosystem-specific. A standardized method for sharing credentials was still needed.

What is Matter

Matter is simply a smart location interoperability standard designed to supply a communal connection for connected devices to pass locally successful your location without relying connected a unreality connection. It is built to be secure and private, easy to group up, and wide compatible.

Developed by Apple, Amazon, Google, Samsung, and others, Matter is an open-sourced, IP-based connectivity package furniture for smart location devices. It useful complete Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Thread.

Thread is a low-power, wireless mesh protocol. It operates connected nan aforesaid 2.4GHz spectrum arsenic Zigbee and is designed for low-power devices, specified arsenic sensors, ray bulbs, plugs, and shades. IP-based, Thread devices tin pass straight pinch each other, nan internet, and pinch different networks utilizing a Thread Border Router.

Today, Matter supports astir of nan main instrumentality types successful nan home, including lighting, thermostats, locks, robot vacuums, refrigerators, dishwashers, dryers, ovens, fume alarms, aerial value monitors, EV chargers, and more.

A smart location gadget pinch nan Matter logo tin beryllium group up and utilized pinch immoderate Matter-compatible ecosystem via a Matter controller and controlled by much than 1 ecosystem pinch a characteristic called multi-admin.

Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, Apple Home, Home Assistant, Ikea, and Aqara are among nan well-known smart location companies supporting Matter, on pinch hundreds of instrumentality manufacturers.

Finally, past year, Thread Group, nan statement that oversees nan protocol, took matters into its ain hands and mandated “credentials sharing” successful its 1.4 spec release. This is simply a standardized measurement for Thread devices and separator routers to subordinate an existing Thread network.

Now, SmartThings has adopted Thread 1.4, and Apple has it successful its latest iOS 26 update for Apple TV and HomePods (which are Thread separator routers). Although Apple has not launched an interface for credentials sharing and it’s not clear if nan characteristic is unrecorded yet. However, neither Amazon nor Google yet supports 1.4, though some opportunity they are moving connected it.

Google Home Thread separator routers — including nan Google TV streamer, Nest Hubs, and Nest Wifi — whitethorn link to existing networks done Google’s mobile OS credentials sharing. But Amazon’s Echo devices that support Thread tin only link to Amazon aliases Eero-created networks. Its Echo devices are connected Thread 1.3, but nan institution says it plans to alteration Thread 1.4 adjacent twelvemonth and will support credentials sharing. Eero, nan Wi-Fi router institution owned by Amazon, has immoderate 1.4 features enabled, but doesn’t presently support merging pinch existing Thread networks.

So 3 years successful and we’re, like, three-quarters of nan measurement there. Sort of. Great job, guys.