# Matter hub **URL:** \ **Category:** Devices & Integrations\ **Tags:** hub\ **Created:** [January 10, 2025, 2:42am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/matter-hub/293389 "2025-01-10T02:42:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![melTr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/meltr/32/209026_2.png) [@melTr](https://community.smartthings.com/u/melTr)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 2:42am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/matter-hub/293389/1 "2025-01-10T02:42:19Z")
Hi I’m a little bit lost. I’m new to smart home, but I understood Matter seems to be the best choice for universality. However I don’t understand how hub works. At first, I was thinking to use Google Home as main app but then realize it missing some possibilities and I now switched to SmartThings. I bought first a SwitchBot Hub 2 since it have good reviews and seems quite useful. But I disenchant when I realize I couldn’t really add devices from other brands. But the Hub is visible in both Home and ST. So then, I wanted to add a door lock. After many searches, I choose Aqara U200 which is matter device. At the same time I ordered a Aqara presence detector FP2 (also Matter). So since I need a hub to add those things, I went for Google TV streamer, since I needed anyway to replace my old chromecast. It’s supposed to be a Matter/Thread hub. Works as expected in Home, I add it and then add the FP2. But again, disillusion when I wanted to add it to ST. It asks a hub, but I guess because I’m unable to get GTV into ST, the secondary device is impossible to add. So my questions are : why hubs are not really hubs? What I’m missing? Does Matter was really the best choice? I checked for Aeotec hub, but it seems totally impossible to buy, from any local shop or from Amazon (sold out everywhere). I should import it from US, but it will cost a leg and a arm… I saw some used SmartThings hub v3 on Marketplace, is it worth it? Thanks Mélanie ---
**Author:** ![jkp](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/jkp/32/117130_2.png) [@jkp](https://community.smartthings.com/u/jkp)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 2:48am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/matter-hub/293389/2 "2025-01-10T02:48:36Z")
> [@melTr](#): > > I checked for Aeotec hub, but it seems totally impossible to buy, what country are you located? Amazon US: > **[Amazon.com: Aeotec Smart Home Hub, Works as a SmartThings Hub, Z-Wave, Zigbee,...](https://www.amazon.com/Aeotec-SmartThings-Gateway-Compatible-Assistant/dp/B08TWDNQ5Q)** > > Buy Aeotec Smart Home Hub, Works as a SmartThings Hub, Z-Wave, Zigbee, Matter Gateway, Compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, WiFi: Hubs & Controllers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases or > **[Smart Home Hub for SmartThings](https://smartmatters.co/collections/zigbee-products/products/aeotec-smart-home-hub-smartthings-aeohubv3)** > > Aeotec Smart Home Hub is Samsung SmartThings Hub v3 for smart home automation. Previously GP-U999SJVLGDA is now the GP-AEOHUBV3US Z-Wave Hube, Zigbee Hub, and WiFi Hub for all your Works With SmartThings products and more. Compatible with... ---
**Author:** ![h0ckeysk8er](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/h0ckeysk8er/32/195141_2.png) [@h0ckeysk8er](https://community.smartthings.com/u/h0ckeysk8er)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 3:03am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/matter-hub/293389/3 "2025-01-10T03:03:36Z")
> [@melTr](#): > > Hi > I’m a little bit lost. I’m new to smart home, but I understood Matter seems to be the best choice for universality. However I don’t understand how hub works. At first, I was thinking to use Google Home as main app but then realize it missing some possibilities and I now switched to SmartThings. > I bought first a SwitchBot Hub 2 since it have good reviews and seems quite useful. But I disenchant when I realize I couldn’t really add devices from other brands. But the Hub is visible in both Home and ST. > So then, I wanted to add a door lock. After many searches, I choose Aqara U200 which is matter device. At the same time I ordered a Aqara presence detector FP2 (also Matter). So since I need a hub to add those things, I went for Google TV streamer, since I needed anyway to replace my old chromecast. It’s supposed to be a Matter/Thread hub. Works as expected in Home, I add it and then add the FP2. But again, disillusion when I wanted to add it to ST. It asks a hub, but I guess because I’m unable to get GTV into ST, the secondary device is impossible to add. > So my questions are : why hubs are not really hubs? What I’m missing? Does Matter was really the best choice? > > I checked for Aeotec hub, but it seems totally impossible to buy, from any local shop or from Amazon (sold out everywhere). I should import it from US, but it will cost a leg and a arm… I saw some used SmartThings hub v3 on Marketplace, is it worth it? > Thanks > Mélanie At a high level… Matter is simply a common smart home language that allows Matter certified devices to be able to communicate with Matter certified ecosystems. The transports for Matter are currently Wi-Fi, Thread Mesh, and Bridge (other smart home protocols like Zigbee appear as Matter devices). In each ecosystem, you need two things in order to commission a Matter device; a commissioner and a controller. The commissioner is typically the smart home app for an ecosystem like the ST App, the Alexa app, Google Home app, etc. The controller is a smart home hub like a ST v2/v3/Aeotec/Appliance/ST Station hub, an Amazon Echo device, a Google Home hub etc. For Matter over Thread devices, there must be a Thread Border Router (TBR) that provides the communication path from the Thread mesh network to Wi-Fi. For ST, v3/Aeotec/Appliance/ST Station hub provides TBR functionality. So to use a Matter device in multi-admin mode in multiple ecosystems, you must have both the commissioner and the controller which means you need whatever hub/device provides that functionality in their ecosystem. You can’t use the commissioner from one ecosystem with the controller of another and vice versa. So you can’t use ST to commission a Matter device to a Google Home hub. ---
**Author:** ![melTr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/meltr/32/209026_2.png) [@melTr](https://community.smartthings.com/u/melTr)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 3:20am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/matter-hub/293389/4 "2025-01-10T03:20:29Z")
Thanks . Pretty clear, I didn’t see a so simple explanation before! @jkp : Canada. The 2 links gave me a price of ~250$CAD which I’m not sure I want to invest for that… ---
**Author:** ![h0ckeysk8er](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/h0ckeysk8er/32/195141_2.png) [@h0ckeysk8er](https://community.smartthings.com/u/h0ckeysk8er)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 3:24am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/matter-hub/293389/5 "2025-01-10T03:24:09Z")
> [@melTr](#): > > Thanks . Pretty clear, I didn’t see a so simple explanation before! > > @jkp : Canada. The 2 links gave me a price of ~250$CAD which I’m not sure I want to invest for that… If you don’t need Z-Wave support, the ST Station is a more cost-effective solution than a v3 or Aeotec hub. There is a brand new ST Station on eBay for $45 and others at prices slightly higher than that. It’s my only ST hub in one of my locations and my Matter-enabled hub in another which has a ST Wi-Fi hub that doesn’t support Matter. ---
**Author:** ![jkp](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/jkp/32/117130_2.png) [@jkp](https://community.smartthings.com/u/jkp)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2025, 3:57am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/matter-hub/293389/6 "2025-01-10T03:57:35Z")
200 CAD > **[SmartThings Hub | Aeotec Smart Home Hub | Aartech Canada](https://www.aartech.ca/smartthings-hub.html)** > > Powered by SmartThings, the Aeotec Smart Home Hub works with Alexa, Google, Zwave, Zigbee, Matter, WiFi and IP devices to make your home smarter. Buy at Aartech Canada. GP-AEOHUBV3US 180 CAD but currently sold out but you can get notified when in stock: > **[Aeotec Smart Home Hub (Works as a SmartThings Hub)](https://shophometechsolution.org/collections/aeotec/products/aeotec-smart-home-hub-works-as-a-smartthings-hub)** > > Now available in Canada! Turn any home into a smart home with the Aeotec Smart Home Hub, which works as a hub for Samsung SmartThings. This hub is compatible with thousands of Works With SmartThings devices, including your favorite Z-Wave... ---
**Author:** ![dayton45](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/91b2a8/32.png) [@dayton45](https://community.smartthings.com/u/dayton45)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 8:25pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/matter-hub/293389/7 "2025-01-13T20:25:53Z")
You can bid on a used V3 hub at [shopgoodwill.com](http://shopgoodwill.com). They usually go for a lot less than a new Aeotec hub. There is a small probability you might get a bad one, but it is worth the chance.