Nanoleaf Essentials Won't Connect to SmartThings

[JDRoberts]

@h0ckeysk8er

@cheshbr041

I’ve had a gut full of Smartthings. I’m about to cease using my Smartthing hub because I spend countless hours doing the same thing, expecting a different outcome.
It’s a V3 hub and I’m on version 1.7.09.16.
I have two Ikea lights and an Ikea switch. Both have been working intermittently for a couple of years, but in the last week, I have had to reset the globes three times, and as I type this the lights are offline.
But the most annoying thing is trying to connect a new Matter compatible Nanoleaf Essentials globe. I have wasted hours and hours and hours on this, but I have now given up and will now unplug my Smartthings. The hours I spend on it are outrageous.
For those who want to know, my Essentials globe is operating under the Nanoleaf app, and Apple HomeKit. Setting those up was easy, but when I tried it with Smartthings, no dice. I see the dreaded “Something went wrong” message with the explanation that the globe wasn’t discoverable. When setting it up, I didn’t use the QR code that came with the globe because it was used in the Nanoleaf/Homekit setup. Instead I opened the settings behind the globe in HomeKit and clicked on “Turn on pairing mode” and noted the set-up code which I used in Smartthings. Shortly after it responds with Something went wrong, and that the device wasn’t discoverable, which contradicts HomeKit which said my device is in pairing mode.

Bah to Smartthings

Interoperability of Matter over Thread devices is hampered by the lack of a standard for how to share security keys. I can’t find it right now, but @JDRoberts did a big writeup on it several months ago. Hopefully he can share it here.

I think this is the post you were thinking of:

Matter - smart home connectivity standard (formerly Project CHIP)

So…while the latest version of thread established a vendor-neutral standard for thread border routers, theoretically making it possible for any thread certified device to join any existing thread network, it turns out that they didn’t require a standardization of the security method of locking the keys that let you join a network. And different platforms are using different security methods. That explains why people are reporting different results depending on which matter controller they start from. And why people are seeing multiple thread networks where, theoretically, there ought to be only one. The following is a very good explainer on this issue: @Automated_House

Basically right now where you start, can make a big difference, and in particular, if you add a device using an android phone, you need to continue to use android to add it to a different matter controller, and the same is true for iOS. Otherwise, they have a hard time sharing the security key. I don’t know if that applies in this case, though.