I currently have a Samsung SmartThings hub V2, and everything works well (well enough anyway). However, I’d like to add some new products that are Matter over Thread, which require a Thread Border Router, which I do not have. My understanding is that the V3 (and Aeotec V3) both solved this problem - but both are sold out and seemingly impossible to find now. This is most likely due to the announcement and imminent release of the V4. While the V4 solves my TBR issues, it looks like Zwave support has been dropped, which is deal-breaker for my current setup. So what are my best options to add a TBR to my current setup? The newest gen Echos don’t have it anymore, and finding a 4th gen is getting difficult too. Am I able to add a GL-S20 to my existing setup? I doubt it’s plug and play, but how difficult would this process be (if possible at all)? I doubt at this point anyone has a definitive answer, but would I be able to buy the V4 and add a Zwave dongle? Finally, I’ve looked at HA, but really don’t want to get a bunch of new equipment for a new ecosystem - wife and I are happy with our Smartthings setup. Surely there’s a doable answer out there that I’m hoping this great community can help me with.
As long as you can get the Thread Network Key that your V2 hub will ask for when adding Matter over Thread devices, any Thread Border Router should work, including the GL-S20 you mention (in fact I guess in this one will be easier to get the key). However, that’s the theory, I’ve not used it.
Another option is adding the Matter over Thread device to another smart home platform and “share it” (Matter multi-admin) to SmartThings (then you don’t need the Network Key and can even remove it from the initial platform later). Even the 20€ Aqara M100 hub would do in that case, although the price comes with some limitations regarding number of devices it can handle, but it was just an example of cheap device.
Earlier this year I was using V2 hubs and I elected to try out a GL-S20 as a TBR. Did it work with ST? Yes, although ST never seemed to remember the network key. Once paired it was fine, but pairing was a real chore although much better on Galaxy devices. Sometimes it paired first time. Sometimes it could take dozens upon dozens of attempts. Did it work with Google? Not for the initial pairing as it never asked for the network key, but it did work with multi-admin as long as two phones were being used. It was as unconvincing as with SmartThings though. Things actually deteriorated though to the extent pairing became impossible and it was that point that I changed to using V3 hubs.
I still have the GL-S20 and the V2 hubs and I’ve been wanting to revisit them to see how things are now as the GL-S20 has had upgrades that I suspect could be particularly significant and beneficial. Both the SmartThings and Google apps seem to have improved too, Unfortunately the only reasonably priced Thread devices I have been able to source have been the Onvis S4 and the last ones I bought turned out to be old stock with older firmware that is known to need upgrading, and until I know ST or Google can upgrade them those are no good to me. So I am a little stymied at the moment.
If it does work, then I currently consider the idea of the V2 hubs and the GL-S20, or a.n.other third-party TBR, to be preferable to using V3 hubs as the only way to get the V3 hubs on the same thread network is to use a hub group, and I really don’t like the hub groups. Also I’ve never had ST ask me which thread network to use when installing on a V3 hub. It has always assumed it is the native network.
Update: Actually this wasn’t even close to ‘Earlier this year’. I purchased my GL-S20 in July last year and the first of my V3 hubs in October last year. So there has been plenty of time for things to improve.
So let’s say I grab one of those M100s, which seems to be capped at 20 thread devices. Can I use this to add a thread device, “share it” to SmartThings, and then remove it from the M100, thus avoiding hitting the 20 device cap?
I really wish I could get a V3 hub - it seems the simplest solution, but c’est la vie. If a M100 or an M3 would work, I may do that. All the stuff I’ve read on the GL-S20 is all over the place - everything from “works perfect” to “doesn’t work at all” and everything in between.
$249 for a hub… ouch!
Yes, I actually saw that when I mentioned they were getting difficult to find. I’m just finding it hard to drop $250 on an eBay hub, when there are most likely much cheaper alternatives, albeit slightly less elegant. But yes, it exists and your point stands. I’ll be more careful with my last two wishes…
still available on uk Amazon for £85. However uk version wouldn’t support USA zwave frequencies I believe.
Yeah lack of Zwave is a dealbreaker for me/my current setup. Hopefully I get some clarity on how I mentioned using the M100, or another helpful community user comes along - surely I can’t be the only one in this situation (V2 hub looking for a TBR)
When you try to add a Matter over Thread device to a V2 it will present you with a list of available TBR on your network and need to select one.
Another option is to pair the device with the TBR’s app then share it with ST via Matter.
I don’t know how Aqara enforces the limit, the M100 was just an example but is probably easy to outgrow. If you plan to add many Thread devices get a better TBR, I would even go for one with Ethernet port to avoid making Thread dependent on WiFi too.
There are many options as discussed before since any TBR should work in theory, either directly in SmartThings with the Network Key or through Matter sharing. We’ve even seen other users with those cheap Tuya Matter over Thread hubs being used in SmartThings.
It looks like I’m going to order either the Aquara M3 hub or experiment with the GL-S20. Does anyone know if the Blindsmart or Moes hub would work as a TBR? (These came up when I looked for the above mentioned Tuya hub) Their descriptions mention Matter and Thread support, but neither actually say Thread Border Router. If anyone knows definitively, this might be my choice instead of the Aquara M3. Also thanks to those providing their experience and guidance
Well Moes may be my first choice to experiment with. Now I have to decide if I order from Moes for $75 or gamble on the AliExpress Moes for $20 lol
Is the Blindsmart hub on Amazon for $50 the same thing?
I got my Moe’s hub on AliExpress but it was before all the new tariffs.
The newest Echo Shows and the very new Echo Hub are all thread border routers. and the newest echo without a screen (4th gen) also has it. The charcoal is sold out a lot of places, but the white one is still widely available.
>What is a Thread border router and which Echo and eero devices work as Thread border routers?
>Thread border routers are required for devices that use Thread to talk to other non-Thread devices, and be controlled by voice assistants, like Alexa. Select Echo and eero devices have Thread border routers built in: Echo (4th Gen), Echo Show 21, Echo Show 15 (2nd Gen), Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen), Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen), Echo Hub, Echo Studio (2nd Gen), Echo Studio (1st Gen), Echo Plus (2nd Gen), eero Pro 6E, eero Pro 6, eero 6+, eero 6, eero PoE 6, eero PoE gateway, eero Pro, eero Beacon, and eero Max 7 have built-in Thread border routers.
Having discovered a Nanoleaf Essentials bulb for £4.99 on Amazon I decided that might fill my vacancy for a Matter over Thread test device, and also scratch an itch as until now I’ve not had any colour smart bulbs (or indeed any smart bulbs at all).
To cut a long story short, after hours trying to install the bulb on a V2 hub with a GL-S20 as the TBR, during which I amassed a goodly collection of different error codes at the final registering stage, I was at the point of giving up. As a last resort I upgraded the firmware on the GL-S20 to the 2.0.1 beta. The only difference between this and the 2.0.0 stable I was using is said to be that it has the OpenThread REST API which is apparently needed for working with Home Assistant. Somewhat to my surprise the pairing then worked first time and the bulb seems to be working. The mobile app UI doesn’t seem particularly stable but it never has when I’ve played with virtual bulbs so I can’t read anything into that. This could just be a coincidence but I’ll give it a rest for the moment.
My test environment is on a double NATted network segment that doesn’t currently have a Google device on it, so I wasn’t surprised when an attempt to do the first install on Google Home didn’t work (it was just sitting on a page claiming to test access to my Wi-Fi network). What did surprise me is that Google Home just leapt into action without requiring me to scan the QR code. That seemed a little presumptious.
SmartThings prompted me for the network key for the GL-S20 Thread network every time. Curiously if the network key was on the clipboard the first one or two attempts to paste it were always truncated, which is odd. There wasn’t any obvious difference in the behaviour of SmartThings when the network key was wrong. Perhaps the error code was different but nothing otherwise.
Note : you can currently get 9 pack of these (bayonet cap) for £28.01which works out at £3.11 each excluding postage. Great at this price. E27 out of stock, I’ve bought the e27 variety when they’re reduced.
I ordered the Moes hub from AliExpress for $20. Just got it yesterday (took about 1 1/2 weeks). Will plug it in and try it out tonight. Already have some of those exact Nanoleaf bulbs that I picked up on clearance at Home Depot several months ago so they’ll be my test subjects. I’ll post results when I have some.