I’m looking to add Thread/Matter to my existing setup (Pi4 running HA, Sonoff Zigbee controller/Zigbee2MQTT, Zooz Z-wave controller) in order to try out Ikea’s new Matter switches. I have been doing a little bit of reading on Thread and Matter but I’m not sure which controller/hub would be best with my current setup.
It appears that a lot of these hubs include Zigbee and wifi radios, so would that interfere with my current Zigbee controller/network and/or wifi network (Pi is right next to my Wifi router)?
Secondly, is there a feature difference between different controllers? I saw the Aqara M100 as an inexpensive option, but I want to be sure it fully supports the feature of the BILRESA switches as I’d like to use the scroll wheels to control the brightness of my lights. Other options I saw were the Google Nest and Apple 4KTV, but I’d rather not use a Google product and don’t have any Apple products in the house. I don’t have a hard budget, but would of course prefer not to spend money that isn’t necessary
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Edit: ah I’m an idiot, it’s a zigbee + z-wave, not matter dongle! Derp. I added matter at the same time and mixed the two up.
I grabbed an Aeotec Z-Stick 10 Pro a few months ago, although I can’t run Matter over wifi (with my sole device that supports matter) since I can’t get an ipv6 address from my isp. But I figured it would be useful down the line as matter/thread gains popularity. I already had several Zigbee devices so future-proofing my setup. And I’m running ha off a proper server now, but that could change, so having less occupied usb ports is handy.I transferred my existing zigbee network to the new dongle and after some moderate troubleshooting (I have proxmox, VM passthrough, plus HA to deal with) I had it moved over and unplugged the old dongle, and everything continued to work.@wreckedcarzz @CmdrShepard49 Matter over wifi doesn’t seem related? I literally commissioned 2 LIFX Matter bulbs tonight. All I did was add the Matter integration and allowed it to also add the Matter Server app/add-on, and then hit “Add Device” in the app. It opened a prompt to scan the QR code for the bulb (after I connected phone to the correct network), and that was it. Dropped me back in HA in the screen to finish adding a new device (name/area) and that was it. Super painless.
And I absolutely don’t have any IPv6, I don’t even have it enabled on the LANs on the router side of things.
The only matter-compatable device that I have only works with ipv6/wifi, not thread, so I haven’t been able to learn how it works first-hand, unfortunately. I do wish they went with slightly different names for the network system, as it’s weird to have a product that is ‘matter compatable’ but ‘oh not your type of matter’ like, if they are catching geeky folk with this, it’s absolutely confusing traditional individuals.
I have the matter integration, but since I don’t have anything that can currently use it, it’s just empty right now.
@wreckedcarzz And I don’t have any Thread radio either, this was over wifi. The only Thread radio I tried to have is no longer supported by the current matter border router app, so I gave up on that idea entirely. I’ll just have to buy a second Sonoff Dongle-PMG24 if I want Thread, and flash it first, but so far the only things with Thread-only I’ve actually been eyeing aren’t truly Thread-only, like Ikea’s new remotes that have a secret Zigbee pairing mode.
Ooh, I’ve been thinking about getting some of their small ‘smart’ stuff they released a few months ago, just to poke at. Is it supposed to be straightforward to activate the zigbee mode in those? This is the first time I’m hearing this.
@wreckedcarzz It’s a little weird, but Zigbee2MQTT has a guide on it. Mind, I have not tested this out yet. I got put off by the fact the new two-button remote has an entire 1s latency to detect whether you double-clicked or not, plus triple-clicks or more are actually just…dropped. It literally doesn’t do ANYTHING with them, which is REALLY dumb.
The new wheels put me off because they don’t have any kind of divot. I’ve seen some people like them a whole lot but uh… Look, my fursona’s made of latex and I often have it involved with me IRL, and even aside that my finger tips are oft very dry, so either way my finger was slipping on the wheel kind of when I tried out one at IKEA at my last trip. I immediately abandoned both :<
Which is really frustrating! I quite like their Somrig despite the delay for the same reason as the new Bilresa remotes (but it’s only like 0.5s), as well especially the Rodret (no delay on click, can also be held/released, and with binding does brightness+on/off), and their last motion sensor, the one with the big wide disc for the sensor window, as well even the Symfonisk wheel remote.
Hell, I even have one of the Symfonisk player remotes that has the playback control buttons, mapped to controlling my ChromecastW/GTV stick OR to controlling Music Assistant playing back to my soundbar directly.
I gotta look at other remotes. I’d love more zigbee remotes that aren’t just on/off/brightness, 1/2/3/4, or some janky knob. Just…seems like there’s none and I don’t want to take time to DIY one that’ll just be half-assed as hell :<
You can get a PoE device that’ll do zigbee, thread, and more!
https://cloudfree.shop/product/smlight-slzb-mr-zigbee-thread/
That is amazing. I was planning on buying the Esp33-S3 - ESP32-H2 and trying to make an adapter board for PoE, but this will be much easier if I can buy it in the EU
Nice! I’ve been using a SLZB-MR1 for a while now and it’s been rock solid, just set and forget. I only use it for a single powered device though, so I’m not a great representation of using all its abilities. Good luck!
Home Assistant have their own device that can provide Thread.
Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2
It does ZigBee also bit you can only run one protocol at a time.
I bought one for yhe exact reason you stated; trying out IKEA stuff. My setup is similar also.
Good luck!
I’m running 2 Smlight SLZB-07 with one flashed for Zigbee and the other flashed for Thread, on the same nuc I also have a Zooz 800 Zwave adapter. I got the Thread usb adapter to use for some of the Ikea air quality monitors and it works well.
Matter devices should be able to use your current wifi if that’s their network. Otherwise it would use thread similar to Zigbee. I’ve only looked at the ZBT2 as a thread router for connectivity to home assistant so I don’t have a lot of experience here yet with thread but I’ve been using Zigbee for years. Yes thread or Zigbee can interfere with 2.4ghz wifi as they’re in the same band, but my experience is the opposite: wifi has a bigger effect on them then they do on wifi. Zigbee and thread are designed for low power devices so they’re easy to drown out.
I don’t know if there’s a feature difference but I don’t think there should be. I’ve used matter devices on my wifi with no issues and didn’t need a separate router, and when I pick up a thread device I’ll use a zbt2 as the hub.
commenting just to follow cuz i’m also interested. i also have Zigbee and ZWave, but it is starting to feel like Matter/Thread are the way forward
