I bought some Matter light bulbs to try with the Habitat. Unlike Zigbee (the easiest in my opinion) and Z-Wave (next easiest), I found adding a Matter device to be quite the ordeal.
I bought some Orein bulbs to experiment with. In looking at the Habitat docs on setting up Matter devices, I noticed that you have to commission the device first with something like and Amazon Echo device. So I went into the Alexa app to add the Orein bulb which then directed me to fist set it up in the AiDot/Orein app. I did this, then I assume commissioned it in the Alexa app. Next I then added it to Hubitat. Confusion part was that I was somehow supposed to get a commissioning code from Alexa or the AiDot app....which I could never locate so I used the 11 digit code on the bulb itself which seem to work. So the net is a lot of steps to set this up and now the bulb can be controlled from Habitat, Alexa or the AiDot app. Not really an advantage, but not simple as Zigbee or Z-Wave.
Then I looked into how to factory reset the Matter bulb if I ever wanted to...seems like when you do this it creates a new "code" different from the one printed on the bulb.
I don't know, maybe I did not do this correctly, though it works, but now thinking about this, I am not sure what the advantage is to matter. Maybe some folks here can clear things up for me about adding the device, resetting the device and the advantage of Matter.
It's a little bit complicated right now, but will get easier in the future. There have been various posts in the community that the mobile app will support bluetooth commissioning of Matter devices. That is the missing thing in order to cut out the need to a different device to setup a Matter via WiFi device. Once the app is updated, Matter via WiFi will be able to directly connect with Hubitat without the need to go through a third party service. Matter via Thread will still need a third party since none of the Hubitat hubs are a Thread Boarder Router.
As for why Matter, just consider it another tool in the box to use. Matter provides local control like Zigbee and Zwave. It allows us as users to pick the best device for a job.
I have a few Orien bulbs. I thought it was fairly painless to pair them.
What I did, mostly as an experiement in Beta testing, was to pair the bulb with the AiDot app. The bulbs had a firmware update, so I applied that. I then factory reset the bulbs and removed them from the AiDot app. This was a completely optional step, but I wanted to be up-to-date on the firmware.
From there, I paired them in Alexa. There is a Add Device in one of the menus. I had to scan the code, and once I turned the bulb on, it paired automatically.
In Alexa app, the gear menu for the device it says something about "share device". That generates a code which I then used for Hubitat.
That is not correct from what I experienced. The bulb number stays the same. On the other hand, Alexa creates a new sharing code every time. The codes expire after (from memory) 15 minutes.
I don't know if there is any great advantage right now, other than that Matter protocol seems to be the way the industry is headed. I don't find it any easier or harder than pairing a Zigbee or Z-wave device, in general. It might be a tiny bit easier to share devices among many hubs/ecosystems, but if you stay within Hubitat and the Hubmesh sharing system, I don't think it was all that much quicker and easier to share Matter devices among my Hubitat hubs.
That has not been my experience with other Matter devices I've used (Nanolead Thread bulbs and lightstrips, some off-brand Wi-Fi bulb (I think also Orien?), an Eve Thread Motion Sensor, and likely some others I've tested and forgot about by now. This might the case if the device wasn't originally Matter and you applied a firmware update, as some manufacturers have offered for devices that are otherwise capable (many of which might have a HomeKit code you can't use, no Matter code at all, and a software-generated one that might change if you fully reset the device -- haven't run into that but wouldn't be surprising).
The pairing code you use to add the device to other systems will be different every time and different from the original code on the device. Check out the documentation if you haven't already. But yes, it can be a bit complicated now, and hopefully will get easier if/when Hubitat allows commissioning of Matter devices itself directly (the main issue now and why you need to get it on your Thread or Wi-Fi network by commissioning it with something that can now first).
I've read comments that Apple got a head start via Homekit and that has made their experience a bit better. That is certainly true in my case. I have Apple, Google Home and Amazon Echo's throughout the house but I went immediately to Apple to try out Matter for the first time. Pairing the new bulb was quite simple to Apple's Home App. Finding the pairing code to type into Hubitat wasn't as easy since it's a new field and it wasn't possible to ever encounter it before the first Matter device. Now it's easy, tap on the device, tap the gear icon, scroll to the bottom.
I do notice that tapping Enter Pairing Mode will give a different pairing code with each tap. I assume only the most recent is applicable, but I haven't tested that. I've only got the two Bulbs that I purchased just to test Matter but for me, after discounting the learning curve, it's been easier than Lifx
Yes, and they are only "active" (i.e., the device is only in pairing mode) for a set amount of time, I think something like 15 minutes for Home (probably not remembering that exactly right...) and likely different for other systems.
This is also where one now has more options with Matter being integrated into Hubitat. For my basement, I went with Matter devices rather than a second Hubitat and Hub Mesh. I already have an access point down there and a couple of thread boarder routers. Since everything is on the same LAN, it was fairly easy for me to use Matter and only maintain one Hubitat.
For owners with long-time, established Hubitat systems, adding Matter may not be that big of a deal. For the newer owners who are just starting out, it provides a wider range of options when designing one's home.
Well... that's longer than the screen timeout on my phone and if I let it, I have to tap Enter Pairing Mode again, so in my case they last a lot less
If I pair the Bulb to Apple Home and then tap the resulting device to test, then tap the gear, tap Enter Pairing Mode I don't have Hubitat ready So I put the phone down, traverse Hubitat to where the pairing code gets typed and... the phone is blank, and I have to wake it and tap Enter Pairing Mode again. NOW I'm ready to go First world problems, huh?
I have set up 3 Kasa Matter switches and 4 Kasa Matter plugs in google and hubitat and its been painless. Only thing was the plugs needed a firmware update first.
Commission in Google home (My pixel phone pops a notification as soon as I power up a new uncomissioned matter device)
Create share code via google home
Add matter device in hubitat with share code...Done
This may not be totally relevant but I have just bought an Onvis thread/matter plug and it paired like a dream to Google Home (via Nest Hub Max). Also it supports a few watts more output than the Tapo P100M
Thanks folks for all the info. So couple of questions. Is commissioning simple the process of adding it to the network? Second, can sharing codes be created so a Matter device can then be controlled from multiple different hubs, e.g. can the same Matter device be added then controlled by the app, Alexa/Echo, Apple, Google, etc.? Next, if I remove the device from the AiDot app, will it still then work with Echo and Hubitat? Finally, if you reset the device is it like Zigbee where you just turn it on and off rapidly like 10 times or so to get it to reset and once reset, does it have to be commissioned again?
I can answer this one related to Hubitat Hubs... Yes, you can. I added a Matter Bulb to Apple Home, then got a pairing code and added it to my Development hub. Then I got another pairing code and added it to one of my production hubs. Everything can control (and status) the bulb, both Hubitat hubs and Apple.
I have discovered one advantage to Matter. If I have two systems that don't have an integration I want, sharing a matter plug between them means I can turn it on in one system and detect the turning on in another system to trigger an automation. Pity they don't have matter-compliant virtual switches.
You can also add the Matter device to one hub, and then use Hub Mesh to share between hubs. I find Hub Mesh is a simpler/easier way to share Matter devices across hubs than adding to additional hubs using Matter.
I bought some matter devices. But changed my network around and got a new router and half of my bulbs lost connect. Not all though just some. And I have never been able to get them set back up. I bought them cheap to play around with matter. That could be the issue. But I also bought cheap zigbee devices and they run perfectly.
I am up to 16 matter over wifi devices with more on the way. Its been flawless so far..
What did you do to your network? Did you factory reset your devices before trying to add them again? Did you have IP reservations set up in your old router?
I had a nest WiFi pro in nat mode. But put it in bridge mode to use my mikrotik router as my main router. My switched died recently and I replaced it. Now stuff seems to be connected but now if I go on Google home or hubitat my lights work flawless. But in Alexa some are showing offline. I thought the beauty of matter was being able to work with it all. I have zigbee and zwave devices that have worked for years. Now when I do automations. My dining room light may come on when I enter. Or maybe one or two lights will work but not the rest. Or they just don't work at all. It is frustrating. But frustrates the wife more lol. One work around was making virtual switches that trigger the lights seem hubitat connects to them. But sometimes even hubitat doesn't see them online. It could just be the cheap bulbs though.
I consider all these devices to be beta releases. I have some Third Reality Matter devices. They originally had a lot of performance issues. Was it WiFi or Matter itself? I think a combination. But they've been pretty good about releasing new firmware. After a couple of months they're all now working about as well as any other device. So my advice would be to make sure you are checking for firmware upgrades. You will probably need to use the manufacturer's app to do it.
