Since each vendor creates it's own Thread network, I ended up with 3 differents one in my house. I did not like having to rely on big cloud names and chineese white label, so I decided to build my own. After fiddling a while with OTBR, HA and Docker, I finaly had my TBR up and running. The rest was easy I thought: just delete devices from the current network and commission them on the new one.
Not so fast. You need an app and bluetooth for that. OK, on mobile phone HA, Google and others has one. But it appears each have their prefered network. I tried 4 different mobile devices. Each one wanted to commission the devices on their prefered network and did not offer any choice. One mobile even tried to commission on a nonexistent Thread network. I tried every solution I could find on the internet to no avail.
After hours lost and so many frustating attempts, I decided to do away with those mobile app and go the desktop way. I pluged a bluetooth dongle on the machine running the TBR and configured Matter to use it has it's commissioning device. Then I fired up the OTBR web inteface, entered manually the credentials from my Thread network and start the commisionning process. It finally worked.
In conclusion how could this be labeled as the no brainer universal solution. It may work with Wifi but Thread is a nightmare. I think Hubitat was wise to steer clear of this support trap.
LOL, I approve the above message. TBF i dont think zwave hit its stride till several revisions into the 700 series. Took them 15 - 20 yrs to get there so we’ll all probably be complaining about matter/thread till around 6.5 and then they will introduce yet another IoT protocol to unify all the things.
This isn't true as it very much depends on initial phone and devices one uses. I've had the same shared network between Apple and Google since setting up the devices on my iPhone. I recently was able to easily merge Smartthings into them as well with their recent upgrades in late 2025.
Thread is very much dependent on the devices available to someone and how they initially set things up. Folks using Home Assistant are way outside the norm. Personally, I look forward to Hubitat eventually having a thread radio (my wish with no future knowledge) so that it can play nicer with my Matter via Thread devices.
I understand that, but building your own network puts you so far out of the norm with the intention of Matter and Thread. Your personal experience is true, but I provided a counterpoint that is more likely to be the case for the masses. For sometime now, I've 2 Apple TVs, 3 Nest WiFi Pros, and 3 Google Nest Hub Maxes sharing the same thread network with zero manual involvement by me. It just happened. For the holidays, I got a new Samsung TV and their Smarthings Hub 4 to play with. With a couple of clicks in the Smartthings app, I was able to get both Smartthings Thread Board Routers to be connected to the main thread network in my house.
