Matter and Thread are two different technologies that works together to create a smart home networks. Matter is a communication protocol that allow smart home devices to communicate with one another. Thread is a networking protocol that makes data travels between those devices.
Matter handles the language that the devices use to communicate, and Thread creates the wireless connections for those devices. Together, these two technologies allows many different smart home device to work together in one network. Many older smart home use protocols such as Zigbee and Z-Wave to make devices work together.
How Matter and Thread Work Together in a Smart Home
Both of these protocols use a central hub to allow devices to communicate. If a person loses power to that central hub, all of the device will stop working. Thread technology uses a mesh network to allow devices to communicate.
With a mesh network, the devices can pass signals to one another on the network. If one device fails, the network will automatically route the signal through the other device on the network. This automatic rerouting allows the network to remain connected to the device.
Thread is a low-power protocol by design. Because of the need for devices to have long-lasting batteries, Thread allows for battery-powered devices such as locks and sensors to have long-lasting batteries. Devices on a Thread network are “sleepy endpoints.” These sleepy endpoints only become active when they needs to communicate with another device.
Because sleepy endpoints use less power when sleeping, there battery life can last for several years. Devices that are plugged into an outlet act as routers on the Thread protocol. As a person adds more devices that is plugged into an outlet, the Thread mesh network will become stronger.
Matter technology allows for a feature called “multi-admin.” This feature allows a person to use different platforms to control the same device. For instance, a person can use Apple Home to control a device, but they can use Google Home to control the same device. Matter allows for different ecosystem to coexist in the same smart home.
This protocol ensures that a person does not have to use the same app for all of they devices. Matter uses a universal language to communicate with all of its devices. To connect a Thread protocol to the internet, a border router is required.
A border router allows a Thread protocol to connect to the internet. Many device can act as a border router. Some of these devices include smart speaker and mesh Wi-Fi systems.
If a person does not purchase a border router for their smart home, then their devices will only be able to communicate with one another on the local network. Their devices will not be able to access the internet or the cloud. A border router is, therefore, an necessary component of a smart home that is using the Matter and Thread protocols.
When purchasing smart home devices for a home, ensure that they are certified for Matter and Thread. Some devices are “native” to Thread. This means that the devices will connect directly to the Thread mesh network.
Other devices will use a bridge to connect to the Thread protocol mesh network. Devices that are native to Thread are often the better technology for smart home. As the Matter standard evolves, there is more device types that are being included to the standard.
Matter’s version 1.0 included support for basic devices, such as smart light and locks. More recent versions of Matter include support for complex devices, such as vacuum cleaner, air purifiers, and washing machines. People will want to build the Thread mesh network for their smart home carefully.
One mistake that many people make is using too much battery-powered devices without enough devices that are plugged into the power outlet. If a person makes this mistake, the battery devices may stop working because they will not be able to communicate with the rest of the devices on the network. To avoid this, a person should of first purchase a border router for their network.
Then, they can purchase other devices that is plugged into the power outlet so that they can form the mesh network for the smart home devices. While the Thread protocol is excellent at sending small commands to smart devices in a smart home, it is not designed for tasks that requires high-bandwidth data communication. Tasks like video streaming require Wi-Fi in a smart home because Wi-Fi has high data speeds that allow people to stream video from one area of the smart home to another.
Thread does not have the same data speeds for streaming video.