Since firmware version 10.3.0, Homey Pro (Early 2023) has enabled its Thread radio. This article will briefly explain what Thread is and how you can connect a Matter over Thread device to Homey Pro.
What is Thread?
Thread is a networking technology that allows smart home devices to create a mesh network. It is a technology that determines how devices communicate. Thread is used by Matter, which is an application protocol. Matter determines what messages are sent by the devices. Matter needs Thread (or any other IPv6 networking technology like Wi-Fi or Ethernet) to send messages to a device.
💡A networking technology (like Thread or Wi-Fi) is like choosing how to communicate (speaking, writing). Application protocols (like Matter) are the specific 'words' and rules used in that communication method.
To make it a bit more complex, Bluetooth is used to configure a Matter device’s Thread or Wi-Fi network. By using Bluetooth, the keys of your Thread or Wi-Fi network are shared with the Matter device (the Thread keys are similar to a Wi-Fi network name and password). Once this is done, the Matter device will no longer use Bluetooth.
Each Thread network that is used for Matter should have at least one Thread Border Router. This is a special Thread device that makes it possible to communicate with a Thread device on the Thread network using Wi-Fi/Ethernet. This allows devices that don’t support Thread to communicate with the Thread devices via the Thread Border Router. Since firmware v10.3.0, Homey Pro (Early 2023) is a Thread Border Router.
💡 If you want to know the technical details of Thread and Thread Border Routers, refer to the Thread Group’s website.
Connecting a Thread device
Homey Pro only supports Thread devices that also use Matter. While adding a Matter device Homey Pro will automatically determine whether to connect the device to a Wi-Fi or Thread network. Refer to the article “Matter for Homey Pro (Early 2023)” on how to connect a Matter device.
💡Homey Pro firmware 10.3.0 is required to use Homey Pro's Thread network.
Selecting a Thread network
When connecting a Matter device using the Homey Mobile App you can choose between “Connect via Homey Pro” or “Connect via Android/iOS”. The differences between these two methods are explained below. Note that connecting a Matter over Thread device using the Homey Web App will automatically use “Connect via Homey Pro”.
Connect via Homey Pro
Using this connection method, Homey Pro itself will connect to the Matter device using Bluetooth and switch to Wi-Fi or Thread after the device has been connected to a Wi-Fi or Thread network. The Matter over Thread device will always connect to Homey Pro’s Thread network. Using the “Connect via Homey Pro” method is recommended for most users.
Keep the following things in mind when choosing this method to connect to a Matter device:
- Keep the Matter device near Homey Pro while connecting. Homey Pro will use its own Bluetooth antenna to make the initial connection to the device (once the device is added, this is no longer necessary, as the device will only communicate over Thread/Wi-Fi).
- A Matter over Thread device will always connect to Homey Pro’s Thread network.
- A Matter over Wi-Fi device will always connect to the same Wi-Fi network as Homey Pro.
- If Homey Pro is only connected over Ethernet, you will be asked to select a Wi-Fi network for the Matter device while it is being added. Make sure to choose a Wi-Fi network that uses the same LAN as Homey Pro.
Connect via Android/iOS
Using this connection method, the Homey Mobile App will connect to the Matter device using Bluetooth and hand over connecting the device to Homey Pro once the Matter device is connected to a Thread or Wi-Fi network. Use this method when:
- You want to connect a Matter over Thread device to an existing iOS/Android Thread Network.
- You want to create your first Android Thread network (see Thread Network Configuration on Android).
- You want to connect a Matter over Wi-Fi device, and you cannot place the Matter device near Homey Pro.
Keep the following things in mind when choosing this method to connect to a Matter device:
- Keep the Matter device near your mobile device while connecting. The Homey Mobile App will use the Bluetooth antenna of the mobile device to make the initial connection.
- A Matter over Thread device will connect to the Thread network configured on the device
- For iOS users, this requires you to have a Thread Border Router active in iOS. Currently, Homey Pro’s Thread network cannot be added to iOS. So, a third-party Thread Border Router (e.g. Apple HomePod) is required (read more on Apple’s support page).
- For Android users, refer to “Thread network configuration on Android” below.
- A Matter over Wi-Fi device will connect to the same Wi-Fi network as the mobile device is connected to.
- Make sure your mobile device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network or LAN as Homey Pro is connected to.
Thread Network Configuration On Android
On Android, Homey Pro’s Thread network will automatically be configured on the mobile device (this requires at least Homey Mobile App v7.6.1). But, this can only be done if no other Thread network was previously configured. Due to an Android limitation, it is not possible to change the Thread network configuration of the mobile device once a Thread network was configured.
To check which Thread network is being used while connecting a Matter over Thread device, open the Homey App and go to “More” → “Settings” → “Thread”. Here it will show which network is being used.
The table below describes the different fields in the Thread settings screen. The image on the left is an example of what you would see if no Thread network is configured on the device. The image on the right shows an example of what you would see if Homey Pro is configured as the Thread network on the Android device.
| Field | Description |
| Border Router | |
| Available | No: The Thread Border Router that is configured on the Android device could not be found on the network. Use the “Connect via Homey Pro” connection method for Matter over Thread devices. |
| Yes: The Thread Border Router that is configured on the Android device was found on the network. The “Connect via Android” connection method can be used to add Thread devices to the Thread Border Router’s network. | |
| Preferred Network | |
| Homey is preferred | Indicates if Homey Pro’s Thread network is used when the “Connect via Android'' connection method is used. If Homey is not preferred, another Thread network is used (e.g. Next Hub, Nest Hub Max etc.) |
| Name | The name of the configured Thread Network |
| Extended PAN ID | The unique identifier of the configured Thread Network |
💡 If you have multiple Homey Pro’s only one Homey Pro can be the preferred Thread network. The other Homey Pro’s will use the preferred Thread network when a Matter over Thread device is added using the “Connect using Android” method.
Thread & Zigbee
Because Thread and Zigbee share the same hardware on Homey Pro, it is important to know that if you reset your Zigbee network, the Thread network will also reset.
Because of the shared hardware, it is currently not possible to let Homey Pro join an existing Thread network (e.g. one created by Apple/Google Home), as this might conflict with Homey Pro’s Zigbee network.
