SmartThings, which is Samsung Electronics’s platform for connected living, has announced support for two-way Thread network unification across smart home ecosystems. This new feature allows SmartThings Hubs to join Thread networks that were set up by other brands, and also allows Border Routers from other brands to join Thread networks managed by SmartThings. The change is designed to make it easier for people to set up and manage their smart home devices. It is also expected to improve the way devices connect and work together in a home.
Thread is a type of mesh networking technology that is used by many smart home devices. It helps devices communicate with each other directly, which can make them more responsive and reliable. With Thread network unification, SmartThings Hubs and other compatible Border Routers combine to form a single, larger network. This network can cover more area in a home and can keep devices connected even if one part of the network goes offline. Data can find the quickest route between devices, which can improve performance.
Setting up and managing a smart home network can be confusing, especially if someone is using devices from several brands. The new “Manage Thread Network” menu in the SmartThings Hub app is meant to make this easier. Users can now choose to join an existing Thread network or let another brand’s Border Router join their SmartThings network. This is done either by using saved Thread credentials, scanning a QR code, or entering a one-time passcode. The setup process is guided and is designed to take only a few minutes.
Another benefit of this update is that it makes it easier to add or remove Border Routers from the network. People can see all the Border Routers connected across different brands in one place. If a Border Router is removed, the rest of the network will keep working, which helps with network stability. This flexibility can help prevent problems that used to happen when devices were split across different networks, such as devices not being able to talk to each other or losing connections.
For this feature to work, both SmartThings Hubs and Border Routers from other brands need to support Thread 1.4 credential sharing. At the start, this update will be available on certain SmartThings Hubs, including the Aeotec Smart Home Hub and the Aeotec Smart Home Hub 2. More hubs are expected to support this feature later. To use Thread network unification, users will need to update their SmartThings Hub firmware to version 0.58.x and use the latest version of the SmartThings mobile app on iOS or Android. Other brands may update their own devices to add Thread 1.4 support at different times.
SmartThings says that this step is part of its effort to give people more choice and flexibility when building a smart home. The company’s platform is used by millions of people in almost 200 countries and works with a wide range of devices, including phones, TVs, and home appliances. As a founding member of the Matter standard, SmartThings is working with other companies to make smart homes easier to use and more secure. For more details about the Thread network update or other SmartThings news, information is available on the Samsung SmartThings website.
View the original press release.
