SHS and 3rd Party Thread Boarder Router (like Open TBR)

vlans have their own broadcast domains, so mdns which is used many times to find devices does not traverse vlans by design. its not a wrong vlan design. btw to overcome this with remote locations, i am configuring mikrotik eoip tunnel , so streched vlan over internet (azure to onprem), not easy btw.

an then thread, maybe its the rumoured homey bridge update ‘zoney’, with thread who knows…..

and if you are in a hurry, buy a homey-mini (it has thread) and link it with shs using homeylink.

or use a ha with thread radio dongle and link that to shs using ha app. (i am looking to that route)

No, but people often set up VLAN’s and have no idea what they’re doing. Then come asking here why Homey can’t find their devices, often leaving out that their devices live in a VLAN, and community members spend a lot of time on trying to fix the issue only to find out after days of going back and forth that OP is using a VLAN :man_shrugging:t3:

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Totally agree with @robertklep. I come from a 2019 Homey Pro and migrated to Homey SHS in the past weeks. The docker setup on Synology was easy, just like the manual that Athom provides. But after that first setup, it’s my responsibility if something using my own hardware isn’t working.

So I have a lot of issues adding Matter over thread devices, using my Google Nest Hub as TBR. At first I was frustrated, because during the setup process Homey SHS seemed to be the culprit. Once you dig into it further, you quickly discover that your own systems are actually the source of the problem. Matter is using my hardware and my network, not the Homey Bridge’s.

But figuring out how to get it working is exactly the challenge that makes me enjoy self-hosting these kinds of setups. It helps me better understand my own systems and how to use them to their full potential. But you should be willing to invest the time and effort.

For what I know now, thread is being blocked by my Docker setup. My Docker setup, so it’s my responsibility. Challenge accepted.

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And finally, it’s working! This is what I did:

Getting my Google Nest Hub (2nd generation) to talk to Homey for commissioning devices was a giant PITA. Multiple evenings of tweaking network, Docker, and DSM settings still weren’t enough to get it working.

Eventually, I bought a Sonoff Dongle Max and installed OpenThread Border Router as a Docker container. The Sonoff Dongle Max is connected via TCP using a USB bridge and is running in Thread RCP mode.

To allow OTBR to join the Nest Hub’s Thread network, I installed Home Assistant solely to export the Thread credentials. Using these credentials, I let OTBR join the Google Thread network. Now, when I commission a new Matter-over-Thread device using the Google Home app, I can share this commissioned device (multi-admin) with Homey.

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The only remaining bug is the Thread menu in Homey’s settings. Opening it still results in an error that I can’t explain. It looks like an SHS issue.

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I have the same message, running SHS on Proxmox.

I also suppose it’s a SHS bug.

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I started with SHS 2 days ago.

I can confirm that Matter does indeed work but initially it was a bit counterintuitive (to me at least) to get devices added. I suppose that it does now make sense, there were hints along the way as to what to do, but sometimes understanding comes slowly at an advanced age :slight_smile:

Nothing worked until I decided to add my Samsung A56 as a Matter device to SHS. Prior, any attempt using the Android app to add a Matter device would result in Connecting to …. followed by Can’t Find errors. Once my phone was in SHS as a Matter device, pairing worked fine.

I come from a prior abandoned HA setup (fed up with tinkering), and most of my devices run Tasmota. Attempts to add them to SHS as Tasmota devices failed, the Tasmota app kept crashing, likely because of too many devices ((adding 2 worked, adding more at one time failed).

Moving to Matter, I flashed an ESP32 S2 with Tasmota 15 and added it to SHS using the phone app. Then added older non-Matter Tasmotas to the ESP32 and magically they show up in SHS.

Once Ikea releases their new Matter-Thread devices in Canada, then I will try out Thread. I have 5 Echo Dot 4th Gen so Thread is present in the house already.

Then I will pay for a lifetime license, in the meantime it will be monthly after the trial period.

Gerrit

Could you please elaborate what you meant by adding Samsung A56 as Matter device to SHS?

Samsung A56 is an Android smart phone. It was already connected to SHS via the Homey App.

In Homey: Best done with 2 Homey apps, one on a phone, one on a tablet.

  1. Go to Devices/Homey Matter Bridge and medium long press.
  2. Click on the gear in top right, go to Advanced Settings and click on Share Matter Device
  3. A QR code will come up.
  4. In the Homey app on your phone, Add a Device, adn select Homey Matter Bridge.
  5. Scan the QR code on the other device, a Get Ready screen comes up. Click I’m Ready
  6. It will search, create credentials and connect the device.
  7. Click Done, you will get told it is an Uncertified Matter Devcie.
  8. Click Add Anyway.

You will now have your device, in my case A56, in the Devices list twice, once as WiFi, once as a Matter Device.

You can now use your Homey app on that device to add other Matter devices

Could you please explain how to connect the OTBR to homey shs?

There’s essentially no setup needed on the Homey side of things. You need to;

  1. Set up the OTBR
  2. Make sure your phone has it as it’s preferred Thread Network
  3. Connect a Matter devices

That’s it

Ok thanks. I will give it a try.

In this setup, what will you use for commissioning devices?

Your mobile phone with the Homey app installed