Smart homes need a whole host of different device types, from robot cleaners to smart bulbs. But while one needs Wi-Fi, the other doesn’t, not really, which is where Thread comes in.
The wireless connectivity standard is key to making a Matter smart home seem truly functional. Because it is different to Wi-Fi, Thread makes smaller devices more connected, running on less power, with a longer range. It makes things like sensors and seem more responsive to Matter, but there is one thing that seems to hold people back from Thread:
Well, there is a strong chance that you’re being held back for nothing. Many Thread Border Routers are already available to buy, but you may have bought one without knowing it — and in one case, you might have bought one before it even became a Thread Border Router.
1. Amazon Echo Dot Max
Echo Dot Max
If you have the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) then you have a Thread Border Router already embedded in your home. While you might think of the device as a compact Alexa speaker, it is also the home for some advanced smart-home networking infrastructure.
Various other Amazon Echo devices also offer TBR functionality, including the larger Amazon Echo Studio. Other Amazon Echo hardware with Thread Border Router built in are:
So, you’re now free to add those Thread-compatible motion sensors to your smart home and integrate them with other Matter devices.
2. Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen, 128 GB)
Apple TV 4K (3rd gen, 128 GB)
Like Amazon, Apple has a number of devices hiding Thread Border Router functionality. One important caveat with this one, though. While the third-generation 128GB Wi-Fi plus Ethernet model supports Thread, the cheaper third-generation Wi-Fi-only model does not.
So, if you have the former, you have a Thread Border Router in your home, ready to be paired with compact sensors like the Eve Door and Window contact sensors.
Of course, Apple has other TBR-equipped devices:
Remember: don’t rush out and buy the Apple TV 4K on the strength of its Thread Border Router without being certain you’ve selected the right one.
3. Google TV Streamer (4K)
Google TV Streamer (4K)
Another entertainment device quietly doing smart-home infrastructure duty, the Google TV Streamer (4K) is one of the most popular devices in this list, and could be the solution to your Thread Border Router requirements.
While the Google TV Streamer (4K) is larger than an old-style Google Chromecast, it is still remarkably compact. Alongside Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Thread, it squeezes in 32GB of storage and 4K video. You could have been using it for months without realising that it could prove to be pivotal to your smart home’s growing functionality!
These other Google home devices are also hiding a TBR radio, enabling connectivity with motion sensors, occupancy sensors, air quality sensors, and more.
4. Samsung Smart TVs
Samsung Crystal UHD U8000F 4K Smart TV
Numerous Samsung TVs are equipped with Thread Border Router radios, which means they’re ready to use out of the box.
You could have been watching Netflix on your Thread Border Router, completely unaware of the fact that your TV could bring compact sensors into your smart home set up.
Samsung has form for this sort of integration. I discovered by chance that my own TV (a Samsung QE43Q60B) was hiding a Matter controller inside, along with Samsung SmartThings, and this became the primary hub for my smart home. It’s too old to have TBR, but plenty of other Samsung home entertainment devices have it enabled.
In addition, some Samsung monitors and soundbars are also Thread Border Routers.
5. IKEA Dirigera
DIRIGERA
Sitting on the shelves of your local IKEA, the Dirigera has been unifying Matter and Zigbee electronics from the Swedish home interiors giant for a couple of years now. You might have bought it as a Zigbee hub and used its Matter Bridge functionlaity. Hopefully you upgraded it to a Matter hub when that update was rolled out.
But did you know that the IKEA Dirigera is also hiding a Thread Border Router? Thanks to the interior chipset, the device came equipped with TBR, just as it did with full Matter support. Both features simply needed the right firmware updates to enable them.
IKEA’s selection of Thread-enabled hardware is growing, with lightbulbs and sensors offering the low-power connectivity. They’re all accessible via the IKEA Dirigera or any other suitable TBR you have (see above). But if you think you don’t already have a Thread Border Router, but you do have a Dirigera, it’s time to make the most of one of IKEA’s most compelling electronics products ever.
