Interoperability: Thread uses standard IPv6 addressing and is built upon the IEEE 802.15.4 radio standard, promoting compatibility with existing smart home devices.Security: Thread incorporates end-to-end encryption and authentication protocols, ensuring secure communication between devices and protecting against unauthorized access.Scalability: Thread networks can support hundreds of devices, making it suitable for large-scale smart home installations and IoT applications.Low power consumption: Thread is designed for low-power devices, making it ideal for battery-operated smart home devices that need to conserve energy for extended periods.This also enables the network to self-heal and maintain connectivity even if one or more nodes fail. Mesh networking: Thread's mesh network architecture allows devices to communicate with each other, ensuring a more extensive and robust network coverage.With a Thread network, you get the following benefits: Thread uses the IPv6 addressing scheme and is built upon the IEEE 802.15.4 radio standard, which ensures a high level of compatibility with existing smart home devices. This allows the network to self-heal and maintain connectivity even if one or more nodes fail. Thread works by creating a mesh network where devices, known as “nodes,” communicate with each other to relay data across the network. Thread is a low-power, wireless IoT (Internet of Things) protocol designed to provide secure and reliable networking for smart home devices.ĭeveloped by the Thread Group, an industry consortium including companies like Google, Apple, and the CSA, Thread offers a mesh networking solution that enables smart devices to communicate seamlessly with each other, creating a more efficient and robust smart home ecosystem. I explain how the various device types operate within the mesh and review how Thread compares with other mesh networks like Zigbee and Z-Wave. In this article, I dive into what Thread is, and how it works. Coupled with Matter-over-Wifi for high-data-rate devices, you will soon be able to easily commission and control all of your devices seamlessly across platforms. Matter-over-Thread is a key element of this, designed for connecting low-power, low-data-rate applications together in a mesh network.

If you’re interested in smart home technology you will probably have heard about the Matter standard, which aims to unify the smart home ecosystem with a common application layer for devices.

Router application layer gateway