Hi everyone, I’ve been diving into integrating Matter devices into my smart home setup, but I’m running into some challenges with existing Thread networks. Let me share my experience and see if anyone has a workaround or solution.
I’m using Home Assistant (HA) with a ZBT-1 Border Router, which I’ve successfully set up. The HA Border Router is configured as the preferred Thread network. However, there’s also a Google-0005 Thread network created by my Google TV Box during initial setup. I’ve tried a factory reset, but the Google Thread network remains active. It’s automatically recognized on my Android devices due to the same Google account, making it the preferred network.
When I try to add a new Matter device through the HA app, it connects via the Google Border Router instead of the HA one. While this works, I’d prefer it to connect directly through the HA Border Router, especially since the Google TV Box might be powered off at times.
I’ve attempted to deactivate the Google Thread network on the TV, but my Android devices still recognize it as preferred. This prevents me from syncing the HA Thread network through the HA app, resulting in errors. The only solution I’ve found so far is borrowing a foreign tablet, syncing it with the HA network, and adding the Matter device that way. It works, but it’s not ideal.
Has anyone found a better way to add Matter devices through their Android devices without relying on a foreign tablet? I’d love to hear your experiences and any tips you might have. Thanks in advance for your help!