Added third-party thread network, but it doesn't work properly

Configuration Matter/Thread
1

Added third-party thread network, but it doesn’t work properly.
I add third party thread network via Add dataset from TLV
Then perform the following steps:

  1. Set new network as preferred.
  2. set "used for Android+ IOS credentials.
  3. Settings > Troubleshooting > Sync Thread credentials repeats messages.

The result of adding a third-party thread network is as shown below. It seems that it was added successfully.

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after everything is done
When using matter server to add matter over thread devices, I got stuck in checking the network.

And the network that finally reported the error was not the thread network I added.

It seemed that the network I added was not used, so I performed the following operations:

  1. Uninstall the Google paly update service, clear the cache, and then reinstall the paly service.
  2. Uninstall Google home and reinstall it
  3. Refresh the HA image to make sure everything is new
  4. Add dataset from TLV
  5. Set new network as preferred.
  6. Set "used for Android+ IOS credentials.
  7. Settings > Troubleshooting > Sync Thread credentials repeats messages.

After doing all this, re-add the matter over thread device. Unfortunately, we are still stuck at the step of checking the network.
I want to know the reason for this problem. Is there any missing configuration? I hope someone can help me?

2

It makes more sense to add al the thread networks into one big thread network.

Thread is a little bit like Zigbee, the more routers you have, the stronger the mesh.

3

This is true, but I want to verify this otbr alone to exclude interference from other networks. In theory I should be able to add it through Home Assistant

4

I tried again to use HA to access the third-party thread network, and made some new discoveries:

  • if the cache of the Google play service is not cleared,and you do not need to wait too long when adding a matter over thread device, a thread network error will be prompted. You can find that the thread network number displayed in the error message is not the same as the third-party network I added.

  • After ensuring that all the environment is clean, when I add the matter over thread device, I find that there will not be the previous thread network error, but it will always be stuck at checking the network.

  • In the same process, the external dongle is replaced to create a thread network. Everything is normal and thread devices can be added.The difference between them is that the external dongle only acts as an RCP. It has a USB physical connection with the HA. The openthread protocol stack is on the HA, and the HA has absolute control.

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  • Correspondingly, the third-party thread network is a device separate from HA, and it is not the same host as HA.

I have some speculations:
Different platforms otbr cannot simply be shared. For example, you have a Google speaker at home that does not support thread, but you have a homepod that can be used as an otbr. If you want to use Google to use Apple’s otbr to add a thread device, I think it should not be simple. If anyone has implemented this, you can post it below Comment.
Similarly, the third-party thread network I added to HA cannot be used directly by HA. HA and the third-party device are under two different hosts. They can only communicate with each other through the LAN, so the question becomes, can HA use otbr on other hosts?

5

This answer Can't add OTBR credentials on HA - #4 by francisp solved my problem, I should not add directly through Add dataset from TLV, but through OpenThread Border Router integration

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