I purchased a few Eve Energy plugs after reading on their website that they can be used as extra routers on a thread network (FTD).
Per their website: " Mains-powered Thread accessories that are always on, such as Eve Energy, can act as Routers within your Thread network and relay data packets."
However, after adding them to HA, they don’t show up as additional routers, I still only have my HA showing.
Is there a different way to add them or pair them for them to show up and then add them as additional routers?
They will definitely strengthen the mesh. Border routers act as a bridge between the lan and the thread network. They serve a purpose where normal mesh routers cannot easily reach.
No, they serve as your point of interconnection with your Thread mesh network.
Border routers can not be used to extend a network further than a normal Thread router can.
A Thread network can not be broken up!
I have 6 border routers belonging to the same thread network, all connected to the lan. It is not like Zigbee where you can have only one coordinator. So what do you mean by not broken up?
A quote from the HA doc linked below (emphasis mine):
Unlike other protocols, Thread can use multiple border routers in a single network. This increases wireless coverage and reduces the risk of a single point of failure. Ideal for home automation, with a potentially large number of devices spread over a large area
And from Open Thread:
A Thread Border Router minimally supports the following functions: … Thread-over-infrastructure that merges Thread partitions over IP-based links.
It is somewhat true that the devices in separateThread partitions do not talk to each other over Thread, the Thread network merges the partitions at the application level.
That one is new to me. It was not there last time I scanned the site.
I wonder if it is all TBRs that support it or if it is lacking a clearer definition in the Matter protocol, so only OTBRs support it currently.
Thread networks have supported partitioning for some time, and it is TREL that (in theory) allows the partitions to be stitched back together by having TBRs in the different partitions connect to each other over a LAN. TREL has been around for a while too, I’m just no so sure it has matured yet. Having multiple TBRs has been known to cause problems, but it does work for some.
Anyone using Google Nest as Thread border router will likely have multiple because hubs and streamers are all border routers. I also have a Skyconnect and an ESP based Open Thread Border Router (though I turned off the last because updating it is a pain). I did as advised, namely have them all on the same Thread network. I have no trouble. For those with the Apple ecosystem things should not me much different I presume.
