I discovered I have two Thread networks at house, instead of only one to expand coverage. How can I merge them?
In order for them to be the same network, they all need to have the same dataset (credentials). Apple doesn’t let you modify Thread datasets, but the other routers in your list should.
If you make MyHome your “preferred network,” you should then have an option in the OpenThread router’s 3-dot menu to “add to preferred network”. I’m not as familiar with ST, but you might be able to import the new dataset file like you did before.
That said, you should know that having lots of TBRs isn’t necessarily a good thing. A better way to expand your network’s reach is to use powered repeater nodes, similar to Zigbee or Z-wave, instead of adding more border routers which can complicate the network routing tables and have caused issues.
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I have also 2 Networks.
Years ago I merged my Home Assistant Thread Network with AppleTV-Thread. Now there is the new Ikea Thread-Network after the Dirigera-Hub got its firmware update last year.
But I found no way to merge these 2 networks.
The Ikea app doesn’t even show that there is a Thread network, let alone an option to switch networks.
Did anybody know how to add IKEA’s OpenThread network to the HomeAssistant one?
As of July this year, the IKEA border routers no longer support the REST API needed for HA to set its credentials and join the preferred network. It’s not clear why IKEA took this feature away, or if it will ever come back. If both routers support Thread version 1.4 then there might be a way to enable a special credential-sharing feature, but I think that requires the vendor to provide a UI in their app, the way SmartThings has, and it sounds as if IKEA isn’t doing that yet.
The DIRIGERA will automatically join the preferred Thread network set in the phone the first time you add a Matter device to DIRIGERA.
It joined my SmartThings network before all this Thread 1.4 credential sharing (which currently nobody implements but ST) because I set it as preferred way back thanks to Home Assistant companion app.
This doesn’t seem to hold true anymore, just spent all afternoon trying to get DIRIGERA to join the HA preferred network to no avail.
As soon as you’ve added a Matter device using the IKEA app, DIRIGERA creates it’s credentials and seems to overwrite what Android has used so far, or Android prefers Thread v1.4 networks. When this happens you’re pretty much doomed if you want to use the HA network. Again, DIRIGERA never auto-joined the HA preferred network, I never got a (i) icon.
Edit:
As someone mentioned in a different thread, turning off the DIRIGERA hub will let Android add the matter device to the ha-network. That’s one way of using the ha-network instead of DIRIGERAs, not the greatest way though…