Hi, The new matter/Thread Ikea range look great value. I don’t have any Thread devices in my HA network currently. So I could either buy the ZBT-2 for £40 or the Ikea DIRIGERA for about £60. Any for/against advice for going one versus the other? The benefits for DIRIGERA seem to be easy integration with Alexa directly for voice control, but then all the new thread devices still show up in home assistant for automations etc, and (I think) anu future matter/thread devices I buy from other manufactures could be added to home assistant given the DIRIGERA would be the matter router. Right or wrong? Vs ZBT-2- cheaper obviously, but I wouldn’t get alexa voice control as I don’t have that configured for home assistant. I think the DIRIGERA supports zigbee and Thread too, while ZBT-2 has to be configured for one or the other. So all this seems to be saying ‘get the DIRIGERA’ but Input appreciated!
If you have an Alexa Matter hub device, then I would go with a ZBT-2 and then join the Alexa Matter Hub device with the HA Matter fabric.
The HA integration Matter Bridge can then be used to make other devices in HA available to Alexa as Matter devices, even though they are not a Matter device from the start, and this setup will mean you do not have to open ports in the router/firewall to allow Alexa to control devices in HA.
Hi WallyR. Thanks! I don’t have an alexa matter hub. I just have old Alexas that I use to control various hue lights etc via the hue bridge/alexahue skill. But I then also control hue lights via HA (not voice) and integrate with automations, etc. My thinking was get the Dirgera then use the ikea alexa skill if I want to voice control those devices. But then that dirgera hub/bridge connected to home assistant would also give me a a way to add non-ikea matter devices to my HA system in future? Am I getting something fundamentally wrong here?
Matter is a industry standard, so if you have a Hub (HA ZBT-2, Ikea Dirigera, Apple HomePod 2 or other Apple Matter hub, Google, Samsung or whatever else there comes up of Matter hubs), then they will all accept Certified Matter devices from other manufacturer.
Hi. I get that matter is a standard. But earlier you said ‘ If you have an Alexa Matter hub device, then I would go with a ZBT-2 and then join the Alexa Matter Hub device with the HA Matter fabric’. So that said get the zbt -2 even if I had an existing matter hub. My question is more about best way to add a matter network to HA and integrate with Alexa voice as well. I think I can connect the dirigera hub to HA and HA would then see all the matter devices. Right? So why would I need the zbt-2 as well? Thanks for your replies so far
So… you’ve several options to get HA devices/entities into Alexa’s ecosystem, but the top 3 for ease-of-use will be -
- Nabu Casa Subscription (low cost and easiest setup)
- Home-Assistant-Matter-Hub App (free and requires a little more setup)
- Matterbridge Home Assistant App (free and requires a bit more setup)
There’s also a method for building your own Custom Alexa Skill, but it’s way more advanced, requiring a lot more setup.
Moving on, I’d go with the ZBT-2. I have a ZBT-1 (SkyConnect) and it’s worked flawlessly for me. I’m not sure what all Dirgera has to offer as a smart home hub, but what I do know is that when I got started with HA, the more I got used to it, the more it became the centralized controller for my smart home. YMMV
I think you are right.
You should be able to just get a Matter hub and then install the Matter hub addon in HA to join them.
I do not know how the integrations with the other ecosystems works though, but you idea sounds sound. 
Thanks. I think your suggestions 2&3 asume I have an amazon echo which has a built in matter controller. I currently have the older models. It may be best thing I need to do is get a newer one so I have that matter controller. I understood the the ZBT-2 is not a standalone matter controller, rather it operates as a Thread border router. So I’d still need a matter controller if so? Are you saying best way to ensure everything is voice controllerable via alexa is use an echo as the matter controller, then ensure all smart home devices are presented to it as matter devices, which would require ZB-2 and matter bridge home assistant app?
Yea, you would need at least one echo in your ecosystem to be a matter controller. The earliest echo device that is compatible is the Echo Dot Gen 4 (October 2020), which is considered old now, lol.
Yes, the ZBT-2 would operate as a thread border router OR a zigbee controller, your pick. In any case, if you did get at least one echo in your setup with matter capability, using one of the aforementioned options shared above, you would be able to add any device setup with Home Assistant to work with Alexa voice.