Thread
DeveloperThread Group
IntrodateJuly 15, 2014[1]
IndustryHome automation

Thread is an IPv6-based, low-power mesh networking technology for Internet of things (IoT) products.[2] Often used as a transport for the home automation connectivity standard Matter (the combination being known as Matter over Thread), the protocol has seen increased use for connecting low-power and battery-operated smart-home devices.[3]

Organization

In July 2014, the Thread Group alliance was formed as an industry group to develop, maintain and drive adoption of Thread as an industry networking standard for IoT applications.[4] Thread Group provides certification for components and products to ensure adherence to the spec. Initial members were ARM Holdings, Big Ass Solutions, NXP Semiconductors/Freescale, Google-subsidiary Nest Labs, OSRAM, Samsung, Silicon Labs, Somfy, Tyco International, Qualcomm, and the Yale lock company. In August 2018, Apple joined the group,[5] and released its first Thread product, the HomePod Mini, in late 2020.[6]

The Thread protocol specification is available at no cost. It requires agreement and continued adherence to an end-user license agreement (EULA), which states "Membership in Thread Group is necessary to implement, practice, and ship Thread technology and Thread Group specifications."[7]

Characteristics

Thread uses IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Networks (6LoWPAN), which, in turn, uses LR-WPAN as defined by the IEEE 802.15.4 wireless protocol with mesh communication (in the 2.4 GHz spectrum), as do Zigbee and other systems. However, Thread is IP-addressable, with cloud access and AES encryption. A BSD-licensed open-source implementation of Thread called OpenThread is available from and managed by Google.[8]

The OpenThread network simulator, a part of the OpenThread implementation, simulates Thread networks using OpenThread POSIX instances.[9] The simulator utilises discrete-event simulation and allows for visualisation of communications through a web interface.[relevance?][10]

Use cases

In 2019, the Connected Home over IP (CHIP) project, subsequently renamed to Matter, led by the Zigbee Alliance, now the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), Google, Amazon, and Apple, announced a broad collaboration to create a royalty-free standard and open-source code base to promote interoperability in home connectivity, leveraging Thread, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth Low Energy.[11][12]

Border routers

A Thread border router is a device that provides bidirectional Internet Protocol connectivity between a Thread network and another physical network, such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet. It enables communication between Thread devices and other local networks or the Internet. A Thread network is a low-power mesh network using the IEEE 802.15.4 protocol in the 2.4 GHz ISM radio band, and a border router translates between such a network another physical network, allows for service discovery across network boundaries, and enables external commissioning of Thread devices. Without a border router, Thread devices would be isolated from other networks and the Internet.[13]

Devices that function as Thread border routers
CompanyDevice nameRelease yearAvailability
Amazon[14]Echo20204th generation and newer
Echo Hub2024All models
Echo Plus20182nd generation
Echo Show

2024 2024

2021

2023

Echo Show 21 Echo Show 15 (2nd generation)

Echo Show 10 (3rd generation)

Echo Show 8 (3rd generation)

Echo Studio2019All models
eero routers2017All eero Pro routers and eero Beacon All third-generation routers with Wi-Fi 6 and newer
Apple[15]Apple TV 4K20212nd generation 3rd generation with Ethernet
HomePod Mini2020All models
HomePod20232nd generation
Google[16]Nest Hub20212nd generation
Nest Hub Max2019All models
Nest Wifi2019All models
Google TV Streamer 4K2024All models
MikroTik[17]hAP be³ Media2026All models
Samsung SmartThings[18]SmartThings Hub2018Version 3
SmartThings Station2023All models
Aeotec Smart Home Hub2021All models

See also

References

  1. ^ "Introducing Thread: A New Wireless Networking Protocol for the Home > Thread Group". Thread Group. July 15, 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  2. ^ "What is Thread - Overview". Thread Group. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  3. ^ Tuohy, Jennifer Pattison (2022-07-29). "What is Thread and how will it help your smart home?". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  4. ^ Noel Randewich (15 July 2014). "Google's Nest launches network technology for connected home". Reuters. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  5. ^ "Apple joins 'The Thread Group,' opening up the possibility of more advanced HomeKit tech". 9to5Mac. 2018-08-06. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
  6. ^ "Apple introduces HomePod mini: A powerful smart speaker with amazing sound". Apple. 13 October 2020.
  7. ^ "The Thread group - Thread 1.1 Specifications". Thread Group. Retrieved 2021-06-26.
  8. ^ "OpenThread". 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  9. ^ "openthread/ot-ns", OpenThread, 2024-04-18, retrieved 2024-04-22
  10. ^ "Simulate Thread Networks using OTNS". OpenThread. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  11. ^ "Amazon, Apple, Google, and Zigbee join forces for an open smart home standard". TechCrunch. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  12. ^ "Project Connected Home over IP". Project Connected Home over IP. Archived from the original on 2020-06-06. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  13. ^ "Thread Border Router - Bidirectional IPv6 Connectivity and DNS-Based Service Discovery". OpenThread. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  14. ^ "Understand Smart Home Thread Support | Alexa Skills Kit". Amazon Alexa. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  15. ^ "If you see a 'Thread Border Router Required' or 'Needs Thread Network' alert on your iPhone or iPad". Apple Support. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
  16. ^ "Making your home more helpful with Matter and Thread". Google Store. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  17. ^ "hAP be³ Media | MikroTik". mikrotik.com
  18. ^ "SmartThings x Matter Integration". SmartThings Support. 2023-01-19. Retrieved 2025-07-24.