Thread (network protocol)



Thread is an IPv6-based, low-power mesh networking technology for Internet of things products. The Thread protocol specification is available at no cost; however, this requires agreement and continued adherence to an end-user license agreement, which states "Membership in Thread Group is necessary to implement, practice, and ship Thread technology and Thread Group specifications."
Often used as a transport for Matter, the protocol has seen increased use for connecting low-power and battery-operated smart-home devices.
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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. 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, and released its first Thread product, the HomePod Mini, in late 2020.

Characteristics

Thread uses 6LoWPAN, which, in turn, uses the IEEE 802.15.4 wireless protocol with mesh communication, 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.
The OpenThread network simulator, a part of the OpenThread implementation, simulates Thread networks using OpenThread POSIX instances. The simulator utilises discrete-event simulation and allows for visualisation of communications through a web interface.

Use cases

In 2019, the Connected Home over IP project, subsequently renamed to Matter, led by the Zigbee Alliance, now the Connectivity Standards Alliance, 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.

Border routers

Thread border routers are devices that provide bidirectional connectivity between a Thread network and other IP-based networks such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet. They enable communication between Thread devices and the internet or other local networks, which is essential for Thread networks since Thread devices operate on a low-power mesh network using IEEE 802.15.4 protocol in the 2.4 GHz spectrum. Border routers translate between these networks, allow for service discovery across network boundaries, and enable external commissioning of Thread devices. Without a border router, Thread devices would be isolated from other networks and the Internet.
CompanyDevice nameRelease yearAvailability
AmazonEcho20204th generation and newer
AmazonEcho Hub2024All models
AmazonEcho Plus20182nd generation
AmazonEcho Show2024
2024
2021
2023		Echo Show 21
Echo Show 15
Echo Show 10
Echo Show 8
AmazonEcho Studio2019All models
Amazoneero routers2017All eero Pro routers and eero Beacon
All third generation routers with Wi-Fi 6 and newer
AppleApple TV 4K20212nd generation
3rd generation with Ethernet
AppleHomePod Mini2020All models
AppleHomePod20232nd generation
GoogleNest Hub20212nd generation
GoogleNest Hub Max2019All models
GoogleNest Wifi2019All models
GoogleGoogle TV Streamer 4K2024All models
Samsung SmartThingsSmartThings Hub2018Version 3
Samsung SmartThingsSmartThings Station2023All models
Samsung SmartThingsAeotec Smart Home Hub2021All models