What is Thread?
Features of Thread
How does Thread affect your smart home
How is Thread different from existing protocols
Which smart home devices support Thread
What is Thread?
Thread is a low-power mesh networking technology protocol designed to connect all the devices in your home. It creates a mesh network by making each device in your arsenal an access point. A Thread-enabled device will act as a mini-hub, which means you don’t have to deal with third-party hubs. It supports over 250 devices with multiple hops even if you have a well-developed smart home.
The image below shows the basic parts of a Thread network, including the mesh network, a pair of border routers, and the cloud.
- Based on IEEE 802.15.4 radio standard - This standard provides extremely low power consumption and low latency.
- Security - The communications are encrypted and secure. New devices need the authorization to join the Thread network.
- Reliability - Thread networks are self-healing, with no single point of failure, and can reconfigure even with the failure or loss of individual devices or the addition of new devices.
- Scalability - The thread network can link more than 250 devices.
- Low power - Thread devices can operate for several years battery power.
How does Thread affect your smart home
Thread is a secure system that takes advantage of the efficient IEEE 802.15.4 MAC/PHY protocol, which means that the enabled devices consume less energy. This is particularly to the benefit of battery-powered devices, like some doorbells, as they should be able to operate for longer between charges. It’s also low latency, unlike Bluetooth®, which can often lag considerably between your command and the action. This means it will offer similar high-speed exchanges to Z-Wave and Zigbee, with one crucial difference.
How is Thread different from existing protocols
Thread is different from existing protocols in several ways:
1. If a Thread smart home device drops the connection, other Thread-enabled devices provide a connection so it can still be controlled.
2. It’s low latency, which means it’s faster at responding to your commands. No more delay between tapping the app and having your smart bulbs illuminate or asking your voice assistant to turn a smart plug ON or OFF.
3. It’s low power, so if your smart home devices are battery-operated, they will last much longer between charges or when the battery should be replaced.
Comparison Chart
| Features | Zigbee | Thread |
| Frequency Band | 2.4 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| Range | 10 m to 100 m | 10 m to 100 m |
| Data Rate (maximum) | 250 kbps | 250 kbps |
| Network Topology Type | Mesh | Mesh |
| Power Usage | Low | Low |
| Application Layer Defined | Yes | No |
| IPv6 support | No | Yes |
| Battery Life | A few years | A few years |
| Certification Program and Interoperability | End product certification | Stack certification |
| Security | Network-wide encryption and authentication through install code | Password-based authentication with Data Transport Layer Security (DTLS) |
| Cloud Integration | Zigbee Gateway | Thread border router |
| Latency Performance for Application Packets | Best | Very good |
Which smart home devices support Thread
Several devices are starting to launch with Thread capabilities. Some devices that now support Thread are the HomePod mini®, Google Nest Hub Max™, Eve Energy, Eve Aqua, and Wemo® Stage Smart Scene Controller, WSC010 with firmware version 2.9.6 or higher. Nanoleaf also has announced Thread will be in all future products.
NOTE: Any device supporting the IEEE 802.15.4 protocol can become Thread-ready through a software update.
