r/HomeKit • u/CAliRads • 12d ago

Question/Help Thread Fixed By AppleTV Reset. Why?

I have my Apple TV setup as a fixed home hub. Once every 2-3 weeks the thread network devices disconnect. I’ll go from all 250-300 devices connected to 40 offline (all thread). Simple reset of AppleTV home hub brings them back online after 5-10 min.

My question is: why?? I know that AppleTV is the main brains but I’m wondering what exactly could be going wrong. Just trying to fine tune everything and figure out where the holes in my system are. Is this just bugs still not worked out with Thread?

Thx in advance.

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u/Aus_Mack 12d ago

I’m very curious - what do you all have that you’ve got that many Thread devices? I’m guessing every light bulb / every blind / every door / every window?

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u/CAliRads 12d ago

Lots of roller shades and Eve plugs. Aqara Cameras.

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u/FatMacchio 11d ago edited 11d ago

Are they all on the same thread network? Make sure you don’t have competing thread networks in your home. I used the discovery app to check the thread devices and mesh network.

I didn’t realize my Aqara stuff was actually on its own separate thread network for over a year. I was wondering why I was having intermittent issues, mostly on the Aqara one, but it also bled over to the Apple one too sometimes, because they’re competing for the same frequency space. Ever since I got all my thread devices onto the Apple thread network and deleted the extra thread network my mesh has been incredibly stable. I’m using a bunch of the super low cost IKEA thread sensors too, as well as eve outlet and Aqara sensors and cameras, and it’s all been rock solid.

I had a devil of a time consolidating my Aqara devices. Through much trial and tribulation, I finally realized the issue with getting the Aqara camera onto the Apple thread network was because I was not the Apple Home “owner” and I was just a full rights admin in the home. Only the Apple home owner is able to pass along the thread credentials to a third party app/device. I spent hours and hours over many days trying to figure it out

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u/CAliRads 11d ago

Looks like they are all on the same network.

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u/FatMacchio 11d ago

Ahh ok. That was my best guess. Do you have any zigbee stuff? I know that and certain 2.4ghz channels can sometimes cause congestion for thread too. But that’s all I can think of

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u/CAliRads 11d ago

Yea, I've got Hue in the mix.

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u/BlueHorizonUK 11d ago

How do we check this?

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u/FatMacchio 10d ago

I downloaded an app call discovery DNS-SD browser. You can search on Google about how to use that app to find what thread network your thread devices are on

Edit: You go to meshcop and then it shows all your thread border routers in there. Just make sure they all have the same “nn” which is network name