Glossary
Quick lookups for terms that recur across Troubleshooting, Protocols, and Setup content, without derailing whatever you were reading.
- Border router
- A device (often a smart speaker, TV, or dedicated hub) that connects a Thread mesh network to your Wi-Fi/IP network, letting Thread devices reach your phone app and the internet. Thread devices need at least one border router on the network to be controllable. Read more in Protocols.
- Bridge vs. native support
- Native support means a device speaks a protocol (Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread) directly. Bridged support means a manufacturer's own hub or app translates the device into that protocol — behavior and reliability can differ even when both are labeled 'compatible.'
- Commissioning
- The process of securely adding a new device to a Matter fabric, typically by scanning a QR code or entering a setup code. Commissioning establishes the credentials a device uses to join the network — separate from simply being powered on.
- Fabric
- A Matter-specific term for a logical network of commissioned devices and controllers. A single physical network can host multiple independent fabrics (for example, one per ecosystem), which is part of why the same device can behave differently depending on which app added it.
- Hub requirement
- Whether a device needs a separate hub, bridge, or border router to function with a given ecosystem. Some Zigbee and Z-Wave devices always need a hub; some Matter and Wi-Fi devices don't, depending on the ecosystem.
- Joint Fabric
- A Matter 1.6 feature that lets a device be shared and controlled across multiple independent fabrics (for example, two different ecosystems) without full re-commissioning into each one.
- Local control
- A device or automation that continues to work over the local network even if internet or cloud services are unavailable. Contrasted with cloud control, which routes commands through a manufacturer's servers.