If your Matter over Thread smart home feels more frustrating than futuristic, you might have too many border routers. Here’s how to fix it.

So, you dove into the world of Matter. You bought the cool new smart shades, the fancy Govee lights, and maybe a few smart switches, all promising a seamless, unified smart home experience. But instead of futuristic bliss, you’re pulling your hair out. Why? Because you’re constantly dealing with unstable Matter devices that seem to have a mind of their own, appearing and disappearing from your Google Home or Apple Home app. If this sounds familiar, take a deep breath. You’re not alone, and the problem might be simpler than you think.

I went through this exact same frustrating cycle. My setup is pretty common: a mesh Wi-Fi system (an Eero 6e, in my case) and a mix of Google Nest Hubs and other smart speakers. I was excited about Matter over Thread, the new protocol that’s supposed to make devices faster and more reliable. The reality was… flaky. Devices would work perfectly one minute and be “offline” the next.

After a lot of trial and error, and that classic tech support move of unplugging everything, I stumbled upon the likely culprit: my house had too many things trying to be the boss of my smart home.

The Problem with Too Many Bosses: Understanding Thread Border Routers

The magic of Matter over Thread relies on a device called a Thread border router. Think of it as a translator or a bridge. Your Wi-Fi network and your low-power Thread network are two separate things. The border router connects them, allowing your phone (on Wi-Fi) to talk to your new smart light bulb (on Thread).

Here’s the catch: a whole bunch of new devices can act as a Thread border router. This includes:

• Eero 6, 6+, 6e, and Max 7 routers
• Google Nest Hub (2nd Gen), Nest Hub Max, and Nest Wifi Pro
• Apple TV 4K (2nd gen and later) and HomePod (2nd gen)/HomePod mini
• Amazon Echo (4th Gen) and various eero devices

The problem is, when you have several of these in your home, they all start yelling “I can be the border router!” Your little Matter devices can get confused, trying to connect to your Eero one minute and your Nest Hub the next. This constant switching and network confusion is a major reason for having unstable Matter devices.

How to Diagnose Your Unstable Matter Devices

How do you know if this is your problem? My biggest clue was the “fix.” When my Govee lights or smart shades would go offline, I noticed that unplugging my Nest Hub Max for 30 seconds and plugging it back in would often bring everything back online. Temporarily.

This told me that the Nest Hub was heavily involved, likely acting as a border router and, for some reason, causing a network traffic jam. Your system might have a different weak link, but the symptom is the same: rebooting a specific smart hub or router temporarily solves the problem. You aren’t getting a stable, self-healing mesh network; you’re just forcing a reboot of the confused manager.

A Practical Guide to Fixing Unstable Matter Devices

You can’t just open an app and pick which device you want as your border router (at least, not yet—we can dream!). But you can take steps to encourage your network to behave more predictably and create a more stable environment.

1. Take Inventory of Your Border Routers

First, figure out what you’re working with. Walk through your house and list every device that could be acting as a border router. Check the list above or look up your specific smart hubs and routers. Knowing who the potential players are is the first step. For an official list of certified products, you can always check the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) website, the organization that manages Matter.

2. Perform a “Full Network Rebuild”

This sounds intense, but it’s really just a strategic reboot. The goal is to force your Thread network to rebuild itself around the most logical and stable border router, which is usually your main internet router (like an Eero gateway).

• Step 1: Power down everything. And I mean everything. Unplug your router/modem, all mesh Wi-Fi points, all of your smart hubs (Nest, Apple, Amazon), and even a few of the misbehaving Matter devices themselves.
• Step 2: Wait about a minute. Let all the capacitors discharge and the digital ghosts fly away.
• Step 3: Power on your main modem and router first. Let it fully boot up and establish an internet connection. This is now the undisputed king of the network.
• Step 4: One by one, power on your other mesh points and smart hubs. Give each one a few minutes to boot and settle in before moving to the next.
• Step 5: Finally, power your Matter devices back on.

This process often helps the network establish a clear hierarchy, reducing the confusion that leads to instability.

3. Keep Everything Updated

Matter and Thread are still the new kids on the block. Manufacturers are constantly releasing firmware updates to fix bugs, improve performance, and—you guessed it—address connectivity issues. Make it a habit to regularly check for updates for your router and your smart home devices. For Google devices, you can check for firmware versions on the official Google Nest help page. Don’t neglect this step; the fix for your unstable Matter devices could be waiting in a pending update.

Ultimately, remember that we are still in the early days of this technology. While the promise of a perfectly unified smart home is exciting, there are bound to be growing pains. By understanding how Thread border routers work and taking these simple steps, you can solve many of the initial headaches and get back to enjoying your smarter, more connected home.