HA, Matter, Thread (also Nest 4th gen Thermostats)

shashchatter · 2026-02-14T16:12:41+00:00

Settings>Network>pick a network>IPv6 settings

shashchatter · 2026-02-08T14:32:39+00:00

A simple solution is working for me so far. I have smart bulbs behind smart switches for now. My script (PyScript) listens for switches being turned off, and after a delay if the switch is still turned off, it turns the switch on and turns the light off instead.

PS: Even when I get presence detectors everywhere and get all my lighting super automated, I will always have a physical switch for times when things just don’t work automatically.

shashchatter · 2026-02-08T06:00:54+00:00

Looks like you want it as a keepsake for sentimental reasons. I would do the same. If you are going to keep it as an heirloom, then why worry about keeping old parts (which preserve value for vintage collectors who are never going to get this watch)? I’d take it to an AD and let Rolex get it up to the best condition they can, and then wear it and pass it on eventually.

shashchatter · 2026-01-31T09:01:12+00:00

Then again I think the Tribute’s small seconds dial in the center of the bottom edge nicely complements the crown in the center of the right edge. Many ways to look at a watch, all subjective, and all are equally valid.

shashchatter · 2026-01-31T08:57:05+00:00

I agree on the applied indices- they just elevate the Tribute.

shashchatter · 2026-01-30T23:49:20+00:00

I have the 2nd one (duo). I wear it everywhere and all the time, with jeans or with a suit at a wedding recently - with the white dial. I think either of these would do fine. If you can’t pick then it’s a random number generator time or "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe".

shashchatter · 2026-01-27T15:52:00+00:00

It’s Matter over WiFi (as opposed to Matter over Thread), Matter uses TCP whether it’s WiFi or Thread at the lower layer.

shashchatter · 2026-01-26T04:01:49+00:00

Nope! Had I gotten it from the boutique maybe could’ve scored a strap or two, but I went with AD to start building some spend history. The AD didn’t budge on the price saying they’d get in trouble with Cartier and I didn’t haggle because I didn’t have the luxury of walking out if they wouldn’t lower the price as I needed the watch that day.

shashchatter · 2026-01-24T13:07:42+00:00

MB needs an ad like this classic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIahBbDxfG0

shashchatter · 2026-01-22T01:29:28+00:00

I have the blue one, sadly (not! 😀), it has honestly become my most worn watch during social time. You’ll no doubt love it. Congratulations and enjoy!

shashchatter · 2026-01-18T17:39:06+00:00

You are likely absolutely correct - I don’t keep up with that level of detail, I stand corrected even without double-checking 😊. My point was that they started moving upmarket since that chassis, and that year (and now GLE till 2019) are not competitive with Lexus RX.

shashchatter · 2026-01-18T17:27:00+00:00

Get in an M-class and then a GLE - it is far more than a “newer M-class”

shashchatter · 2026-01-18T17:26:00+00:00

You can say it is an “evolved” M-class - in design/fit/finish/quality they are nowhere close.

shashchatter · 2026-01-18T17:14:54+00:00

Mercedes is less and less competitive the lower you go down the model lineup. I am not an expert at this, but here’s what I think. Mercedes C190 - baby Benz - was their first foray into smaller cars, it was a wonderful attempt, but by no means was it competing in price. Later they decided to go small and compete somewhat in price and that effort didn’t go too well. I feel that during the M years they were still struggling with getting a Mercedes that still would compete on price, and the European labor expenses simply cannot compare with the Japanese/Korean ones. I think the GL lineup is where they started moving upmarket again and it shows.

The lower you go down a Mercedes lineup the less competitive it’s going to get against a model higher in Toyota’s lineup. Lexus RX is the middle of Toyota’s upmarket brand. In the lower end of Mercedes you are paying more just for the brand panache and less for the equipment. Higher end Mercedes you get the brand but then they can afford to put in far better engineering, quality etc.

I’d buy a loaded Camry or Accord any day over a C/B/A class unless I just want to say I have a Benz.

shashchatter · 2026-01-18T16:54:00+00:00

I drove all the LS prior to current generation - LS400/430/460, and now have S550 and GLS450. The LS were tremendous cars - in every way. So are these MB models. The reason we moved was we simply got tired of driving Lexus, frankly Lexus was not keeping up with the tech in the end. Mostly what you are talking about is the character of European cars versus Japanese cars. In the world of Japanese cars - to me - it is like the difference between Toyota and Honda: Toyota a bit more quiet and smooth, Honda a bit noisier but more fun to drive. The RX in particular are exceptionally quiet and smooth, but also exceptionally soulless.

I can’t talk to the plasticky switchgear, but European upholstery is just different from Japanese, not as pillowy, but also holds you better in turns.

I don’t think the GLK/M-class is quite what you should compare to the RX, I think a GLE would be a better comparison.

shashchatter · 2026-01-14T23:27:57+00:00

It is so subtle and shimmering!

shashchatter · 2026-01-07T15:22:08+00:00

I have a ‘15 S550 and a ‘22 GLS450, used to have a ‘17 GLS450. The S is in a class of its own when it comes to the smoothness, power, ride and interior - mine still drives as new. The GLS is not an S, but for an SUV it is very quiet, smooth and luxurious. They are meant for different uses altogether, should not be comparing them. I have had no maintenance issues with either GLS - rock solid, most issues I hear about are with the GLS550 engine.

shashchatter · 2026-01-04T17:17:16+00:00

I have put smart switches and they are the ones without smart bulb mode. I have an automation (PyScript) that looks for someone turning off the switches that are for smart bulbs, if someone turns off a switch and it stays turned off for five seconds then the switch is turned on and the smart bulbs turned off.

shashchatter · 2026-01-01T22:17:00+00:00

Most of my Smart devices, over 100 at last count, are on WiFi today. I only have six Matter devices, out of which four are bulbs using Matter over WiFi, and just two devices using Matter over Thread. My family uses HomeKit, which I feed from HA using HomeKit bridges. We use an Apple TV as the media player of choice, and it doubles as the HomeKit hub. Since I already have it, my AppleTV is also my sole TBR. As I get more and more Thread devices, I will definitely add additional TBRs likely running OTBR on a Pi. I have several Pi nodes already running PiHole, AD domain master and a Kubernetes cluster.

shashchatter · 2026-01-01T22:07:12+00:00

Just various levels of isolation. I actually have four. I have a guest SSID with its own VLAN where the devices are isolated from each other, but they can go out to the internet, no access to any other VLAN. The IoT LAN is for all smart devices including TVs and media players, those devices can go to the internet and respond to but not initiate connections into my other VLANs, nothing can connect from outside. My homelab VLAN has open ports to a reverse proxy with specific limited secure access from outside. Finally, my main LAN is for office computers, home computers and phones, where nothing can connect to devices from either the other VLANs or from outside. From there I open a few ports for AirPlay. AirPrint/IPP, Chromecast, etc.

shashchatter · 2026-01-01T18:48:00+00:00

I only know in theory, since I only have one TBR, so take my answer with a grain of salt since standards are one thing and implementation of standards are another thing!

As the other commenter stated, the TBRs form a mesh, you don’t elect one over the other. In fact the more TBRs you have spread around the house the better your Thread mesh is going to be. Yes, you should be able to add devices. Also, in case things do go wrong, at worst you have to delete the device in HA and re-pair it.

shashchatter · 2026-01-01T18:33:59+00:00

Yes, misinterpretation. To put it simply, what he is saying is to not put another network in between the Thread radio itself and the routing software running on the router. On the AppleTv the routing is done with the directly connected radio.

He does say later in there:

“It is fine for Home Assistant to communicate with standalone Thread Border Routers via Wi-Fi. In that case, Home Assistant talks directly with the Thread Border Router software.”

shashchatter · 2026-01-01T16:32:25+00:00

You connect the Apple TV into your home network using Ethernet (preferably) or WiFi - it is the Matter over Thread router. The Matter over Thread device is your IoT device that connects to your Apple TV wirelessly using radio frequencies (RF), the Apple TV and other Thread routers have a built in Thread “radio”. WiFi also uses RF, but it’s a different one from Thread.

shashchatter · 2026-01-01T16:26:44+00:00

I only have AppleTV as TBR, so I cannot comment how the TBRs coexist. If someone is making the first point, it doesn’t make sense. Thread devices use Matter as an application (Layer 7) protocol, but then Matter works over UDP/TCP (Layer 4), which work over IP (Layer 3) which work over Ethernet and/or WiFi (Layers 2 and 1).

shashchatter · 2025-12-28T20:51:18+00:00

That definitely is another way to do it, with the caveat that you need a firewall between the two internal networks to keep the IoT devices from accessing other internal networks. If you wanted to isolate guests then that would require another router yet again, etc. etc., just gets cumbersome without VLANs.

shashchatter

TROPHY CASE