Do you need a smart home hub? It depends on the radio

What a hub actually does

“Hub” covers several different jobs. One device can do all of them or only one:

• Translator. Zigbee and Z-Wave devices do not speak Wi-Fi. A hub or coordinator with the right radio joins them to your network.
• Controller. A Matter controller holds the home’s devices and automations, and lets phones, voice assistants and other apps share them.
• Border router. Thread devices form their own low-power mesh. A Thread border router connects that mesh to your Wi-Fi and Ethernet network.
• Remote access and automation. Apple describes the home hub as the device that lets you control accessories when away, share control with others and run automations.

Which devices need what

The Connectivity Standards Alliance describes Zigbee as a self-organizing mesh designed for low power consumption, and the Thread Group describes Thread as an IP-based, low-power mesh. Both are why battery sensors on these networks last longer than Wi-Fi ones.

Hubs you may already own

Check these before buying a separate hub:

• Alexa. Amazon states that Matter-enabled Echo and eero devices can act as the Matter administrator, no separate hub is needed for Matter devices, and Thread devices require a Thread border router such as a Thread-enabled Echo or eero.
• Google Home. Google says you need a Matter-enabled hub on your home network to add Matter devices and control them locally or away from home. Devices that combine Wi-Fi and Thread need a hub that is also a Thread border router. Google lists which of its speakers, displays, routers and streamers qualify.
• Apple Home. Apple says HomePod and HomePod mini become home hubs automatically, an Apple TV does when you add it to a room in the Home app, and that Thread-enabled Matter accessories require a Thread-enabled home hub.

Use the vendor’s current list rather than a model number from an article: supported devices change with software updates.

Check what you have in ten minutes

1. Open the app for your ecosystem and look for “hub”, “home hub” or “border router” in the home or device settings.
2. Find the model name of each speaker, display and streaming box and check it against the maker’s Matter or Thread list.
3. Look at the box or product page of each device you plan to buy: does it say Matter, Thread, Zigbee or Wi-Fi?
4. Confirm IPv6 is on in your router. Google warns that Matter setup can seem to succeed and later fail when IPv6 is disabled on the home network.
5. Count the Zigbee or Z-Wave devices you plan to own. A handful of Wi-Fi sensors may be simpler than adding a hub.

When a dedicated hub makes sense

• You plan to use Zigbee or Z-Wave widely. A dozen sensors, buttons and plugs are cheaper on those networks, and a hub keeps them local.
• You want automations to keep working without the internet. A local hub runs them itself.
• Your speakers do not support Thread or Matter. A border router or hub can cost $30–$150, and it is usually less than replacing all your speakers.
• You use Home Assistant or SmartThings. Both run their own controller; see whether you need a SmartThings hub.

Common mistakes

• Buying a hub for Wi-Fi devices. If everything you plan to own connects to the router, a hub adds cost and another thing to maintain.
• Assuming any speaker is a hub. Older models often act as voice assistants only.
• Putting the hub in a cabinet. Thread and Zigbee routers work as mesh. Place the hub in the middle of the home, not behind the TV.
• Unplugging it. If a speaker is your hub, a family member moving it to another room can disconnect every sensor on its network.

For the Thread side of this question, read our Thread border router explainer.