Matter over Thread for Smart Home Internet of Things Interoperability Network Performance and Trustworthy Control

Abstract

Smart-home Internet of Things (IoT) systems are moving from vendor-specific device islands toward local, Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) interoperability. The paper reviews Matter over Thread as a cross-layer stack for that transition. Matter standardizes device semantics, commissioning, secure sessions, fabrics, and access control, while Thread provides a low-power IPv6 mesh for constrained sensors, switches, locks, and lighting devices. The evidence indicates that Matter improves semantic interoperability and platform sharing, but onboarding still depends on firmware state, companion applications, Thread Border Routers, and controller interface design. Performance studies indicate that Thread can support responsive control in small lighting networks, while larger meshes, heavy payloads, background traffic, and route repair expose measurable limits. Security research highlights that trustworthy control requires controller authentication, visible fabric membership, auditable Access Control Lists, robust Thread implementations, and privacy-aware data access. The paper concludes that Matter over Thread should be judged by lifecycle reliability rather than initial pairing alone.