Conquer Matter Issues on Your SmartThings Hub

As the owner of a Samsung SmartThings-based Matter-centric smart home, I’ve noticed that things can get frustrating from time to time. Device connectivity drops, the hub suddenly goes offline without warning… it has not been all scheduled power control and automated scenes!

Internet research demonstrates I am not alone in this. A few other users have stability issues with Samsung SmartThings, certainly as far as Matter compatibility and device control is concerned. To help, here is a list of issues and solutions that I’ve found and used with success.

Naturally, every setup differs. I’m using a Samsung QE43Q60B TV with a built-in hub (which lets you control your Matter smart home from your TV), whereas your SmartThings hub might be external. Mileage may vary, therefore, but the general notion of these solutions should at least point you in the right direction.

Typical Samsung SmartThings Troubleshooting Scenarios

The easiest way to frame troubleshooting the SmartThings environment from a Matter angle is to consider these common scenarios.

1. The Samsung SmartThings app will not communicate with the TV hub
2. No devices appear online to the TV hub
3. The TV hub is offline, and will not come back online

As it turns out, the solutions cover all three scenarios. Below, we’ve provided each solution in order of how they should be applied. So, start with the diagnostic tool, and work through to the final fix.

Use the SmartThings App’s Diagnostic Tool

Built into the SmartThings mobile app is a handy feature Offline Diagnostics tool. This will appear by default on any offline devices in the app, but you can also find it in Menu > Offline diagnostics.

This is a straightforward, guided tool that prompts you for interaction to commence what is essentially a network check. In truth, it is a little simplistic, and cannot deal with complicated issues. What it can do, however, is suggest a course of action, which typically involves restarting, resetting, or reconnecting the device to your network.

When it comes to connected devices, this is useful; less so when it is the hub itself causing the problem.

Note that Samsung SmartThings also presents error messages with failed connections. Often these don’t seem to have a linked diagnosis when you search the web. However, the message “Error code: 39-519” typically occurs when attempting to reconnect a to an offline hub. It always appears after the device is detected, but seems to indicate that it is already enrolled on the hub.

In my experience, removing and re-adding the SmartThings Hub fixes this, but other similar messages may not resolved in that way, so care is required.

Networking Issues for Samsung SmartThings

Inevitably, some Samsung SmartThings smart home challenges are caused by network issues. One way to mitigate this is to rely on a good quality Cat8 cable, even if the router and TV/hub are closely situated.

It is also probably worth – if you don’t already –using the 2.4GHz band on your wireless router. This ensures devices positioned around your home can enjoy reliable access to the Matter hub. Our look at Matter and wireless networking explains this in slightly more depth. In short, the 2.4GHz has better range than the faster 5GHz band, so it makes sense to ensure your smart home gear is on that band.

Unsurprisingly, powering off and/or disconnecting any Matter smart home devices usually connected to your can help. If you have a dual band Wi-Fi router, switching the SmartThings hub quickly between the two bands (or disconnecting then reconnecting) can also work.

Power Cycle Your TV Hub

Still reading? Okay, try this. Power cycle your hub or TV hub. This simply means switching off, then unplugging the device.

If the hub is unable to go online, it is possibly due to a power issue. Leave it unplugged for around 10 minutes, then reconnect the power. Give it time to fully start up – certainly with the TV-integrated hubs, SmartThings takes a while to initialize, longer than the TV. Give it a few minutes, then try again.

As an addendum to this step, there is a possibility that some extension cables or replacement power cables can affect hub stability. If you’re using a low-grade power bar or extension, or a non-Samsung power cable, switch to something more suitable.

Remove and Add the SmartThings Hub

This is a comparatively straightforward fix in itself. However, carrying it out often (not always) means taking the time to reconnect your various Matter smart home devices to the hub. As this is time consuming, and at times frustrating (finding the QR codes can be difficult), it is not something you should attempt without considering the impact on your time.

To remove the SmartThings Hub from your Samsung TV:

• Open Connected Devices

• Select SmartThings

• Go to Settings

• Select SmartThings Hub

• Select Remove SmartThings Hub, and click OK to confirm

Wait while the hub is removed, then power cycle your TV. Once this has completed, repeat the steps, this time adding the SmartThings Hub.

Check on your phone to confirm the SmartThings Hub can be connected to – you may need to re-establish this connection. Then, see if you can access your other Matter smart home devices. If not, you’ll need to begin re-adding them to SmartThings.

Contact Samsung SmartThings Support or the Retailer

If you’ve made it this far and SmartThings is still not fully online, the smart option is to reach out for assistance from the manufacturer. Should this not be practical, or if you purchased via a licensed vendor, get in touch with them instead. After all, by this stage you should have used diagnostic software, checked for networking issues, power cycled your hub, and reinstalled the hub software if you’re using a TV.

Make a note of the outcome of all of these – occasionally, error messages appear – and ensure these are passed onto the SmartThing support people. Using the SmartThings community forum or Reddit is an option, although unless you have a very unusual problem, variations on the above will probably be offered.