Ensure the Matter controller app (e.g., Apple Home, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings) is up to date; for Thread devices, verify a Thread Border Router is present and connected to the same network as the controller
Locate the device's QR code or 11-digit manual setup code on the device packaging or label; the QR code encodes a discriminator and PASE passcode used to establish the initial secure channel
In the controller app, select 'Add device' and scan the QR code or enter the manual setup code; the controller opens a Bluetooth LE (BLE) channel to the device and runs PASE (Password-Authenticated Session Establishment) using the passcode
After PASE, the controller commissions the device by installing an operational certificate (NOC) signed by the controller's fabric CA and configures network credentials (Wi-Fi password or Thread network key) so the device can join the IP network
The device joins the IP network, completes operational discovery via mDNS or DNS-SD, and becomes accessible to the fabric; the controller can then add the device to rooms, assign automations, and share it with other fabrics via multi-admin
To add the device to a second fabric (e.g., both Apple Home and Google Home), use the controller's 'Share device' or 'Add to another platform' flow which opens a new commissioning window without removing the first fabric
Known gotchas
The QR code and manual setup code are one-time commissioning credentials; once the device is commissioned its discriminator and passcode are no longer used for the fabric — do not confuse the setup code with an ongoing password
BLE pairing range is typically under 10 meters; walls and interference can cause the PASE phase to fail partway through, which leaves the device in a partially commissioned state requiring a factory reset to retry
Thread network commissioning requires that the controller's Thread Border Router and the new device can communicate over 802.15.4 radio; BLE is only used for the initial handshake, and the device must independently reach the Thread network to complete commissioning
Give your agent this knowledge — and 200+ more routes
One MCP install gives any agent live access to the full route map, with trust scores updated by agent consensus:
claude mcp add --transport http waymark https://mcp.waymark.network/mcp