#Open thread boarder router over network.

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

upbeat wadi
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So I bought a SLZB-MR3 to get into home automation, and I assumed thread would be fairly easy, however it turns out the thread networking isn't self contained, which I thought it was. As I understand, though I could be incorrect, open thread boarder router runs in two halves, a radio, and the computer actually controlling it.

It took me a while to come to understand that.

Now I need to actually get the ot-br-posix agent to work.

I see people using home assistant addons for the agent, however that won't work on nixos, so I have to manually configure it.

And this is where I have run into a brick wall. The "documentation" I can find isn't documentation, but a tutorial for a specific situation that I'm not in. I want to connect to the radio over my network, not a usb/uart connection. However the only actual piece of documentation I can find, the --help option only mentions direct connections. I also cannot find a manpage.

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[Silverdev2482@Router-Server:~]$ /nix/store/0nxifvpza2f1a74vkqj8cr126fn06ziy-ot-br-posix-0-unstable-2025-05-30/bin/otbr-agent --verbose -B br0 -I wpan0 10.48.1.34
otbr-agent[1374809]: [NOTE]-AGENT---: Running 0-unstable-2025-05-30
otbr-agent[1374809]: [NOTE]-AGENT---: Thread version: 1.4.0
otbr-agent[1374809]: [NOTE]-AGENT---: Thread interface: wpan0
otbr-agent[1374809]: [NOTE]-AGENT---: Radio URL: 10.48.1.34
otbr-agent[1374809]: [NOTE]-ILS-----: Infra link selected: br0
otbr-agent[1374809]: [INFO]-RCP_HOS-: OpenThread log level changed to 4
otbr-agent[1374809]: 57d.10:03:08.931 [C] Platform------: Init() at radio_url.cpp:153: Failure

[Silverdev2482@Router-Server:~]$ /nix/store/0nxifvpza2f1a74vkqj8cr126fn06ziy-ot-br-posix-0-unstable-2025-05-30/bin/otbr-agent --verbose -B br0 -I wpan0 http://10.48.1.34
otbr-agent[1374822]: [NOTE]-AGENT---: Running 0-unstable-2025-05-30
otbr-agent[1374822]: [NOTE]-AGENT---: Thread version: 1.4.0
otbr-agent[1374822]: [NOTE]-AGENT---: Thread interface: wpan0
otbr-agent[1374822]: [NOTE]-AGENT---: Radio URL: http://10.48.1.34
otbr-agent[1374822]: [NOTE]-ILS-----: Infra link selected: br0
otbr-agent[1374822]: [INFO]-RCP_HOS-: OpenThread log level changed to 4
otbr-agent[1374822]: 57d.10:03:18.243 [C] Platform------: The Spinel interface name "http" is not supported!
otbr-agent[1374822]: 57d.10:03:18.243 [C] Platform------: CreateSpinelInterface() at spinel_manager.cpp:128: Failure
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forgot to run as root and specify port, however no change after doing so

upbeat wadi
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I also have the complication of the fact the the thread boarder router, is running on a normal router.

upbeat wadi
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oh wait, it just uses socat

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socat -d pty,raw,echo=0,link=/tmp/ttyOTBR,ignoreeof tcp:10.48.1.34:6638

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I am still pretty confused about thread, so if anyone knowlegable with it could talk to me here or in a vc later that would be appreciated. I am confused about this, since I'm not using the addon, and this is running on an existing router.

formal timber
upbeat wadi
formal timber
upbeat wadi
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Oh, hello

rigid yew
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Just wanted to note, I think it's strongly recommended not to communicate between the OTBR and RCP firmware over network

upbeat wadi
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Why? Network unreliability?

rigid yew
upbeat wadi
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Makes sense

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I still can't pair devices, but otbr is kinda less broken then before.

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What exactly does otbr use the backbone interface for? I want to know so I can manually configure stuff.

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Otbr needs avahi/mdns I know, but idk why.

idle cave
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A thread border router connects two IPv6 network segments, the thread network segment and your local (W)LAN. As such a TBR has two network interfaces, one in your (W)LAN which is referred to as backbone interface (it resides in the so called backbone network, which is used in TREL to connect thread segments that are not mutually reachable via RF. For this you need border routers that support TREL), and the other one that constitutes the leg inside your thread network segment which is physically represented by the IEEE 802.15.4 radio. That btw. you want to tear out of the border router, and you want to tunnel the serial wire protocol (e.g. USB) via IP to your SLZB-MR. From an OSI layer perspective, I would guess, that makes only so and so much sense. I have also never seen anyone ripping the antenna from their WiFi access point to tunnel the antenna wire via IP somewhere else. But the modular design of thread allows for it, so people naturally just do it (or at least try to).
The natural two entities in the matter/thread architecture are the matter controller and the thread border router. They can already be separated via IP by design. In my mind it doesn't make sense to cut the border router in half and host one half (the border agent) inside the mater controller, just for the sake of it. No one would cut their WiFi access point in the middle just to position the ethernet interface close to the internet gateway and the antenna somewhere else. Yes, it does make sense to position the AP strategically so you have good coverage. Just do the same with the border router. It's the access point for your thread devices.

smoky crystal
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The thread border router needs to be able to do things like send out ipv6 router announcements and configure addresses on network interfaces in order to function properly. It is an ipv6 router between two network segments after all.

upbeat wadi
upbeat wadi
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Matter-server is also started

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For a bit of context, matter-server seems to start fine with systems units. I jankly got otbr running in a terminal. I had all matter, thread, and otbr integrations installed.

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I can configure or delete a thread network in home assistant, but I can't join matter devices via qr code.

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Maybe its the device? Its an onvis plug. have a spare knock off nice!nano v2 from a keyboard that maybe could be used to test stuff?

upbeat wadi
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trying to pair a matter device, it says I need a border router, but it should be configured here?

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