Set up an OpenThread Border Router (OTBR) on a Raspberry Pi using the Docker install method and form a Thread network
domain: openthread.io · 6 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
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Steps
Flash a Radio Co-Processor (RCP) firmware onto a compatible IEEE 802.15.4 USB dongle (e.g., Nordic nRF52840) and connect it to the Raspberry Pi
Pull and run the OTBR Docker image, passing the RCP serial device path via the --radio-url flag (e.g., spinel+hdlc+uart:///dev/ttyACM0)
Open the OTBR web GUI (default port 80) and use the Form Network page to generate a new Thread network dataset (PAN ID, channel, network key, Extended PAN ID)
Verify the Thread interface is up with ot-ctl state; confirm the node reaches the Leader or Router role
Enable border routing so that Thread devices obtain routable IPv6 addresses and can communicate with the LAN; check that the off-mesh route is advertised via ot-ctl route
Test end-to-end connectivity by pinging a Thread end-device's mesh-local address from a LAN host through the border router
Known gotchas
The RCP device path may vary across Linux kernels and USB enumeration order; confirm with ls /dev/ttyACM* before starting the container
Thread network datasets are sensitive—back up the hex-encoded Active Operational Dataset immediately after forming the network, as losing it requires re-commissioning all devices
OTBR must have a stable IPv6-capable LAN interface; if the Raspberry Pi only has IPv4 connectivity, DNS-SD service discovery (used by Matter controllers) will not work correctly
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