OpenThread on nRF52840: Recommended way to list up / control thread devices

[wildenkay]

Hello,

i've built a basic Thread network with two nRF52840 Nodes running the CLI example and a RasPi with a nRF52840 RCP as BorderRouter.

My Question is:

Whats the recommended way to control my Thread nodes (for example via CoAP) from outside the thread network? 

Example Scenario:

I'm on my mobile phone, which is connected to the RasPi BorderRouter-AP and i want a Mobile-Application, which lists all available Thread-Devices inside the Thread-Network. When i select one of the listed thread nodes, i want to be able to control them.

Is this possible via CoAP? Is it possible to send CoAP Requests from outside into the Thread-Network? And how?

Or any other solutions for this scenario?

Thank you!

[Edvin]

Hello,

There is no easy way to know the IP addresses from outside the network. Please see my Colleague, Jørgen's reply in to this post:

https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/63167/thread-border-router-networking-fail/267863#267863 (the link points to a specific reply in this thread).

However, if you have the global address of a specific device, it is possible to send messages to that particular device. Please check out this site on Mesh addressing.

Best regards,

Edvin

[wildenkay]

Hello Edvin,

first, thanks for you help. I will implement this functionality myself.

Furthermore i need help at messaging specific thread nodes. 

My Setup:


Notebook < ----- > Border Router < ----- > Thread RCP < ----- > Thread CLI FTD

Im trying to ping the global ipv6 address of the thread ftd, but nothing happens.

The notebook and the border router are in the same network and connected over ethernet.

Im able to ping the thread ftd from the border router, but not from my notebook.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[Edvin]

Can you describe how you try to ping the ftd from the notebook, and how you do it from the border router?

[wildenkay]

Of course,

im trying to ping all available ipv6 addresses of the ftd. 

Output of "ipaddr" FTD:

fd11:1111:1122:0:0:ff:fe00:3c00
fd11:22:0:0:664f:a465:4327:3285
fd11:1111:1122:0:f071:6ae2:d48:2a91
fe80:0:0:0:7845:5f04:2da3:e088

From the Notebook, which is in the same network im trying to do:

ping <IPv6-Address>

and:

ping6 <IPv6-Address>

Output:

connect: Network is unreachable

If i do the same on my border router, it works. Probably because of the wpan0 interface on the border router (RCP)

It would be great if you could help me out. Btw: The notebook is the only device which has to communicate with the thread nodes. 

[Edvin]

So does your notebook have an IPv6 connection or only an IPv4 connection to the border router? And does your network (your network provider) router support IPv6?

[wildenkay]

My notebook only has an IPv4 connection to the border router. 

[Edvin]

Please check the reply from this ticket:
https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/f/nordic-q-a/38895/ping-from-ipv4-network-through-border-router-to-nrf52840-running-thread-cli

Best regards,

Edvin