Test Connectivity

Once you have started OTBR Docker, form a Thread network and test its connectivity to the internet.

Form the Thread Network

On the machine running OTBR Docker:

Open a browser window and navigate to 127.0.0.1:8080. If OTBR Docker is running correctly, the OTBR Web GUI loads.

Select the "Form" menu option and change some of the default credentials. We recommend leaving the default Channel and On-Mesh Prefix values. Whatever you use, make a note of them so you can test a separate Thread node later.

Parameter	Sample Value
Network name	OTBR4444
PAN ID	0x4444
Network Key	33334444333344443333444433334444
Extended PAN ID	3333333344444444
Passphrase	444444
Channel	15
On-Mesh Prefix	fd11:22::

Select FORM to form the Thread network. Check the output in the terminal window running OTBR Docker. You should see otbr-agent log output for the addition of the on-mesh prefix and a SLAAC address:

otbr-agent[224]: [INFO]-CLI-----: execute command: prefix add fd11:22::/64 pasor

This output is required for internet connectivty for the Thread network.

Bring up a second Thread node

With OTBR Docker up and running, add a standalone Thread node to the Thread network and test that it has connectivity to the internet.

If using a physical RCP with OTBR Docker, use a second physical Thread node to test. If using a simulated RCP with OTBR Docker, use a second simulated node to test.

Physical Thread node

Build and flash a standalone Thread node on the supported platform of your choice. This node does not have to be built with any specific build switches.

See Build OpenThread for basic building instructions.

See the Build a Thread network with nRF52840 boards and OpenThread Codelab for detailed instructions on building and flashing the Nordic nRF52840 platform.

After building and flashing, attach the Thread device to the machine running OTBR Docker via USB. Use screen in a new terminal window to access the CLI. For example, if the device is mounted on port /dev/ttyACM1:
```
screen /dev/ttyACM1 115200
```
Press the Enter key to bring up the > OpenThread CLI prompt.

Simulated Thread node

Open a new terminal window on the machine running OTBR Docker.

Start the CLI application to bring up a simulated node:

cd ~/openthread
./build/simulation/examples/apps/cli/ot-cli-ftd 2

Press the Enter key to bring up the > OpenThread CLI prompt.

Join the second node to the Thread network

Using the OpenThread CLI for your physical or simulated Thread node, join the node to the Thread network created by OTBR Docker.

Update the Thread network credentials for the node, using the minimum required values from OTBR Docker:
```
dataset networkkey 33334444333344443333444433334444
Done
dataset commit active
Done
```
Bring up the Thread interface and start Thread:
```
ifconfig up
Done
thread start
Done
```
The node should join the OTBR Thread network automatically. Within two minutes its state should be router:
```
state
router
```
Check the node's IP addresses to ensure it has an IPv6 address with the on-mesh prefix of fd11:22::/64 as specified during Thread network formation:
```
ipaddr
fd11:22:0:0:614e:4588:57a1:a473
fd33:3333:3344:0:0:ff:fe00:f801
fd33:3333:3344:0:1b5f:db5:ecac:a9e
fe80:0:0:0:e0c4:5304:5404:5f70:98cd
```

Ping a public address

You should be able to a ping a public IPv4 address from the standalone Thread node at this point. Since Thread only uses IPv6, the public IPv4 address will be automatically translated to IPv6 by combining with the NAT64 prefix in the Thread network.

To view the NAT64 prefix in the Thread network:

netdata show
Prefixes:
fd11:22:0:0::/64 paros med d400
Routes:
fdb5:7875:8e0e:2:0:0::/96 sn low d400
fd11:1111:1122:2222::/64 s med d400
Services:
44970 5d fd5179ed685532847aaa91505f016bbad11f s d400
44970 01 00000500000e10 s d400
Done

Here fdb5:7875:8e0e:2:0:0::/96 is the NAT64 prefix in the Thread network.

Ping an IPv4 address from the CLI of the standalone Thread node to test its internet connectivity:

ping 8.8.8.8
Pinging synthesized IPv6 address: fdb5:7875:8e0e:2:0:0:808:808
16 bytes from fdb5:7875:8e0e:2:0:0:808:808: icmp_seq=15 hlim=119 time=48ms

Success! The second Thread node can now communicate with the internet, through OTBR Docker.

Run OTBR Docker

Cleanup and Docker Basics