Collision when running multiple Thread networks instances and Thread radios

[anhns26693]

Dear all expert of OpenThread
Dear Mr. @jwhui
I am Si Anh from Vietnam.

I have searched in the discussion ( Q&A ) but there is no specific guide for my case.

Device : Raspberry PI 4B
OS : Debian 11 bulleys
Matter source : connectedhomeip v1.4.0.0
Some matter Thread device build for testing with Thread network
ot-br-posix: https://github.com/openthread/ot-br-posix.git tag/thread-reference-20230710
Thread radio : nRF52840 usb dongle

My use case is :
I have two instance of lighting-bulb which support Thread and running on same raspberry PI
I want to set up two Thread network wpan0 (interact with Radio device 1), wpan1 (interact with Radio device 2)
I have to run two otbr-agent serivce, each service assign to one usb port ( radio Thread device ).

$ cat /etc/default/otbr-agent
OTBR_AGENT_OPTS="-I wpan0 -B wlan0 spinel+hdlc+uart:///dev/ttyACM0 trel://wlan0"
OTBR_NO_AUTO_ATTACH=0

$ cat /etc/default/otbr-agent1
OTBR_AGENT_OPTS1="-I wpan1 -B wlan0 spinel+hdlc+uart:///dev/ttyACM1 trel://wlan0"
OTBR_NO_AUTO_ATTACH=0

1. I start and run otbr-agent first
2. I start and run otbr-agent1 then
3. Turn on two console for seeing log by command journalctl -u otbr-agent -f and journalctl -u otbr-agent1 -f
4. ot-ctl -I wpan0 state --> work normally
5. ot-ctl -I wpan0 ifconfig up --> work normally
6. ot-ctl -I wpan1 state --> ( on console log of otbr-agent1 ) matter otbr-agent[49708]: 00:01:07.269 [W] Platform------: Daemon read: Connection reset by peer
7. ot-ctl -I wpan1 ifconfig up --> ( on console log of otbr-agent1 ) matter otbr-agent[49708]: 00:01:17.807 [C] Platform------: Failed to bind UDP socket: Address already in use.
8. ( on console log of otbr-agent1 ) matter otbr-agent[53136]: [ERR ]-MDNS----: Avahi client collision detected: Local name collision

Do you have any advise for correctly configuration and resolving the above issue ?

Thanks in advance !!!

[jwhui]

tag/thread-reference-20230710 is an old commit. I suggest running the latest main branch.

Easiest way to get up and running with support for multiple Thread interfaces is by using Docker.

Note that the backbone router implementation does not currently support multiple on the same host, so to get this to work for now, you'll have to disable the backbone router feature. You can do this with the following modification in ot-br-posix:

diff --git a/etc/docker/border-router/Dockerfile b/etc/docker/border-router/Dockerfile
index b1f441a0..edf5d830 100644
--- a/etc/docker/border-router/Dockerfile
+++ b/etc/docker/border-router/Dockerfile
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ RUN set -x \
            -DOTBR_REST=ON \
            -DOT_POSIX_NAT64_CIDR="192.168.255.0/24" \
            -DOT_FIREWALL=ON \
+           -DOTBR_BACKBONE_ROUTER=OFF \
     && ninja \
     && ninja install \
     && cp -r etc/docker/border-router/rootfs/. / \

After building the Docker image locally, you should be able to do the following:

$ docker run --name=otbr1 --detach --network=host --cap-add=NET_ADMIN --device=/dev/ttyACM1 --device=/dev/net/tun --volume=/var/lib/otbr:/data --env-file=otbr-env-1.list --restart=always openthread/border-router
$ docker run --name=otbr1 --detach --network=host --cap-add=NET_ADMIN --device=/dev/ttyACM1 --device=/dev/net/tun --volume=/var/lib/otbr:/data --env-file=otbr-env-1.list --restart=always openthread/border-router

And you should see ifconfig output the following:

wpan0: flags=4305<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,NOARP,MULTICAST>  mtu 1280
        inet6 fd23:8eeb:cc3:a069:0:ff:fe00:fc10  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x0<global>
        inet6 fd23:8eeb:cc3:a069:0:ff:fe00:bc00  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x0<global>
        inet6 fd23:8eeb:cc3:a069:828d:da36:5302:90a3  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x0<global>
        inet6 fe80::e4ab:9dae:399b:ab87  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        inet6 fd31:2180:66a9:1:5ff9:1795:ef4f:bca8  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x0<global>
        inet6 fd23:8eeb:cc3:a069:0:ff:fe00:fc00  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x0<global>
        unspec 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00  txqueuelen 500  (UNSPEC)
        RX packets 65  bytes 6549 (6.3 KiB)
        RX errors 0  dropped 1  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 15  bytes 1932 (1.8 KiB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 2 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

wpan1: flags=4305<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,NOARP,MULTICAST>  mtu 1280
        inet6 fe80::4cc2:34a4:bb49:6fb4  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        inet6 fd3a:999a:17a9:5160:0:ff:fe00:fc00  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x0<global>
        inet6 fd3a:999a:17a9:5160:0:ff:fe00:5c00  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x0<global>
        inet6 fd8d:bdab:2721:1:3daf:880f:75dc:a2a6  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x0<global>
        inet6 fd3a:999a:17a9:5160:0:ff:fe00:fc10  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x0<global>
        inet6 fd3a:999a:17a9:5160:fff0:1e9c:2bd3:703d  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x0<global>
        unspec 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00  txqueuelen 500  (UNSPEC)
        RX packets 61  bytes 6202 (6.0 KiB)
        RX errors 0  dropped 1  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 15  bytes 1932 (1.8 KiB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 2 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0

[anhns26693]

You configured otbr1 as wpan1, so you need to specify that interface.

Hi @jwhui
Is there something wrong when docker otbr-agent can not get leader-data as below :

00:00:00.015 [D] P-Trel--------: PrepareSocket()
00:00:00.015 [I] TrelInterface-: Enabled interface, local port:59340
00:00:00.016 [I] RoutingManager: Initializing - InfraIfIndex:3
00:00:00.016 [I] InfraIf-------: Init infra netif 3
00:00:00.016 [I] Settings------: Read BrUlaPrefix fdd1:4b7e:dd7a::/48
00:00:00.016 [N] RoutingManager: BR ULA prefix: fdd1:4b7e:dd7a::/48 (loaded)
00:00:00.016 [I] RoutingManager: Generated local OMR prefix: fdd1:4b7e:dd7a:1::/64
00:00:00.016 [I] RoutingManager: Generated local NAT64 prefix: fdd1:4b7e:dd7a:2:0:0::/96
00:00:00.016 [N] RoutingManager: Local on-link prefix: fdde:ad00:beef:cafe::/64
00:00:00.016 [I] InfraIf-------: State changed: NOT RUNNING -> RUNNING
00:00:00.016 [I] P-MdnsSocket--: Successfully opened IPv4 socket
00:00:00.017 [I] P-MdnsSocket--: Successfully opened IPv6 socket
00:00:00.018 [I] P-MdnsSocket--: Enabled
00:00:00.018 [I] MulticastDns--: Auto-enabling on infra-if-index 3
00:00:00.018 [I] RoutingManager: Enabling
00:00:00.018 [I] Nat64---------: IPv4 CIDR for NAT64: 192.168.255.0/24 (254 addresses)
[INFO]-HELPER--: Set state callback: OK
00:00:00.018 [I] Nat64---------: State: Disabled -> NotRunning
[WARN]-UTILS---: src/rest/network_diag_handler.cpp:1294 lacking some attributes for deviceId e2ee65dcb06ee143
00:00:00.019 [I] Settings------: Read BorderAgentId {id:d36809d5840e3799aaf2321023fb603c}
[WARN]-UTILS---: src/rest/network_diag_handler.cpp:1238 cannot get LeaderData while detached
[WARN]-UTILS---: src/rest/rest_devices_coll.cpp:233 - AddItem - e2ee65dcb06ee143
[INFO]-APP-----: Co-processor version: OPENTHREAD/thread-reference-20230706-1617-g9491dccf4; NRF52840; Sep 16 2025 17:01:10
[INFO]-REST----: RestWebServer listening on 127.0.0.1:8081
00:00:00.020 [I] Notifier------: StateChanged (0x40038210) [MLAddr NetData PanId NetName ExtPanId Nat64]
00:00:00.020 [I] BbrLeader-----: PBBR state: None
00:00:00.027 [I] Platform------: Execute command "ipset flush otbr-ingress-allow-dst-swap" = 0
00:00:00.033 [I] Platform------: Execute command "ipset flush otbr-ingress-deny-src-swap" = 0
ipset v7.5: Kernel-library incompatibility: set otbr-ingress-deny-src-swap in kernel has got settype hash:net with family inet6 and revision 7 while ipset library does not support the settype with that family and revision.
00:00:00.040 [I] Platform------: Execute command "ipset add otbr-ingress-deny-src-swap fdde:ad00:beef:0::/64 -exist" = 256
00:00:00.040 [I] Platform------: Got an error when executing command "ipset add otbr-ingress-deny-src-swap fdde:ad00:beef:0::/64 -exist": "No such file or directory"
00:00:00.040 [W] Platform------: Firewall - failed to update ipsets: Failed
00:00:00.040 [I] P-Netif-------: NAT64 CIDR updated to 192.168.255.0/24.
00:00:00.040 [I] P-Netif-------: Sent request#2 to delete route 192.168.255.0/24
00:00:00.041 [I] P-Netif-------: Deleting route for NAT64
00:00:00.041 [I] RouterTable---: Route table
00:00:00.041 [I] TrelDiscoverer: Registering service otTRELe2ee65dcb06ee143._trel._udp
00:00:00.041 [I] TrelDiscoverer:     port:59340, ext-addr:e2ee65dcb06ee143, ext-panid:dead00beef00cafe
00:00:00.042 [I] MulticastDns--: Adding host address 192.168.100.103
00:00:00.043 [I] MulticastDns--: Adding host address fe80:0:0:0:b5b3:28fc:26d6:85da
00:00:00.043 [I] MulticastDns--: Adding host address fd09:f2ba:5b81:619a:68fe:a8aa:ecbd:9dd7
00:00:00.043 [I] P-Netif-------: Host netif is down
00:00:00.044 [I] P-Netif-------: Succeeded to process request#1
00:00:00.045 [W] P-Netif-------: Failed to process request#2: No such process
s6-rc: info: service otbr-agent successfully started
s6-rc: info: service legacy-services: starting
s6-rc: info: service legacy-services successfully started
00:00:01.022 [I] TrelDiscoverer: DNS-SD service registered successfully
00:00:01.024 [I] TrelPeerTable-: Added peer otTRELe2ee65dcb06ee143, dnssd-state:resolving
00:00:01.025 [I] TrelDiscoverer: Peer otTRELe2ee65dcb06ee143 is this device itself
00:00:01.025 [I] TrelPeerTable-: Deleted peer otTRELe2ee65dcb06ee143, dnssd-state:resolving

[jwhui]

That log line is expected. If the Thread interface is not attached to a Thread network, there is no leader data to report.

[anhns26693]

Thanks for your answer

[anhns26693]

Dear Mr. @jwhui

Can you give me some suggestion about :

1. Question A
   Can I build openthread-border-router with OTBR_WEB=OFF, OTBR_REST=OFF, OTBR_BACKBONE_ROUTER=OFF ?
   Does the can work normally after build with flags above ?

2. Question B
   If I build openthread-border-router with OTBR_WEB=ON, OTBR_REST=ON, OTBR_BACKBONE_ROUTER=ON ,
   Is there any way turn off those feature when running in real system ?

Thank you so much.

[jwhui]

Yes, they are CMake build options so that you can enable/disable them as part of the build.