OpenThread Border Router Failed setup, will retry: Unable to connect

nascent · May 24, 2025, 3:34pm

I bought a Home Assistant Green and a couple of ZBT-1 (one for thread, one for Zigbee as apparently the dual mode doesn’t work)
However for two days I’ve struggled to get them working properly.
I added the ZBT-1 and selected the ZIgbe and Thread firmware on each

however I get numerous errors, particularly regarding thread:

Home Assistant Connect ZBT-1 (OpenThread Border Router)

No devices or entities

Failed setup, will retry: Unable to connect

I’ve tried disabling Open Thread Border Router and restarting home assistant. Physically unplugging and reconnecting the ZBT-1.
For a while I struggled to discover the ZBT-1, they’d show up I’d go to add, they’d fail then disappear. Sometimes I’d get errors about being unable to determine the radio. I found this post and followed the steps there and managed to finally get the ZBT-1s to add but and still stuck in this error state.

wmaker · May 24, 2025, 5:51pm

Maybe show the logs for the OTBR AddOn.

nascent · May 26, 2025, 11:42pm

hmm i dont see any logs in the /config/integrations/integration/otbr page
I have an enable debug logging option but if I press it I still see no logs on the screen

francisp · May 27, 2025, 7:17am

nascent · May 27, 2025, 10:38am

how do i get to that page? i cant see how to get to that screen in homeassistant

francisp · May 27, 2025, 10:49am

Settings → Add-ons → OpenThread Border Router

nascent · May 27, 2025, 11:19am

ah! thanks.

[13:36:46] INFO: The otbr-web is disabled.
s6-rc: info: service mdns: starting
s6-rc: info: service s6rc-oneshot-runner: starting
s6-rc: info: service mdns successfully started
s6-rc: info: service s6rc-oneshot-runner successfully started
s6-rc: info: service fix-attrs: starting
s6-rc: info: service banner: starting
s6-rc: info: service fix-attrs successfully started
s6-rc: info: service legacy-cont-init: starting
s6-rc: info: service legacy-cont-init successfully started
[13:36:47] INFO: Starting mDNS Responder...
Default: mDNSResponder (Engineering Build) (Jan 14 2025 21:08:25) starting
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Add-on: OpenThread Border Router
 OpenThread Border Router add-on
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Add-on version: 2.13.0
 You are running the latest version of this add-on.
 System: Home Assistant OS 15.2  (aarch64 / green)
 Home Assistant Core: 2025.5.2
 Home Assistant Supervisor: 2025.05.1
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Please, share the above information when looking for help
 or support in, e.g., GitHub, forums or the Discord chat.
-----------------------------------------------------------
s6-rc: info: service banner successfully started
s6-rc: info: service universal-silabs-flasher: starting
[13:36:51] INFO: Checking /dev/ttyUSB0 identifying Home Assistant Connect ZBT-1 from Nabu Casa.
[13:36:51] INFO: Starting universal-silabs-flasher with /dev/ttyUSB0
2025-05-23 13:36:54.766 homeassistant universal_silabs_flasher.flash INFO Extracted GBL metadata: NabuCasaMetadata(metadata_version=2, sdk_version='4.4.4', ezsp_version=None, ot_rcp_version='SL-OPENTHREAD/2.4.4.0_GitHub-7074a43e4' (2.4.4.0), cpc_version=None, fw_type=<FirmwareImageType.OPENTHREAD_RCP: 'openthread_rcp'>, fw_variant=None, baudrate=460800)
2025-05-23 13:36:54.767 homeassistant universal_silabs_flasher.flasher INFO Probing ApplicationType.GECKO_BOOTLOADER at 115200 baud
2025-05-23 13:36:56.804 homeassistant universal_silabs_flasher.flasher INFO Probing ApplicationType.SPINEL at 460800 baud
2025-05-23 13:37:01.148 homeassistant universal_silabs_flasher.flasher INFO Probing ApplicationType.CPC at 460800 baud
2025-05-23 13:37:05.492 homeassistant universal_silabs_flasher.flasher INFO Probing ApplicationType.CPC at 115200 baud
2025-05-23 13:37:09.836 homeassistant universal_silabs_flasher.flasher INFO Probing ApplicationType.CPC at 230400 baud
2025-05-23 13:37:14.179 homeassistant universal_silabs_flasher.flasher INFO Probing ApplicationType.EZSP at 115200 baud
2025-05-23 13:37:15.358 homeassistant universal_silabs_flasher.flasher INFO Detected ApplicationType.EZSP, version '7.1.1.0 build 273' (7.1.1.0.273) at 115200 baudrate (bootloader baudrate None)
2025-05-23 13:37:15.359 homeassistant universal_silabs_flasher.flash INFO Cross-flashing from FirmwareImageType.ZIGBEE_NCP to FirmwareImageType.OPENTHREAD_RCP
2025-05-23 13:37:21.508 homeassistant universal_silabs_flasher.flasher INFO Probing ApplicationType.GECKO_BOOTLOADER at 115200 baud
2025-05-23 13:37:21.560 homeassistant universal_silabs_flasher.flasher INFO Detected bootloader version '2.1.1'
2025-05-23 13:37:21.561 homeassistant universal_silabs_flasher.flasher INFO Detected ApplicationType.GECKO_BOOTLOADER, version '2.1.1' at 115200 baudrate (bootloader baudrate 115200)
skyconnect_openthread_rcp_2.4.4.0_GitHub-7074a43e4_gsdk_4.4.4.gbl
s6-rc: info: service universal-silabs-flasher successfully started
s6-rc: info: service otbr-agent: starting
[13:37:44] INFO: Setup OTBR firewall...
[13:37:45] INFO: Starting otbr-agent...
[NOTE]-AGENT---: Running 0.3.0-b067e5ac-dirty
[NOTE]-AGENT---: Thread version: 1.3.0
[NOTE]-AGENT---: Thread interface: wpan0
[NOTE]-AGENT---: Radio URL: spinel+hdlc+uart:///dev/ttyUSB0?uart-baudrate=460800&uart-flow-control
[NOTE]-AGENT---: Radio URL: trel://end0
[NOTE]-ILS-----: Infra link selected: end0
49d.17:07:42.763 [C] P-SpinelDrive-: Software reset co-processor successfully
00:00:00.037 [N] RoutingManager: No valid /48 BR ULA prefix found in settings, generating new one
00:00:00.042 [N] RoutingManager: BR ULA prefix: fdc8:45c:17ea::/48 (generated)
00:00:00.042 [N] RoutingManager: Local on-link prefix: fdde:ad00:beef:cafe::/64
00:00:00.082 [W] P-Netif-------: Failed to process request#2: No such process
s6-rc: info: service otbr-agent successfully started
s6-rc: info: service otbr-agent-configure: starting
Done
00:00:00.649 [W] P-Daemon------: Daemon read: Connection reset by peer
s6-rc: info: service otbr-agent-configure successfully started
s6-rc: info: service otbr-agent-rest-discovery: starting
00:00:02.636 [N] RoutingManager: Local on-link prefix: fd9a:8474:822:bfd5::/64
00:00:02.655 [N] Mle-----------: Role disabled -> detached
00:00:02.667 [N] P-Netif-------: Changing interface state to up.
00:00:02.689 [W] P-Netif-------: Failed to process request#5: No such process
00:00:03.054 [N] Mle-----------: Attach attempt 1, AnyPartition reattaching with Active Dataset
[13:37:49] INFO: Successfully sent discovery information to Home Assistant.
s6-rc: info: service otbr-agent-rest-discovery successfully started
s6-rc: info: service legacy-services: starting
s6-rc: info: service legacy-services successfully started
00:00:09.554 [N] RouterTable---: Allocate router id 1
00:00:09.554 [N] Mle-----------: RLOC16 fffe -> 0400
00:00:09.558 [N] Mle-----------: Role detached -> leader
00:00:09.558 [N] Mle-----------: Partition ID 0x6225b346
[NOTE]-BBA-----: BackboneAgent: Backbone Router becomes Primary!
00:00:11.228 [W] DuaManager----: Failed to perform next registration: NotFound
00:24:50.367 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
00:24:50.367 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
00:24:50.983 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: radio tx timeout
00:24:50.983 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP failure detected
00:24:50.983 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Trying to recover (1/2)
00:24:51.018 [N] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP recovery is done
00:25:11.091 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
00:25:11.091 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
00:25:11.938 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: radio tx timeout
00:25:11.938 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP failure detected
00:25:11.938 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Trying to recover (1/2)
00:25:11.973 [N] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP recovery is done
00:25:12.189 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
00:25:12.189 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
01:38:19.347 [W] P-HdlcIntface-: Error decoding hdlc frame: Parse
01:38:19.349 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
01:38:19.349 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
01:38:20.451 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
01:38:20.451 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
01:38:21.553 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
01:38:21.553 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
00:24:51.018 [N] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP recovery is done
00:25:11.091 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
00:25:11.091 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
00:25:11.938 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: radio tx timeout
00:25:11.938 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP failure detected
00:25:11.938 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Trying to recover (1/2)
00:25:11.973 [N] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP recovery is done
00:25:12.189 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
00:25:12.189 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
01:38:19.347 [W] P-HdlcIntface-: Error decoding hdlc frame: Parse
01:38:19.349 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
01:38:19.349 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
01:38:20.451 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
01:38:20.451 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
01:38:21.553 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
01:38:21.553 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::9c34:22ff:fe73:7702/veth23f0dff/12
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::9c34:22ff:fe73:7702/veth23f0dff/12
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::9c34:22ff:fe73:7702/veth23f0dff/12
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::9c34:22ff:fe73:7702/veth23f0dff/12
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::9c34:22ff:fe73:7702/veth23f0dff/12
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::9c34:22ff:fe73:7702/veth23f0dff/12
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::9c34:22ff:fe73:7702/veth23f0dff/12
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::6084:ddff:fe24:a908/veth975fa3c/13
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::6084:ddff:fe24:a908/veth975fa3c/13
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::6084:ddff:fe24:a908/veth975fa3c/13
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::6084:ddff:fe24:a908/veth975fa3c/13
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::6084:ddff:fe24:a908/veth975fa3c/13
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::6084:ddff:fe24:a908/veth975fa3c/13
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::6084:ddff:fe24:a908/veth975fa3c/13
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::6084:ddff:fe24:a908/veth975fa3c/13
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::905f:37ff:fe9f:942f/vethd4543f9/14
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::905f:37ff:fe9f:942f/vethd4543f9/14
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::905f:37ff:fe9f:942f/vethd4543f9/14
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::905f:37ff:fe9f:942f/vethd4543f9/14
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::905f:37ff:fe9f:942f/vethd4543f9/14
Default: mDNSPlatformSendUDP got error 99 (Cannot assign requested address) sending packet to ff02::fb on interface fe80::905f:37ff:fe9f:942f/vethd4543f9/14
05:43:27.977 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: radio tx timeout
05:43:27.977 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP failure detected
05:43:27.977 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Trying to recover (1/2)
05:43:28.346 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
05:43:28.346 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
05:43:29.444 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
05:43:29.444 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
05:43:29.977 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Wait for response timeout
05:43:29.977 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP failure detected
05:43:29.977 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Trying to recover (2/2)
05:43:30.009 [N] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP recovery is done
05:43:30.039 [N] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP recovery is done
05:43:30.546 [W] P-HdlcIntface-: Error decoding hdlc frame: Parse
05:43:31.649 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Unexpected Spinel transaction message: 3
05:43:31.649 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Error processing response: Drop
05:43:49.216 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: radio tx timeout
05:43:49.216 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP failure detected
05:43:49.216 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Trying to recover (1/2)
05:43:51.218 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Wait for response timeout
05:43:51.218 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP failure detected
05:43:51.218 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Trying to recover (2/2)
05:43:53.220 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: Wait for response timeout
05:43:53.220 [W] P-RadioSpinel-: RCP failure detected
05:43:53.221 [C] P-RadioSpinel-: Too many rcp failures, exiting
05:43:53.221 [C] Platform------: RecoverFromRcpFailure() at radio_spinel.cpp:2063: Failure
[19:21:39] WARNING: otbr-agent exited with code 1 (by signal 0).
Chain OTBR_FORWARD_INGRESS (0 references)
target     prot opt source               destination         
DROP       all  --  anywhere             anywhere             PKTTYPE = unicast
DROP       all  --  anywhere             anywhere             match-set otbr-ingress-deny-src src
ACCEPT     all  --  anywhere             anywhere             match-set otbr-ingress-allow-dst dst
DROP       all  --  anywhere             anywhere             PKTTYPE = unicast
ACCEPT     all  --  anywhere             anywhere            
otbr-ingress-deny-src
otbr-ingress-deny-src-swap
otbr-ingress-allow-dst
otbr-ingress-allow-dst-swap
Chain OTBR_FORWARD_EGRESS (0 references)
target     prot opt source               destination         
ACCEPT     all  --  anywhere             anywhere            
[19:21:40] INFO: OTBR firewall teardown completed.
s6-rc: info: service legacy-services: stopping
s6-rc: info: service legacy-services successfully stopped
s6-rc: info: service otbr-agent-rest-discovery: stopping
s6-rc: info: service otbr-agent-rest-discovery successfully stopped
s6-rc: info: service otbr-agent-configure: stopping
s6-rc: info: service otbr-agent-configure successfully stopped
s6-rc: info: service otbr-agent: stopping
s6-rc: info: service otbr-agent successfully stopped
s6-rc: info: service legacy-cont-init: stopping
s6-rc: info: service universal-silabs-flasher: stopping
s6-rc: info: service mdns: stopping
Default: mDNSResponder (Engineering Build) (Jan 14 2025 21:08:25) stopping
s6-rc: info: service universal-silabs-flasher successfully stopped
s6-rc: info: service banner: stopping
s6-rc: info: service banner successfully stopped
s6-rc: info: service legacy-cont-init successfully stopped
s6-rc: info: service fix-attrs: stopping
s6-rc: info: service fix-attrs successfully stopped
s6-rc: info: service s6rc-oneshot-runner: stopping
s6-rc: info: service s6rc-oneshot-runner successfully stopped
[19:21:40] INFO: mDNS ended with exit code 4 (signal 0)...
s6-rc: info: service mdns successfully stopped

wmaker · May 27, 2025, 6:19pm

Looks like the OTBR reflashed the ZBT-1 with Thread firmware, but now the OTBR and ZBT-1 aren’t communicating very well. Perhaps, stop the OTBR AddON, unplug the ZBT-1, wait a minute, plug in the ZBT-1 and then start the OTBR AddOn and see what the logs show.

If it is still failing, try configuring the OTBR’s baud rate to 460800

nascent · May 28, 2025, 2:03pm

This seems to have fixed it. Although unplugging and replugging the ZBT-1s was one of the first things I tried, but this time I restarted Home Assistant before replugging in.

Cheers