In our previous article, we set up a commissioner within a Thread network by starting the commissioner from a thread node. However, a Thread network can also be provisioned using an external commissioner outside the thread network.

This article will guide you through the configuration of an external commissioner for a Thread network using a Commissioner CLI setup on a mac/linux pc.

Commissioner CLI

The Commissioner CLI can be built on macOS or Linux using the following steps:

Build Commissioner CLI

Clone the ot-commisioner repository and build it.

$ git clone https://github.com/openthread/ot-commissioner
$ cd ot-commissioner
$ ./script/bootstrap.sh
OS is Darwin
==> Updating Homebrew...
Updated 3 taps (homebrew/services, homebrew/core and homebrew/cask).
==> New Formulae
bombardier        cspell            dyff              flow-control      garnet            mdq               ruby-lsp          taskflow          vscli             zns



$ mkdir build

$ cd build 

$ cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr/local -GNinja .
-- The C compiler identification is AppleClang 16.0.0.16000026
-----

$ ninja -j1

Install Commissioner CLI

Install the commissioner CLI using ninja

$ sudo ninja install
[0/1] Install the project...
-- Install configuration: "Debug"
-- Installing: /usr/local/etc/commissioner
-- Installing: /usr/local/etc/commissioner/active-dataset.json
-- Installing: /usr/local/bin/commissionerd.py
-- Installing: /usr/local/bin/commissioner_ctl.py
-- Installing: /etc/systemd/system/commissionerd.service

Run Commissioner CLI

On successful installation Commissioner CLI should be available to run with commissioner-cli command, and we can run commissioner commands

$ commissioner-cli             
   ____  ______                                   _           _                          ________    ____
  / __ \/_  __/   _________  ____ ___  ____ ___  (_)_________(_)___  ____  ___  _____   / ____/ /   /  _/
 / / / / / /_____/ ___/ __ \/ __ `__ \/ __ `__ \/ / ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ \/ _ \/ ___/  / /   / /    / /  
/ /_/ / / /_____/ /__/ /_/ / / / / / / / / / / / (__  |__  ) / /_/ / / / /  __/ /     / /___/ /____/ /   
\____/ /_/      \___/\____/_/ /_/ /_/_/ /_/ /_/_/____/____/_/\____/_/ /_/\___/_/      \____/_____/___/

>

Connecting with Border Router

In a previous article, we set up a Border Router on a Raspberry Pi, where we could start and manage a Thread network through a web interface as well.

Find the IoT Practices Publication for more details.

To connect an external commissioner to the Border Router, we need:

• Border Router Agent Address
• Border Router Agent Port
• Pre-Shared Key for Commissioner (PSKc)

Getting Border Agent Address and Port

The Border Router can be discovered using the DNS service name _meshcop._udp.local. Run the following command on the system where the Commissioner CLI is installed:

$ dns-sd -B  _meshcop._udp local
Browsing for _meshcop._udp.local
DATE: ---Fri 28 Feb 2025---
14:48:22.014  ...STARTING...
Timestamp     A/R    Flags  if Domain               Service Type         Instance Name
14:48:22.017  Add        2  15 local.               _meshcop._udp.       OpenThread BorderRouter #EA14

Notice the instance name OpenThread BorderRouter #EA14 and list more details for it

$ dns-sd -L "OpenThread BorderRouter #EA14" _meshcop._udp local        
Lookup OpenThread BorderRouter #EA14._meshcop._udp.local
DATE: ---Fri 28 Feb 2025---
14:47:21.379  ...STARTING...
14:47:21.572  OpenThread\032BorderRouter\032#EA14._meshcop._udp.local. can be reached at kuldeep.local.:49154 (interface 15)
 rv=1 id=??AF\\x1B?T?2?H???? vn=OpenThread mn=BorderRouter nn=OpenThreadDemo xp=\\x11\\x11\\x11\\x11\"\"\"\" tv=1.4.0 xa=??\\x02\\x16???\\x14 sb=\\\x00\\\x00\\x0F? at=\\\x00\\\x00\\\x00\\\x00\\\x00\\x01\\\x00\\\x00 pt=\\x01?1k sq== bb=? dn=DefaultDomain omr=@?\\x04\$\\x1Aj?\\\x00\\x01

• Address: kuldeep.local. (or the IPv4/IPv6 address of the Raspberry Pi)
• Port: 49154

Getting PSKc

If the PSKc is already set on the Border Router, retrieve it by running following on border router (Raspberry Pi terminal):

kuldeep@kuldeep:~ $ sudo ot-ctl pskc
445f2b5ca6f2a93a55ce570a70efeecb
Done
kuldeep@kuldeep:~ $ 

If the PSKc is not available, generate it using the PSKc generator with the Network Name, Extended PAN ID, and Passphrase:

kuldeep@kuldeep:~ $ cd ~/ot-br-posix/build/otbr/tools
kuldeep@kuldeep:~/ot-br-posix/build/otbr/tools $./pskc j01Nme 1111111122222222 OpenThreadDemo
445f2b5ca6f2a93a55ce570a70efeecb

Start Commissioner

Set PSKc in commissioner configuration and start the commissioner with address and port.

$ commissioner-cli                                                      
   ____  ______                                   _           _                          ________    ____
  / __ \/_  __/   _________  ____ ___  ____ ___  (_)_________(_)___  ____  ___  _____   / ____/ /   /  _/
 / / / / / /_____/ ___/ __ \/ __ `__ \/ __ `__ \/ / ___/ ___/ / __ \/ __ \/ _ \/ ___/  / /   / /    / /  
/ /_/ / / /_____/ /__/ /_/ / / / / / / / / / / / (__  |__  ) / /_/ / / / /  __/ /     / /___/ /____/ /   
\____/ /_/      \___/\____/_/ /_/ /_/_/ /_/ /_/_/____/____/_/\____/_/ /_/\___/_/      \____/_____/___/

> state
disabled
[done]
> config set pskc 445f2b5ca6f2a93a55ce570a70efeecb
[done]
> start 192.168.1.7 49154
[done]
> joiner enableall meshcop J01NME
[done]
> state
active
[done]
> 

Join Thread Network

Try to Join your Joiner implemented earlier or just use ot commands on a thread node.

>joiner start <PSKd>