In my earlier IoT series, we explored Thread networks and protocols—how they form self-healing IPv6 mesh networks designed for low-power IoT environments. We looked at connectivity over UDP and TCP/HTTP protocols, and how Thread devices can reach the internet using a Border Router. In this article, we move one step further by implementing CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol) — a lightweight, REST-style protocol built on UDP and optimized for constrained devices and low-bandwidth networks.

In previous articles, we explored the Thread Network and its protocol, focusing on the formation, functionality, and topology of the network. Thread is a lightweight, low-power communication protocol for IoT devices, operating on IPv6. We discussed its ability to automatically establish a mesh network and maintain connectivity through its robust topology. We simulated a Thread network using Docker. Now in this article, we’ll create a Thread network between physical devices and connect it to the internet.