diff --git a/openthread_border_router/CHANGELOG.md b/openthread_border_router/CHANGELOG.md
index 0e89831e56c..a86c4ee987b 100644
--- a/openthread_border_router/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/openthread_border_router/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 2.6.0
+
+- Add support for network sockets using socat
+
 ## 2.5.1
 - Support Home Assistant Connect ZBT-1.
 
diff --git a/openthread_border_router/Dockerfile b/openthread_border_router/Dockerfile
index 69f7d257faf..af5c9ba6d05 100644
--- a/openthread_border_router/Dockerfile
+++ b/openthread_border_router/Dockerfile
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ RUN \
        python3-pip \
        lsb-release \
        netcat-openbsd \
+       socat \
        sudo \
        git \
        nodejs \
@@ -104,4 +105,4 @@ RUN \
 COPY rootfs /
 
 ENV \
-    S6_STAGE2_HOOK=/etc/s6-overlay/scripts/otbr-web-enable-check.sh
+    S6_STAGE2_HOOK=/etc/s6-overlay/scripts/enable-check.sh
diff --git a/openthread_border_router/config.yaml b/openthread_border_router/config.yaml
index 275a0ab66bf..2a9d33a8cc7 100644
--- a/openthread_border_router/config.yaml
+++ b/openthread_border_router/config.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-version: 2.5.1
+version: 2.6.0
 slug: openthread_border_router
 name: OpenThread Border Router
 description: OpenThread Border Router add-on
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ schema:
   device: device(subsystem=tty)
   baudrate: list(57600|115200|230400|460800|921600)
   flow_control: bool
+  network_device: str?
   autoflash_firmware: bool
   otbr_log_level: list(debug|info|notice|warning|error|critical|alert|emergency)
   firewall: bool
diff --git a/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/otbr-agent/run b/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/otbr-agent/run
index 41dea6a24f4..f2e7bd0c32a 100755
--- a/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/otbr-agent/run
+++ b/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/otbr-agent/run
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ declare otbr_rest_listen_port
 
 backbone_if="$(bashio::api.supervisor 'GET' '/network/info' '' 'first(.interfaces[] | select (.primary == true)) .interface')"
 device=$(bashio::config 'device')
+
+if bashio::config.has_value 'network_device'; then
+    device="/tmp/ttyOTBR"
+fi
+
 baudrate=$(bashio::config 'baudrate')
 flow_control=""
 
diff --git a/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/socat-otbr-tcp/data/check b/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/socat-otbr-tcp/data/check
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..b41abdafe79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/socat-otbr-tcp/data/check
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test -c /tmp/ttyOTBR
+exit
diff --git a/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/socat-otbr-tcp/notification-fd b/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/socat-otbr-tcp/notification-fd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..00750edc07d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/socat-otbr-tcp/notification-fd
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+3
diff --git a/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/socat-otbr-tcp/run b/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/socat-otbr-tcp/run
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..9ae7451c100
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/socat-otbr-tcp/run
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/usr/bin/with-contenv bashio
+# ==============================================================================
+# Start socat TCP client for OTBR agent daemon
+# ==============================================================================
+
+declare network_device
+
+network_device=$(bashio::config 'network_device')
+
+bashio::log.info "Starting socat TCP client for OTBR daemon..."
+exec s6-notifyoncheck -d -s 300 -w 300 \
+    "/usr/bin/socat" -d pty,raw,echo=0,link=/tmp/ttyOTBR,ignoreeof \
+    "tcp:${network_device}"
diff --git a/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/socat-otbr-tcp/type b/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/socat-otbr-tcp/type
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5883cff0cd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/socat-otbr-tcp/type
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+longrun
diff --git a/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/scripts/otbr-web-enable-check.sh b/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/scripts/enable-check.sh
similarity index 55%
rename from openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/scripts/otbr-web-enable-check.sh
rename to openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/scripts/enable-check.sh
index 8bd256fd9f1..072b3ff21f2 100755
--- a/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/scripts/otbr-web-enable-check.sh
+++ b/openthread_border_router/rootfs/etc/s6-overlay/scripts/enable-check.sh
@@ -10,3 +10,13 @@ else
     rm /etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/user/contents.d/otbr-web
     bashio::log.info "The otbr-web is disabled."
 fi
+
+# ==============================================================================
+# Enable socat-otbr-tcp service if needed
+# ==============================================================================
+
+if bashio::config.has_value 'network_device'; then
+    touch /etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/user/contents.d/socat-otbr-tcp
+    touch /etc/s6-overlay/s6-rc.d/otbr-agent/dependencies.d/socat-otbr-tcp
+    bashio::log.info "Enabled socat-otbr-tcp."
+fi
diff --git a/openthread_border_router/translations/en.yaml b/openthread_border_router/translations/en.yaml
index 22d67e1e332..46ecb6930d5 100644
--- a/openthread_border_router/translations/en.yaml
+++ b/openthread_border_router/translations/en.yaml
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ configuration:
   flow_control:
     name: Hardware flow control
     description: Enable hardware flow control for serial port.
+  network_device:
+    name: Network Device
+    description: >-
+      <host:port> when connecting to a device via sockets (takes precedence
+      over above configuration). Not suitable for WiFi or other high latency
+      connections.
   autoflash_firmware:
     name: Automatically flash firmware
     description: >-