 The increasing demand for Internet of Things, IoT, applications has led to the need for big data analytics. Integrating big data analytics with IoT-based smart cities requires the use of wireless communication protocols, such as the Thread protocol. Thread is IEEE 802.15.4 based and offers advanced capabilities, such as mesh networking, IPv6 support, and multiple gateways, making it a promising option. This paper proposes a low-cost mesh network using Raspberry Pi, NRF 52840 dongle, and OpenThread 1.2, an open-source software implementation of the Thread protocol stack. Real-time tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the developed system, considering parameters such as jitter, packet loss, and round-trip time. Additionally, the impact of varying payload size and bitrate was analyzed to understand the network's robustness. The behavior of the multi-hop network was also examined under link failure scenarios, providing valuable insights into the network's efficiency. This article was authored by Sohei Beniltov-Kottak, Mustafa M. Nazrallah, Halim Farman, and others. We are article.tv, links in the description below.