Getting Started

In order to interact with your hardware you will need a client that connects over bluetooth or USB. The recommended method of connecting is the official Meshtastic app which is available from the Apple and Android app stores

Once You Are Connected To Your Node

There are some settings that will need to be adjusted when you initially fire up your node.

Set your region – The first time you turn on your node and pair it to your phone you will be prompted to set your Region. Please select the proper country.

Firmware – Once your device has rebooted after setting the region you should update your firmware to at least 2.6.11. There are security and functionality requirements that are addressed starting in 2.6.11. The firmware upgrade process is quick and easy using the Web Flasher on the Meshtastic site

Settings – Now that your node is updated, there are a few settings that need to be adjusted. Below is more information to help you along

• Lora
  • Keep the preset of “Long Range – Fast” if you want to participate in our regional mesh
• Channels
  • Keep the default channel in place.
  • Key size should stay as default and the key is AQ== . It’s okay if you are a licensed amateur radio operate, Since this key is published. publicly, you are allowed to use it.
  • Channel role is primary
  • If you want to add private encrypted channels you can add those as secondary channels
• Security
  • Backup your keys
  • You can use keys for encryption of remote administration of other nodes that you own
• User
  • Long Name – This is the long format of your node name This is what others will see in their node list
  • Short Name – Only 4 characters and will be used for maps
• Bluetooth
  • If you have a device with a screen the pairing mode will be “random”. When you attempt to pair to the node a random pin will display on the screen
  • If you have a device without a screen the pairing mode will be “Fixed Pin”. The default is 123456, it is recommended that you change this to something secure
• Device
  • Device Role – Leave this as a client if it is your only node. You can use Client Mute if you have a secondary node that you use around the house. Please refrain from using Router or Router_Late as it is detrimental to the mesh unless you are a high elevation outdoor node
• Position
  • Broadcast Interval – Change this to 2 hour
  • If this is a node that moves with you or your vehicle enable the the smart position feature and set the minimum interval to 10 minutes
• Telemetry
  • Device and Environment Metrics – Change this to 2 hour minimum
  • Power Options – If you want to broadcast power information about your node you can enable this setting. Change the Power Metrics interval to 2 hours

You are all set and ready to start using the mesh. If there are any other nodes in your area they will start to populate in your node list. Remember, nodes only broadcast information once an hour so you may not see local nodes until a full hour has passed. Check out our best practices page for more information about tuning your node settings.