Mesh networking is an off-grid communications system that uses affordable, small long-range radio hardware. It operates in the 915 MHz industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band and requires no license. It sends and receives brief text messages.
The MeshCore firmware uses repeaters to relay messages up to 64 hops, covering a large area. However, most use 2-byte packets, which limits the number of hops to 32. This practice reduces the possibility of a node having the same ID.
I have set up a solar-powered repeater. I have also set up a companion node to interact with the network and the repeater as the administrator. I flashed both with MeshCore firmware.
You can buy the hardware online for under $200 for a ready-to-go repeater and under $100 for companion nodes. You only need a companion node to get into Mesh communication.
You can flash and configure the MeshCore firmware through a simple interface on the MeshCore website. After configuration, you can access the companion via Bluetooth and a MeshCore app for PC, iOS, or Android. You can also access it from the web. You can also manage repeaters through the apps.
MeshCore uses channels. The Public channel is available to all. You can set up other public and private channels. You can also limit them to a specified region.
