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.
Would it be possible to use a companion node to establish a private channel between two or more other companion nodes, or does there need to be a repeater in the mix? AKA: Could I use a node at my location and another one at a friend’s location to talk to each other either with or without using your repeater? I’m thinking about a very low bandwidth path for console access to devices that otherwise would use internet (similar to a remote KVM port for router console access) but LORA nodes for when the internet goes out. Thanks for any pointers!
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I believe that what you are suggesting is indeed possible. A private channel can be established, and a peer-to-peer system can be set up. I can experiment with my two companion nodes.
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Hi Bill! This is very impressive – even though I only understood the first sentence in each of your paragraphs, with the exception of the final paragraph, beginning with, “Mesh Core uses channels.” I understood those 4 sentences.
In any case, it’s good to hear from you, and I’m sure that you enjoyed planning and working on this project. 🍂 🍁 Marcia 🍁 🍂
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