Building a Meshtastic-to-Internet Bridge

Architecture Overview

A Meshtastic-to-internet bridge connects your local mesh network to internet services - EOC dashboards, email, Slack, webhooks, or databases - so that mesh messages and position data are visible to personnel who are not on the mesh network.

The standard bridge architecture is:

Meshtastic Nodes
 |
 | (LoRa radio)
 |
Gateway Node (USB or WiFi connected)
 |
 | (Meshtastic Python library or MQTT)
 |
Bridge Software (Python)
 |
 |-- MQTT broker (local or cloud)
 |-- Webhook (Discord, Slack, custom EOC dashboard)
 |-- Email relay (SMTP)
 |-- Database (InfluxDB, PostgreSQL)
 |-- Map server (Meshtastic map, custom Leaflet map)

Two Bridge Approaches

Hardware for a Pi-Based Mesh Gateway

• Raspberry Pi 4 or Pi Zero 2W - runs bridge software, MQTT broker, and web interface
• Meshtastic node connected via USB serial - T-Beam or similar with USB-C; connected to Pi USB port; acts as the radio gateway
• Internet uplink: Ethernet (preferred for reliability), USB LTE modem (backup), or satellite terminal (Starlink Mini for major deployments)
• Power: 12V LiFePO4 battery with solar charge controller; Pi and Meshtastic node powered from same battery via 5V regulators
• Enclosure: IP65 NEMA 4X box; keep Pi on a DIN rail mount inside

Python Bridge: Meshtastic API Approach

This is the simplest and most reliable bridge. The meshtastic Python library handles serial communication and message decoding.

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
Meshtastic-to-Webhook Bridge
Forwards mesh text messages and position updates to a webhook endpoint.
Suitable for EOC dashboard integration.

Requirements: pip install meshtastic requests
"""

import meshtastic
import meshtastic.serial_interface
from pubsub import pub
import requests
import json
import logging
import time
from datetime import datetime, timezone

# Configuration - edit these for your deployment
SERIAL_PORT = "/dev/ttyUSB0" # Serial port of gateway Meshtastic node
WEBHOOK_URL = "https://your-eoc-dashboard.example.com/api/mesh" # EOC webhook
SLACK_WEBHOOK = "https://hooks.slack.com/services/YOUR/SLACK/WEBHOOK" # optional Slack
LOG_FILE = "/var/log/mesh_bridge.log"
FORWARD_POSITIONS = True # Set False to suppress position spam
POSITION_INTERVAL_SEC = 60 # Don't forward same node position more often than this

logging.basicConfig(
 level=logging.INFO,
 format="%(asctime)s %(levelname)s %(message)s",
 handlers=[
 logging.FileHandler(LOG_FILE),
 logging.StreamHandler()
 ]
)
log = logging.getLogger("mesh_bridge")

# Rate limiting: track last position forward time per node
last_position_sent = {}

def on_receive(packet, interface):
 """Called when any Meshtastic packet is received."""
 try:
 decoded = packet.get("decoded", {})
 portnum = decoded.get("portnum", "")
 from_id = packet.get("fromId", "unknown")
 to_id = packet.get("toId", "^all")
 rx_time = datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat()

 if portnum == "TEXT_MESSAGE_APP":
 # Text message received
 text = decoded.get("text", "")
 log.info(f"MSG from {from_id} to {to_id}: {text}")
 payload = {
 "type": "message",
 "from": from_id,
 "to": to_id,
 "text": text,
 "timestamp": rx_time
 }
 forward_to_webhook(payload)
 forward_to_slack(f"[MESH] *{from_id}* → *{to_id}*: {text}")

 elif portnum == "POSITION_APP" and FORWARD_POSITIONS:
 position = decoded.get("position", {})
 lat = position.get("latitudeI", 0) / 1e7
 lon = position.get("longitudeI", 0) / 1e7
 alt = position.get("altitude", 0)

 # Rate limit: only forward position if enough time has passed
 now = time.time()
 if from_id in last_position_sent:
 if now - last_position_sent[from_id] < POSITION_INTERVAL_SEC:
 return
 last_position_sent[from_id] = now

 log.info(f"POS from {from_id}: {lat:.5f}, {lon:.5f}, alt {alt}m")
 payload = {
 "type": "position",
 "from": from_id,
 "lat": lat,
 "lon": lon,
 "alt": alt,
 "timestamp": rx_time
 }
 forward_to_webhook(payload)

 elif portnum == "NODEINFO_APP":
 # Node info (name, hardware, etc.)
 user = decoded.get("user", {})
 log.info(f"NODEINFO from {from_id}: {user.get('longName', '')}")

 except Exception as e:
 log.error(f"Error processing packet: {e}", exc_info=True)

def forward_to_webhook(payload):
 """POST payload as JSON to configured webhook."""
 try:
 resp = requests.post(
 WEBHOOK_URL,
 json=payload,
 headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"},
 timeout=10
 )
 if resp.status_code not in (200, 201, 202, 204):
 log.warning(f"Webhook returned {resp.status_code}: {resp.text[:200]}")
 except requests.RequestException as e:
 log.error(f"Webhook delivery failed: {e}")

def forward_to_slack(text):
 """Send a formatted message to Slack channel."""
 if not SLACK_WEBHOOK:
 return
 try:
 requests.post(
 SLACK_WEBHOOK,
 json={"text": text},
 timeout=10
 )
 except Exception as e:
 log.error(f"Slack delivery failed: {e}")

def on_connection(interface, topic=pub.AUTO_TOPIC):
 log.info("Connected to Meshtastic node.")

def main():
 log.info(f"Starting mesh bridge on {SERIAL_PORT}")
 pub.subscribe(on_receive, "meshtastic.receive")
 pub.subscribe(on_connection, "meshtastic.connection.established")

 interface = meshtastic.serial_interface.SerialInterface(SERIAL_PORT)
 log.info("Bridge running. Press Ctrl+C to stop.")
 try:
 while True:
 time.sleep(1)
 except KeyboardInterrupt:
 log.info("Shutting down bridge.")
 finally:
 interface.close()

if __name__ == "__main__":
 main()

Python Bridge: MQTT Approach

For deployments where the Meshtastic node is not directly connected to the bridge server, or where multiple subscribers are needed, the MQTT approach is preferred. First configure the Meshtastic node to publish to your MQTT broker (Settings → MQTT in Meshtastic app or CLI), then use this bridge:

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
Meshtastic MQTT Bridge
Subscribes to Meshtastic MQTT topics and forwards to webhook/email.

Requirements: pip install paho-mqtt requests meshtastic
"""

import paho.mqtt.client as mqtt
from meshtastic.mesh_pb2 import MeshPacket
from meshtastic.portnums_pb2 import PortNum
from meshtastic.mesh_pb2 import Data
from google.protobuf.json_format import MessageToDict
import requests
import logging
import json
import time
from datetime import datetime, timezone

# Configuration
MQTT_BROKER = "localhost" # MQTT broker host (can be local Mosquitto or cloud)
MQTT_PORT = 1883
MQTT_TOPIC = "msh/+/2/json/#" # Meshtastic JSON topic (firmware 2.x)
MQTT_USER = "" # MQTT username if required
MQTT_PASS = "" # MQTT password if required
WEBHOOK_URL = "https://your-eoc-dashboard.example.com/api/mesh"

logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
log = logging.getLogger("mqtt_bridge")

def on_connect(client, userdata, flags, rc):
 if rc == 0:
 log.info("Connected to MQTT broker.")
 client.subscribe(MQTT_TOPIC)
 log.info(f"Subscribed to {MQTT_TOPIC}")
 else:
 log.error(f"MQTT connection failed: rc={rc}")

def on_message(client, userdata, msg):
 try:
 payload = json.loads(msg.payload.decode("utf-8"))
 topic = msg.topic
 log.debug(f"MQTT [{topic}]: {payload}")

 # Meshtastic JSON format (firmware 2.x)
 ptype = payload.get("type", "")
 from_id = payload.get("from", "")

 if ptype == "sendtext":
 text = payload.get("payload", {}).get("text", "")
 log.info(f"MSG from {from_id}: {text}")
 forward({"type": "message", "from": from_id, "text": text,
 "timestamp": datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat()})

 elif ptype == "position":
 pos = payload.get("payload", {})
 lat = pos.get("latitude_i", 0) / 1e7
 lon = pos.get("longitude_i", 0) / 1e7
 log.info(f"POS from {from_id}: {lat:.5f}, {lon:.5f}")
 forward({"type": "position", "from": from_id, "lat": lat, "lon": lon,
 "timestamp": datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat()})

 except Exception as e:
 log.error(f"Error: {e}", exc_info=True)

def forward(data):
 try:
 requests.post(WEBHOOK_URL, json=data, timeout=10)
 except Exception as e:
 log.error(f"Webhook error: {e}")

client = mqtt.Client()
if MQTT_USER:
 client.username_pw_set(MQTT_USER, MQTT_PASS)
client.on_connect = on_connect
client.on_message = on_message
client.connect(MQTT_BROKER, MQTT_PORT, 60)
client.loop_forever()

Use Cases: Pushing Mesh Messages to an EOC Dashboard

The webhook endpoint above can feed any EOC visualization system. Common deployments include:

• Grafana + InfluxDB: Time-series position and message data displayed on live dashboards with map panels. Node positions update in near-real-time.
• Custom Leaflet.js map: A simple HTML/JavaScript page that receives webhook POSTs and updates node positions on an OpenStreetMap background. Can run on a Pi with no internet dependency.
• Discord or Slack channel: Mesh messages forwarded to a comms channel used by EOC staff. Provides visibility without requiring EOC staff to use Meshtastic directly.
• ATAK (Android Team Awareness Kit): Position data from mesh can be converted to CoT (Cursor on Target) XML and fed to ATAK via UDP, displaying mesh nodes on tactical maps alongside other ATAK data sources.

Security Considerations for Public-Facing Bridges

Systemd Service for Automatic Bridge Startup

Save the following as /etc/systemd/system/mesh-bridge.service:

[Unit]
Description=Meshtastic-to-Internet Bridge
After=network.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=pi
WorkingDirectory=/opt/mesh-bridge
ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 /opt/mesh-bridge/bridge.py
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
StandardOutput=journal
StandardError=journal

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable with: sudo systemctl enable mesh-bridge && sudo systemctl start mesh-bridge