My messages are not getting through

First: identify the failure mode

• Node visible in list but messages do not arrive: routing or range issue
• Node does not appear in list at all: preset, channel, or range issue (see previous page)

Hop count too low

If hop count is 1, you can only reach nodes in direct radio range. Increase it (Meshtastic: Radio Config - LoRa - Hop Limit, default 3 is fine for most networks).

Network congestion

If channel utilization exceeds 25% (visible in Meshtastic app), packets are colliding. Reduce your broadcast intervals for position and telemetry.

ACK failures

Meshtastic uses ACKs to confirm delivery. No ACK means the destination node may be offline or out of range. Check its last-heard timestamp.

Recently joined node

New nodes may not have propagated throughout the mesh yet. Wait 5-10 minutes after joining before expecting full connectivity.

MeshCore specific

MeshCore requires successful route discovery before first contact. If intermediate repeaters are offline, the route cannot be established. Check that all repeaters in the expected path are online.