MeshCore CLI Reference

Connecting to Your Device
Full Command Reference
Key Repeater Settings

Connecting to Your Device

The MeshCore CLI (meshcore-cli) supports three connection methods. Choose the one that matches your hardware and situation.

Serial (USB)

The most reliable method. Connect your device via USB and specify the serial port with -s:

meshcore-cli -s /dev/ttyUSB0

The serial port must be given explicitly with -s — it is not auto-detected. Use the port that matches your system:

meshcore-cli -s /dev/ttyUSB0   # Linux/macOS
meshcore-cli -s COM3           # Windows

If you need to set a non-default baud rate, pass it with -b (for example -b 115200). MeshCore serial consoles commonly run at 115200, matching the firmware's default, but set it explicitly with -b if your connection fails.

Bluetooth (BLE)

Connect wirelessly to a nearby device. BLE is the default transport — scan for devices and pick one with -S, or target a known device directly with -a <address> or -d <name>:

meshcore-cli -S                # scan and select a BLE device
meshcore-cli -a <ble-address>   # connect to a known device

If the device does not appear, ensure it is powered on and not already connected to the MeshCore app. A BLE companion connection is a single GATT link, so generally only one client can connect at a time.

TCP (Wi-Fi / LAN)

Connect to a device that exposes a TCP interface (useful for remote administration of fixed nodes). Use -t for the host and -p for the port:

meshcore-cli -t 192.168.1.100 -p 5000

Replace the IP with the device's actual address. Port 5000 is the meshcore-cli TCP default.

Verifying Connection

Once connected, run infos (shortcut i) to confirm the connection and see device details:

infos

The infos output includes the node's public key, node name, TX power, location (lat/lon), and radio configuration (frequency, bandwidth, spreading factor, coding rate). Firmware version is shown by the separate ver command, and battery/telemetry by self_telemetry (shortcut t).

Full Command Reference

MeshCore has two command surfaces. The device-side serial CLI (canonical reference: docs.meshcore.io/cli_commands) uses bare get/set verbs and is used to configure repeaters and room servers over USB serial. The host tool meshcore-cli (invoked as meshcore-cli/meshcli) connects to a companion radio over BLE, TCP, or Serial; commands can be passed on the command line or entered in interactive chat mode. The tables below note which surface each command belongs to.

Device Information & Status

Command	Purpose
`infos` (alias `i`)	meshcore-cli: print node info (public key, TX power, radio params, name, location). For firmware version use `ver`; for battery/telemetry use `self_telemetry` / `req_status`.
`stats-radio` / `stats-core` / `stats-packets`	Serial CLI: radio stats (noise floor, RSSI/SNR, airtime), core stats (battery, uptime, queue), and packet counters. There is no bare `status` command.
`contacts` / `list` (alias `lc`)	meshcore-cli: list known contacts (nodes you have received adverts from). Use `node_discover <filter>` (`nd`) to discover nodes by type, or `neighbors` on a repeater's serial CLI.
`get <param>`	Read a setting (e.g. `get radio`, `get name`, `get tx`). Run `get help` for the parameter list. There is no `config get` command.

Configuration

Command	Purpose
`set name <name>`	Set the node name (no `config set` prefix).
`set tx <dbm>`	Set LoRa transmit power in dBm (valid 1–22 for SX1262). Choose a value that keeps EIRP within your region's limit — 36 dBm EIRP in the US per FCC Part 15.247. Setting too high may violate local law.
`erase`	Restore factory defaults. Serial-only and destructive. There is no `config reset` command.
`set lat <degrees>`	Set latitude in degrees.
`set lon <degrees>`	Set longitude in degrees.
`password <new_password>`	Set the admin password. Any node presenting this password is added to the admin ACL.

Messaging

Command	Purpose
`msg <name> <message>` (alias `m`)	meshcore-cli: send a direct message to a contact by name.
`public <message>` or `chan <nb> <message>`	meshcore-cli: send to the public channel (0) or to channel number <nb>. Channel messages flood to subscribers. There is no `broadcast` command.
`msgs_subscribe` (alias `ms`)	meshcore-cli: display messages as they arrive. Use `recv` (`r`) / `wait_msg` (`wm`) to read them, or chat mode. There is no `listen` command.

Network & Routing

Command	Purpose
`advert`	Trigger immediate advertisement broadcast (flood). Use `advert.zerohop` for a zero-hop advert.
`set flood.advert.interval <hours>`	Flood advert interval in hours (valid 3–168; default 12).
`set path.hash.mode <0\|1\|2>`	Advert path hash size (0=1-byte, 1=2-byte, 2=3-byte; default 0). Affects only this node's own adverts, not forwarding or routing-table behaviour; requires firmware ≥ 1.14.
`region put <name> [parent]`	Create a region. Names are user-defined (e.g. `region put #USA`) — there are no predefined US/state scopes. Flooding must be enabled separately.
`region put <child> <parent>`	Create a nested region under a parent (e.g. `region put #Colorado #USA`). Names are user-defined, not ISO/region codes.
`region save`	Save region configuration.

Repeater & Room Server

Command	Purpose
`set agc.reset.interval <seconds>`	AGC reset interval in seconds (rounded down to a multiple of 4; 0 disables). Helps with receiver desensitization.
`set repeat <on\|off>`	Enable/disable packet repeating on a repeater or room server (default on).

Firmware & Maintenance

Command	Purpose
`reboot`	Restart the device.
`start ota`	Initiate an over-the-air firmware update (nRF52). Otherwise flash via the MeshCore web flasher or esptool/UF2. There is no `flash` command.

Key Repeater Settings

These settings are most critical for deploying and maintaining MeshCore repeater and room server nodes.

AGC Reset Interval - Fix Receiver Deafness

set agc.reset.interval 8

Problem it solves: If a high-power transmitter (such as a nearby ham radio or commercial repeater) is within range, the LoRa receiver's automatic gain control (AGC) can be driven into a saturated state. After the nearby transmission ends, the AGC does not always recover correctly, leaving the MeshCore repeater effectively deaf to normal LoRa signals.

Symptom: The repeater was working, a nearby radio transmission occurred, and now the repeater is not hearing any nodes even though they are transmitting normally.

Fix: The value is in seconds (rounded to a multiple of 4; 0 disables the periodic reset). Setting agc.reset.interval 8 forces the AGC to reset every 8 seconds, preventing permanent desensitization.

Flood Advertisement Interval

set flood.advert.interval 47

Controls how often the repeater floods its advert (presence). The value is in hours (valid 3-168, default 12). Lower values mean neighbors discover the repeater faster after power-on, but generate more radio traffic. 47 hours is a reasonable setting for a fixed infrastructure node on a busy mesh. Small meshes can advert more frequently.

Path Hash Mode

set path.hash.mode 2

Sets the size of this repeater's own advert path-hash (it does not control message-cache granularity or forwarding):

0 - 1-byte hash: default; minimal overhead, higher chance of hash collision in large networks
1 - 2-byte hash: more precision at slightly higher overhead
2 - 3-byte hash: highest precision; use in very large networks where collisions are observed. Recommended.

Packet Repeat (Room Server)

set repeat on

On room server firmware, this enables the node to also act as a packet repeater in addition to its store-and-forward function. Only enable if the room server has good placement; a poorly-placed room server acting as a repeater can cause more harm than good to routing.

TX Power

set tx 20

TX power is set with set tx <dbm>, valid range 1-22 dBm (the SX1262 maximum is 22). For unlicensed operation in the US 902-928 MHz band, the 30 dBm (1 W) conducted limit is set by FCC Part 15.247, not Part 97. (Part 97 - licensed amateur - allows up to 10 W PEP for spread spectrum under 47 CFR 97.313(j), but it requires a license, prohibits encryption, and requires station ID, so default-encrypted MeshCore cannot lawfully run under Part 97.) Antennas over 6 dBi require a dB-for-dB reduction in conducted power. More power is not always better - an overdriven signal can desensitize nearby receivers including your own.

Region Configuration

region put us
region put us-co us
region save

Region scopes control which nodes can see and communicate through this repeater. The hierarchical scheme (us › us-co) allows regional segmentation in large deployments.

Name and Location

set name MyRepeater-Site1
set lat 39.7392
set lon -104.9903

Always set a meaningful name and accurate coordinates for infrastructure nodes. This allows map tools (such as the MeshCore map at meshcore.co.uk/map.html) to display the repeater correctly and helps operators diagnose coverage gaps.