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).