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Initial Setup Walkthrough

Prerequisites

  • A Meshtastic-compatible device (T-Beam, Heltec, RAK WisBlock, etc.) flashed with current firmware -— use the official flasher at flasher.meshtastic.org.
  • A phone with the Meshtastic app (iOS or Android) or a Chrome-based browser for the web client.
  • An antenna connected before powering the device.

Step 1 -— Connect to the Device

Via Bluetooth: Open the Meshtastic app, tap the + button, and scan for your device. Pair when prompted.

Via USB: Navigate to client.meshtastic.org in Chrome, click New connection → Serial, and select the device's COM/serial port.

Step 2 -— Set the Device Name

Navigate to Config → Device:

  • Long Name: Your full identifier for this node, e.g. KD9XYZ-Hilltop-1. This appears in message headers and node lists.
  • Short Name: Up to 4 characters, shown on the map, e.g. H1.

Step 3 -— Set the Device Role

Config → Device → Role → REPEATER for permanent infrastructure, or ROUTER for nodes that also act as monitoring points. See the Router vs. Repeater Role page for guidance.

Step 4 -— Configure the Channel

The default channel (LongFast or Default) works for joining the public mesh. To match a local community's private channel:

  1. Navigate to Channels → Channel 0.
  2. Set the Name and PSK to match the local standard.
  3. Contact your local Meshtastic community (meshmap.net, Discord, or local club) for the channel name and key.

Step 5 -— Set the Modem Preset

Radio Config → LoRa → Modem Preset -— select the preset your local network uses (typically Long Fast or Medium Slow). Critical: all nodes on the same network must use the same modem preset or they cannot hear each other.

Step 6 -— Configure a Fixed Position

For an unattended repeater without GPS, set a fixed position so the node appears on meshmap.net:

  1. Config → Position → Fixed Position → Enable.
  2. Enter the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the deployment site (look up coordinates with any map app).
  3. Set Position Broadcast Interval to a longer value -— 3600 seconds (1 hour) is appropriate for a static node -— to reduce airtime.

Step 7 -— Power Optimisations (Battery / Solar)

  • Config → Power -— set sleep and minimum wake intervals to the lowest practical values.
  • Enable power-saving mode if using the REPEATER role.
  • Set Screen Timeout to 0 (display always off) to eliminate screen power draw.

Step 8 -— Disable Bluetooth (Optional)

Config → Bluetooth → Enabled → false. This saves power and removes an attack surface on unattended nodes. Note: once Bluetooth is disabled, you will need a USB/serial connection or a configured admin channel to re-enable it remotely.

Step 9 -— Verify Operation

  • Watch the node list for other nearby nodes appearing -— this confirms receive is working.
  • Send a test message and verify it is received on another device.
  • After a short while (typically 15 - 15–30 minutes), confirm the node appears on meshmap.net.
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