Advanced Configuration for Infrastructure Nodes
Infrastructure nodes (routers, backbone repeaters) require additional configuration beyond the defaults to operate efficiently and reliably in a production network.
Power Management
InfrastructureThe nodesROUTER shouldrole neverautomatically uses power-saving sleep on ESP32 boards (the LoRa radio stays in standby so it can wake on incoming packets) - theythis cannot be disabled. If you need BLE, WiFi, or serial to receivestay andcontinuously relayavailable trafficon atan allinfrastructure times:node, use the CLIENT or ROUTER_LATE role instead. The settings below affect non-router nodes:
# DisableLight-sleep tuning (note: power.is_power_saving false is already the
# default for non-router roles, but ROUTER force-enables sleep for always-on infrastructure nodes:ESP32):
meshtastic --set power.is_power_saving false
meshtastic --set power.ls_secs 0 # 0 =selects nothe DEFAULT 5-minute light-sleep interval (it does NOT disable light sleep
meshtastic --set power.on_battery_shutdown_after_secs 0 # 0 = never shut downsleep)Telemetry Configuration
Infrastructure nodes can report their own health metrics to the network:
# Enable device telemetry (battery, voltage, uptime) - firmware default is 1800 s (30 min):
meshtastic --set telemetry.device_update_interval 9001800 # every 1530 min
# Enable environment telemetry (if sensor equipped):
meshtastic --set telemetry.environment_update_interval 1800
# DisableReduce position telemetryairtime ifon usinga fixed positionnode by setting a long broadcast interval
# (savessetting bandwidth)0 does NOT disable broadcasts):
meshtastic --set position.position_broadcast_secs 0900Hop Limit for Infrastructure Nodes
InfrastructureMeshtastic nodesrecommends oftenleaving serve as backbone relays and may need a higherthe hop limit thanat the default of 3 to(maximum ensure7). messagesIncreasing canit crossrarely theimproves fullcoverage network:and significantly increases channel congestion; address coverage gaps with better-placed router nodes instead of more hops:
# IncreaseDefault hopis limit3; foronly backboneraise nodes:this if you genuinely need it:
meshtastic --set lora.hop_limit 53
# Note: Higher hop limit increases channel utilization.utilization and rarely helps coverage.
# OnlyPrefer useadding 5-7well-placed hopsrouters whenover youraising havethe largehop geographic coverage requirements.count.Ignore MQTT Setting
If your network has an MQTT gateway, configuresetting infrastructurelora.ignore_mqtt=true nodesmakes toa NOTnode re-broadcastdrop LoRa packets that cameentered the mesh via MQTT, which can reduce duplicate or looped traffic from MQTTthe (to prevent message loops):gateway:
# Preventignore_mqtt MQTT-originatedtells packetsthe node not to re-transmit over radio any packet that
# arrived from beingthe re-broadcastinternet over(MQTT), LoRa:which prevents echo loops:
meshtastic --set lora.ignore_mqtt trueAdmin Channel Configuration
Set up a separate admin channel for network operations traffic, separate from the public community channel:channel. The ops-channel PSK must be a cryptographically random 256-bit key generated by the app (use psk random), not a human-typed string:
# Add a second channel for admin use:use (--ch-add both creates and names it):
meshtastic --ch-add meshtastic --ch-index 1 --ch-set name "OpsNet"OpsNet
meshtastic --ch-index 1 --ch-set psk "your-ops-channel-key="random # generates a secure random key; or supply a valid base64 32-byte key
meshtastic --ch-index 1 --ch-set uplink_enabled false # don't bridge to MQTT
meshtastic --ch-index 1 --ch-set downlink_enabled falseConfiguration Backup
Always save configuration before deploying. A failed SD card or corrupted firmware update can lose your settings:settings. The export is YAML, not JSON, and is restored with --configure:
# Export full config to JSON:YAML:
meshtastic --export-config > node-config-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).jsonyaml
# Restore from backup:
meshtastic --import-configconfigure node-config-backup-20260101.jsonyaml