Skip to main content

Using meshmap.net and Community Maps

meshmap.net is the primary public Meshtastic network map, displaying nodes from around the world that have enabled MQTT uplink with position reporting. It gives operators a quick view of community coverage without building their own infrastructure.

What meshmap.net Shows

  • Node positions on an interactive map
  • Node names, last seen timestamps, and hardware type
  • Neighbor relationships - which nodes have heard each other directly
  • Signal quality (SNR, RSSI) for recent links
  • Node telemetry where reported (battery, channel utilization)

Getting Your Node on the Map

Requirements to appear on meshmap.net:

  1. Your node must have a GPS fix or fixed position configured
  2. MQTT uplink must be enabled, pointing to mqtt.meshtastic.org (the default Meshtastic public broker)
  3. Position reporting must be enabled (not position_precision = 0)
meshtastic --set mqtt.enabled true
meshtastic --set mqtt.address "mqtt.meshtastic.org"
meshtastic --set mqtt.uplink_enabled true
meshtastic --set position.position_precision 10

Nodes typically appear within 15-30 minutes of enabling MQTT uplink. Position is updated each time the node broadcasts a position packet.

Privacy Considerations

Your node's position is publicly visible on meshmap.net once MQTT uplink is enabled. Consider:

  • Use position precision to reduce location accuracy: precision 10 = ~1km accuracy, precision 7 = ~10km. This shows general area without revealing exact location.
  • Fixed infrastructure repeaters: full precision is usually acceptable and helpful for community planning
  • Personal/portable nodes: reduced precision (or disabling MQTT uplink) may be preferred
meshtastic --set position.position_precision 10

Alternative and Regional Maps

Beyond meshmap.net, several regional communities maintain their own maps:

  • Custom Grafana + Leaflet maps fed by self-hosted MQTT brokers give communities more control over who appears and what data is shown
  • Some communities use ATAK (Android Team Awareness Kit) with Meshtastic integration for a more sophisticated operational picture
  • meshcore.net may show MeshCore nodes in regions with active MeshCore communities

Reading Neighbor Info for Coverage Analysis

The Neighbor Info module in Meshtastic (Config → Modules → Neighbor Info) broadcasts a list of directly-heard nodes to the mesh. When this data reaches meshmap.net, it draws link lines between nodes that can hear each other. These link lines are the basis for understanding your network's topology:

  • Isolated nodes with no link lines - check if repeaters are within range
  • Nodes connected only through a single relay - identify single points of failure
  • Dense link clusters - confirm your urban repeater placement is achieving coverage

No comments to display

Back to top