# Room Server Setup & Configuration

### Step 1 - Flash Room Server Firmware

<span style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Use the MeshCore web flasher at </span>[flasher.meshcore.io](https://flasher.meshcore.io)<span style="white-space:pre-wrap;">. Select your hardware (e.g., Heltec V3) and choose the </span>**Room Server**<span style="white-space:pre-wrap;"> firmware variant.</span>

### Step 2 - Connect via Serial or Bluetooth

<span style="white-space:pre-wrap;">Connect via USB serial at </span>**115200 baud**<span style="white-space:pre-wrap;"> using a terminal emulator (PuTTY, screen, minicom) or via Bluetooth using the MeshCore companion app.</span>

### Step 3 - Immediate Security: Change Default Passwords

Before anything else, change both default passwords. The defaults are publicly documented and must not remain in production:

```
password yourSecureAdminPassword
set guest.password yourSecureGuestPassword
```

These are the two passwords a room server uses (admin and guest). For finer control you can also assign per-companion permissions with `setperm <pubkey> <level>` (Guest / Read-only / Read-write / Admin), and enable unauthenticated read-only access with `set allow.read.only on` (default off). This is a two-password-plus-ACL model, not a single three-tier password ladder.

### Step 4 - Set Node Identity and Location

```
set name MyRoomServer
set lat 46.879682
set lon -96.789803
```

Accurate coordinates allow the room server to appear correctly on network maps and help users gauge how far they are from it.

### Step 5 - Verify Radio Preset

The room server's radio settings must match the network. The MeshCore USA/Canada preset (as of 2026-06-08) for most North American MeshCore networks ([NoDakMesh](https://wiki.meshamerica.com/books/north-american-networks/page/nodakmesh), [RegionMesh](https://wiki.meshamerica.com/books/north-american-networks/page/regionmesh), etc.) is:

- Frequency: 910.525 MHz
- Bandwidth: 62.5 kHz
- Spreading Factor: SF7
- Coding Rate: CR5

Prefer applying the named USA/Canada preset from the firmware menu or companion app rather than hand-entering these values - that sets them automatically and avoids landing off the network if the preset has changed. Verify against the current MeshCore preset for your region before relying on the numbers above.

### Step 6 - Optional: Enable Repeat Mode

If there is no separate repeater at this location, you can enable packet relay on the room server:

```
set repeat on
```

<span style="white-space:pre-wrap;">See </span>**[Dual Deployment: Repeater + Room Server](https://wiki.meshamerica.com/books/room-servers-gateways/page/dual-deployment-repeater-room-server)**<span style="white-space:pre-wrap;"> for why a dedicated repeater device is preferred over this option.</span>

### Step 7 - Broadcast Presence

Trigger an immediate advertisement so other nodes discover the room server without waiting for the next scheduled broadcast:

```
advert
```

### Complete Configuration Reference

```
set guest.password yourGuestPassword
password yourAdminPassword
set name MyRoomServer
set lat 46.879682
set lon -96.789803
set repeat on # optional: also relay packets
advert # broadcast presence immediately
```