Choosing Your Protocol and Channel
Choosing Your Protocol and Channel
The two dominant LoRa mesh protocols for community networks are MeshCore and Meshtastic. They are not interoperable - nodes must use the same protocol to communicate.
Protocol Comparison
| Feature | MeshCore | Meshtastic |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure model | Dedicated repeaters + companion nodes | Peer-to-peer; any node can relay |
| Room servers | Yes - built-in store-and-forward | No native equivalent |
| MQTT gateway | Community brokers (letsmesh.net) | Official public broker (mqtt.meshtastic.org) |
| Regional scoping | Yes - ISO 3166-2 region system | No |
| App | MeshCore companion app | Meshtastic app (iOS/Android) |
| Hardware compatibility | ESP32 and nRF52840 boards with SX1262 radio (Heltec V3, RAK4631, T114, T-Beam v1.2+) | ESP32 and nRF52 boards |
| Large existing network | RegionMesh (2,500+ US repeaters) | Meshtastic worldwide (meshmap.net) |
General Guidance
- If your area has an existing RegionMesh presence or you want to contribute to a nationwide infrastructure, choose MeshCore.
- If your community already uses Meshtastic or you need nRF52 hardware compatibility, choose Meshtastic.
- Running both is possible with dedicated gateway hardware, but adds operational complexity.
Channel Selection for MeshCore
Most North American MeshCore networks use the USA/Canada preset: 910.525 MHz / 62.5 kHz BW / SF7 / CR5. This is the default for RegionMesh, NoDakMesh, and others.
If your area has a pre-existing local MeshCore deployment on different settings, match those settings to join that network. Check locally first - then default to the USA/Canada preset.
Channel Selection for Meshtastic
- LongFast preset is the most common - used by NoDakMesh's Meshtastic segment and many other communities.
- Default channel key:
AQ== - Hop limit: 3 (default; increase only if you have specific reason to)
Do not use a custom channel key unless your community has a specific reason to create a private channel. Using the default key ensures maximum interoperability with travelers and other local nodes.
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