MeshCore Network Info

Details and info about the Southern Tier MeshCore network.

MeshCore Network Coverage

Color Meaning
Green BIDIR (Bidirectional) - Confirmed two-way coverage.
Cyan DISC (Discovery) - Discovery packet sent and reply heard.
Orange TX (Transmit) - Message sent, but no repeat was heard.
Purple RX (Receive) - Heard traffic while in RX mode.
Grey DEAD - Repeater heard the ping, but it did not make it into the wider mesh.
Red DROP - Failed ping. No repeats heard, did not make it into the wider mesh.

MeshCore Device Roles

MeshCore uses a few clearly defined roles, and each one runs its own firmware. The same hardware can be a companion node, repeater, or room server—it just depends on what you flash to it.


Here’s the breakdown of how each role works and how they fit together.


Companion Node

Companion nodes are your personal, portable devices—the way you actually connect to the mesh.


  • Battery-powered or USB-powered
  • Typically paired to your phone over Bluetooth for messaging
  • Some all-in-one devices (like T-Decks) have screens and keyboards, but they’re not beginner-friendly yet due to rough firmware
  • Do not route packets
  • Can talk directly to other nearby nodes

Bottom line: these are endpoints, not infrastructure. They rely on repeaters to move traffic across the network.

Repeater

Repeaters are the backbone of the mesh. They route packets across the network and extend coverage.


  • Usually powered by USB or wall adapter (some can run on batteries, but they’re not designed for it)
  • Typically mounted in a fixed location (indoors or outdoors)
  • Do not have Bluetooth or a user interface
  • Route packets between companion nodes and other repeaters

Bottom line: these are the infrastructure. They keep the mesh connected and help it grow.

Room Server

Room servers act more like a shared message board or lightweight chat server than a traditional node.


  • Store the last 32 messages sent to them
  • When you connect, you pull messages like checking an inbox
  • Technically capable of repeating, but this is discouraged
  • Not full-featured repeaters and shouldn’t be used as such

Best use case: static chat rooms or shared drop points for messages—not network infrastructure.

Local Settings

Below are the local settings for the MeshCore network in our region. These are based on USA preset.


  • Preset: USA/Canada
  • Frequency: 910.525 MHz
  • Bandwidth (BW): 62.5 kHz
  • Spreading Factor (SF): 7
  • Coding Rate (CR): 5
  • Transmit Power: 22 dBm

Local Channel

A local #stmesh is in use to allow public but scoped discussion that dont flood the general public channel.


Local Room Server

We have a local room server running in the region that anyone can connect to. It’s a great way to test your setup and see messages from the local mesh without needing to connect to the wider network.


  • Server Name: STMesh.net
  • Password: hello

MeshCore Repeater IDs Usage

The 1-Byte Limitation


In 1-byte mode, repeaters are identified using the first two characters of their Public ID (e.g., A1, 4F, 09). Since this is only two hexadecimal digits long, there are only 254 possible combinations (01 to FE...00 and FF are reserved in the MeshCore firmware).


As the number of repeaters in a region increases, it becomes statistically inevitable that two completely different devices will end up with the same Short ID.


When this happens, it is called a Collision.