Guides & Docs

Explore our community hardware and node assembly walkthroughs.

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Flashing Meshcore to your device

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1. Prepare Your Equipment

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• supported LoRa hardware node (companion, repeater, or room server).
• high-quality USB data cable (charge-only cables will not work).
• computer running Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (required for USB WebSerial access).
• smartphone (Android or iOS) for daily messaging.

2. Flash the Firmware

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• Connect your LoRa device to your computer via the USB data cable.
• Open meshcore.io in Chrome or Edge.
• Select your exact board/device model from the list.
• Choose your intended firmware role (such as Companion Bluetooth for a phone-linked node, or Repeater).
• Check the box to Erase Device if it is your first time flashing.
• Click Flash and grant the browser permission to connect to the serial/DFU port.
• Wait for the installation to finish.

3. Connect and Configure via the App

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• Unplug your node from the computer and power it on.
• Download the MeshCore app from the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, or via meshcore.io for desktop/web.
• Turn on your phone’s Bluetooth, open the app, and select your node from the discovered device list.
• Enter the pairing PIN shown on your node’s screen (or use default 123456 if the screenless device requires it).
• Select your local regional frequency preset (e.g., USA/Canada or USA depending on firmware version) within the app settings to match local regulations.

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Special Notes and Settings

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Companion Nodes

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1. Change Default Path Hash Size

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• Go to Settings - Network Settings
• Change to 2-byte (max 32 hops)

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Repeater Nodes

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1. Change Default Path Hash Size

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• Go to Settings - Network Settings
• Change to 2-byte (max 32 hops)

2. Set Advert Intervals (These will change as the network builds)

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• Go to Settings - Advert Intervals
• Set Auto Advert (Zero Hop) to 60 minutes
• Set Auto Advert (Flood) to 4 hours

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Channels (Add the following public channels to your companion node as desired.)

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It is recommended to at least add #test and use that channel for all equipment tests, pings, etc.

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• Testing - #test
• Ham Radio - #hamradio
• New York State - #us-ny

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Observer Nodes (configuration guide coming soon)

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Observer nodes relay all packets they hear to MQTT servers on the internet. This information is used for mapping and network analyses. If possible, an observer node for each community is desired.

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