Northern Minnesota · Off-grid · No license needed
Mesh Settings
Configure your Meshtastic device with these settings so it talks to the rest of Iron Range Mesh. Same region, same preset, same channel — that's all it takes.
These are the shared settings for Iron Range Mesh. As long as everyone uses the same region, modem preset, and primary channel, our devices form one network. You set these once in the Meshtastic app (under Settings → LoRa and Settings → Channels).
LongFast channel with the default key — there's no
custom channel name or PSK to enter. Just match the region and preset below and you're
on the mesh. Because it's the public channel, any nearby Meshtastic user can see it too,
so keep anything sensitive to direct messages or your own private channel.
Core LoRa settings — every node
| Setting | Value | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Region | US | Settings → LoRa |
| Modem preset | Long Range / Fast (LongFast) | Settings → LoRa |
| Frequency slot | Default for the preset (leave unchanged) | Settings → LoRa |
| Primary channel name | LongFast (default public channel) | Settings → Channels |
| Pre-shared key (PSK) | AQ== (default — no custom key) | Settings → Channels |
Long Range / Fast (LongFast) is the Meshtastic default preset and what most public meshes — including other Minnesota networks — run on. It favors range over raw speed, so a new device joins the mesh with no LoRa changes at all.
Device role & timing
How you set your device’s role and broadcast intervals matters a lot for network health. A few well-behaved nodes beat many chatty ones. Pick the profile that matches how your node is used.
Portable / pocket nodes (carried with you)
| Device role | CLIENT_MUTE |
| Node info broadcast | 6 hours (minimum) |
| Telemetry | Disabled |
| Smart position | Disabled — unless you specifically want live tracking |
| Hop limit | 3 in town; up to 5 if coverage is sparse |
Why CLIENT_MUTE? A phone-carried node moving around town shouldn’t be rebroadcasting everyone else’s traffic — it just adds noise. CLIENT_MUTE still sends and receives your messages, it just doesn’t act as a relay.
Stationary outdoor / relay nodes (rooftop, tower, cabin)
| Device role | CLIENT or CLIENT_BASE |
| Node info broadcast | 12 hours (minimum) |
| Telemetry | 6 hours, or disabled |
| Smart position | Disabled (or 18+ hour interval if enabled) |
| Hop limit | 1–2 for an unmonitored relay |
A high, well-placed stationary node is the single best thing you can add to the mesh. If you have a rooftop, a tower, or a tall tree at the cabin, you can fill a big coverage gap for the whole Range.
A note on hop limits
Every hop a message takes uses airtime for the entire network. Keep hop limits as low as you can while still reaching the people you talk to. Three hops covers a surprising distance once we have nodes spread out. Only bump it up if you genuinely can’t reach the mesh.
MQTT
We keep MQTT off on the default channel to avoid flooding the public network and to keep local traffic local. If the group runs a community MQTT gateway for the map or monitor, settings will be posted here and in Discord.
Stuck on any of this? Bring your device to a meetup or ask in Discord — someone will walk you through it.