LPWAN Meshes: MeshTastic - The Gateway Drug

For many new to LPWAN mesh networking, MeshTastic often appears as a starting point due to its affordability and active community. It can get you from zero to sending a basic mesh message relatively quickly. For some, it may seem like a convenient entry into mesh networking.

In this post, I’ll dive into what makes MeshTastic tick, where it excels, and where it falls short based on my own experience using it across various scenarios.

What is MeshTastic?

MeshTastic is an open-source, off-grid mesh communication platform built on LoRa (Long Range) radio technology. It’s designed to let you communicate text messages and location data over long distances without any infrastructure—no cell towers, no internet, no subscription fees. Just radios talking to radios.

The project uses readily available, inexpensive hardware—primarily ESP32-based development boards paired with LoRa transceivers. You can build a node for $30-50, and pre-built devices are available from various suppliers starting around $70-80.

Operating in the Sub-GHz ISM bands (915 MHz in Australia, 868 MHz in Europe, 433 MHz in Asia), MeshTastic achieves impressive range. In ideal conditions with line of sight, nodes can communicate over 10-20 kilometres. Even in less ideal conditions—through buildings, trees, or rolling terrain—you can reliably achieve 2-5 km.

The Hardware Ecosystem

One of MeshTastic’s greatest strengths is its diverse hardware ecosystem. The project supports numerous devices:

• T-Beam and T-Echo from LILYGO - probably the most popular choices, featuring integrated GPS and OLED displays
• RAK WisBlock modules - more modular and expandable
• Heltec LoRa 32 boards - budget-friendly and widely available
• Station G1 and Station G2 - purpose-built MeshTastic devices
• DIY builds using ESP32 + LoRa modules

I’ve personally used the T-Beam extensively. It’s a solid choice for mobile nodes—the integrated GPS is handy for tracking, and the 18650 battery holder means you can run for days on a single charge.

For fixed base stations, I’ve had good results with the Heltec boards in weatherproof enclosures with external antennas. A node mounted on a roof or hill can serve as a relay for a significant area.

Software and User Experience

The MeshTastic ecosystem includes apps for:

• Android and iOS - full-featured mobile apps with mapping
• Web interface - access via browser for configuration
• Python CLI - for automation and integration
• Desktop apps - for Windows, Mac, and Linux

The Android app is particularly polished. You can configure your node, send messages, view network topology, and track nodes on a map—all from your phone via Bluetooth. It’s genuinely user-friendly, which is rare in this space.

Configuration is straightforward through the apps or web interface. You set your region (which determines frequency and power limits), choose a channel, and you’re operational. Want to create a private mesh? Just change the encryption key. Want to extend range? Adjust the spreading factor and bandwidth (trading off speed for distance).

Real-World Performance

In past deployments on a rural property, I observed that MeshTastic nodes, when strategically placed, could achieve a degree of coverage. Messages would route, and the mesh would attempt to self-heal when nodes went offline. However, my observations consistently revealed significant limitations in routing efficiency and overall reliability, particularly when compared to more robust protocols.

The system works well for:

• Text messaging - short messages propagate reliably
• Position tracking - GPS locations update automatically
• Telemetry - basic sensor data (temperature, battery voltage)
• Remote monitoring - checking on distant sheds, water tanks, or gates

However, there are limitations:

• Message size - limited to around 200 bytes
• Throughput - very low data rates (think kilobits per second, not megabits)
• Latency - messages can take seconds or minutes in multi-hop scenarios
• Scalability - networks larger than 50-100 nodes start to struggle

Security Considerations

A significant concern with MeshTastic, particularly in its early iterations, was that security seemed largely an afterthought. While it employs AES-256 encryption for private channels, its implementation raises questions about true robustness for anything beyond casual, non-sensitive use.

The default public channel is unencrypted, meaning anyone with a MeshTastic node can easily intercept these messages. While this facilitates discovery in community meshes, it underscores a foundational lack of privacy-by-design. Even for private communications using a pre-shared key, the protocol reveals routing information, and lacks crucial features like forward secrecy and strong authentication. This makes it unsuitable for genuinely sensitive communications, pushing one to look elsewhere for true data protection.

For private communications, you create a new channel with a pre-shared key. This encrypts the message payload, but routing information (source and destination) remains visible. It’s adequate for keeping your neighbour from reading your messages, but not suitable for genuinely sensitive communications.

There’s no forward secrecy, no authentication beyond the pre-shared key, and no protection against replay attacks. For casual, non-critical communications, this is fine. For anything sensitive, you’d want to look elsewhere (spoiler: that’s why I eventually moved to Reticulum for serious deployments).

Community and Ecosystem

MeshTastic has an impressively active community. The Discord server is bustling with users sharing experiences, troubleshooting issues, and showcasing their deployments. The documentation is generally good, though rapidly evolving firmware sometimes outpaces the docs.

The project benefits from contributions from hundreds of developers. New features are added regularly, bugs get fixed relatively quickly, and hardware support continues to expand.

This active ecosystem means:

• Lots of tutorials and guides from community members
• Quick help when you run into issues
• Hardware availability - multiple suppliers and options
• Innovation - new features and capabilities emerge regularly

Use Cases Where MeshTastic Excels

Based on my experience, MeshTastic is ideal for:

Off-Grid Communication

Hiking, camping, festivals, or any scenario where you need to communicate beyond shouting distance without cell coverage. The low power consumption means nodes can run for days on battery.

Community Networks

Neighbourhoods or rural communities can build shared mesh networks. The default public channel makes discovery easy, and private channels enable secure group communications.

Property Monitoring

Spreading sensors across a large property to monitor gates, water levels, or livestock. The mesh routing means you don’t need line of sight to a central hub—messages hop through intermediate nodes.

Emergency Communications

While not as purpose-built for this as CDP, MeshTastic works well for community emergency nets. When the power goes out and cell towers fail, a mesh network can maintain local communications.

Learning Platform

If you want to understand mesh networking, LoRa radio, or IoT systems, MeshTastic is an excellent learning platform. The barrier to entry is low, the community is helpful, and you’ll learn practical skills.

Where MeshTastic Falls Short

MeshTastic isn’t the answer for everything. Here’s where I’ve found it lacking:

Limited Throughput

The LoRa parameters optimised for range mean very low data rates. You’re not streaming video or transferring files. Text messages and tiny packets of telemetry are the limit.

Scalability and Routing Constraints

From early on, a major drawback of MeshTastic was its rudimentary routing. This simplicity, while seemingly a feature for small networks, quickly became a severe limitation at scale. Large networks (even well below 100+ nodes) rapidly experienced significant congestion and unreliable routing, making the network impractical for anything but very sparse or static deployments. The routing “horribleness” was a primary reason for seeking alternatives.

Fundamental Security Flaws

As previously detailed, MeshTastic’s security, particularly in its earlier stages, felt like an afterthought. While it offered some encryption, it was fundamentally inadequate for anything beyond the most casual and non-sensitive exchanges. The absence of crucial features like key rotation, perfect forward secrecy, and robust cryptographic authentication meant it was never a viable option for communications requiring genuine privacy or integrity. The “security seemed an afterthought” criticism was well-founded.

Power Constraints

While nodes can run for days on battery, continuous GPS operation drains power quickly. Fixed nodes benefit from solar or mains power. Battery-powered mobile nodes need charging every few days with moderate use.

Regulatory Considerations

Operating in ISM bands means following duty cycle limits and power restrictions. In practice, this rarely matters for casual use, but high-traffic networks can hit these limits.

Getting Started

If MeshTastic sounds like it fits your needs, here’s how to get started:

1. Buy hardware - A T-Beam or Heltec board is a good starting point
2. Flash firmware - Use the web flasher (incredibly easy)
3. Install the app - Android, iOS, or desktop
4. Configure your node - Set your region and preferences
5. Find other nodes - Check the MeshTastic map for local meshes or start your own

Budget about $50-100 per node for hardware, and you can build out from there. Start with two or three nodes to understand how the mesh behaves, then expand as needed.

My Verdict

MeshTastic, when viewed through the lens of a simple, accessible, open-source mesh communication platform for casual off-grid and community use, offers a straightforward approach. However, it’s important to recognise it’s not designed as an enterprise-grade solution or a military-spec secure network, and its limitations in those areas are notable.

For most people curious about LPWAN mesh networking, this is where I’d recommend starting. The combination of low cost, good documentation, active community, and genuine capability makes it hard to beat as an entry point.

My early experiences with MeshTastic highlighted its significant shortcomings in security and routing, leading me to discontinue its use for any critical communication or property monitoring. While it might serve basic, non-sensitive tasks, for anything requiring true capability, security, or flexibility, other tools are far more appropriate. My focus has since shifted to platforms that prioritise robustness and privacy.

Next week, I’ll look at MeshCore, a platform that presented itself as a more industrial-focused option for larger, more complex deployments. It addresses many of the deficiencies inherent in simpler, less secure protocols like early Meshtastic.

• Lpwan
• Mesh Networks
• Meshtastic
• Lora
• Open Source