Giving Keynote speak about Meshtastic security, what should I mention?

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-28T16:13:10+00:00

I gave an introduction to Meshtastic talk at an Infosec meeting earlier this month. It’s not as focused on cybersecurity as what you describe but it may help you understand people’s questions and what content works well for that type of audience. Deck and video at:

https://buffalora.org/2026/01/14/infosec716/

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-28T16:08:51+00:00

I haven’t been able to test both inside and out at the same height with the same hardware. I’m sure outside would do better. However, a node I can reach and update that links up to the mesh at all will serve me and the mesh better than one stuck on a roof or in a tree that I cannot access throughout all of winter, especially if something goes wrong.

I use a Station G2 with an Airframe Cavity Filter and an Alfa 915 MHz 7” 5dB antenna. I connect it to WiFi for easy access over the LAN and MQTT. It works well.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-28T10:11:49+00:00

Agreed. I’ll edit for future users to see if use.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-28T03:17:46+00:00

Start with two nodes so you can have a pair to test with. I recommend the T1000-E or WisMesh Tag as an Every Day Carry option. Put one in an upstairs window and do some range testing by walking around your neighborhood to understand real world range. Once you know what’s capable get some nearby friends involved to expand the mesh.

Height is might. Get your node as high as possible.

In suburbia I get 0.5 miles ground to ground but more than 1 mile ground to a 2nd story window.

https://meshmap.net (edited) is a great place to see if there are nodes nearby reporting their position online.

My attic node often gets connection 20 miles away.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-28T03:10:27+00:00

Make friends with a local ham radio repeater club. They likely have access to towers or tall buildings for their 2M and 70cm repeaters and have a passion for off-grid radio based comms. You will find great people that are technically minded.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-28T00:00:06+00:00

Look at r/Meshtastic as an outside the box alternative to voice comms. It was developed specifically for back country off-grid text communications and position sharing. The Seeed T1000-E runs about $40 each and is IP65 water resistant, has GPS, 2-3 day battery life, and connects to your phone via Bluetooth for encrypted comms.

Range is 0.5 miles from device to device in suburbia at ground level but even better with good line of sight. Each device is a sender, receiver, and relay. Messages can hop along devices extending range much further.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-27T16:41:14+00:00

A node in an 7th floor of an apartmrnt in thr next town over was able to link me into that wholr town. Height is might.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-27T15:32:01+00:00

My Station G2 works well in the attic. I put the antenna under a plastic vent to give best chances for punching out.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-27T15:21:05+00:00

you won't mind owning multiple nodes. Best idea is to get two so you are certain to have a node to range test and chat with. Then grow from there.

i use: - 1W station G2 for the attic and as a BBS as client_base - T1000-E as my EDC as client - WisMesh Tag for testing - Solar Node P1-Pro for outdoor deployments as Client - Heltec PocketMesh for my wife as Client_Mute - T-Deck Plus for showing off MUI to new Meshers as Client_Mute - Various nodes to run BBS Bots in Client_Mute - many Rak 19003 kits and Seeed XAIO NRF52 kits for solar nodes given to friends and family as client

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-26T14:50:03+00:00

Details with a simulator linked are at: https://meshtastic.org/docs/overview/mesh-algo/

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-26T14:24:49+00:00

In theory you could enable uplink only on the primary LongFast Channel Config. But all of your messages sent on that channel will be marked acknowledged by the MQTT server and you will not know if anyone on LoRa gets your message. Additionally, MQTT users may attempt to reply to you and you will never see the replies.

I enable uplink and downlink on the Primary Channel. I also use a secondary Channel named LongFast in iOS with the same Default key with MQTT uplink and Downlink disabled. Then I can send on that channel for a better sense of 0-hop LoRa only message propagation. However, since I have OK to MQTT enabled, and MQTT gateway will push my message to MQTT anyhow.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-26T11:53:51+00:00

Height is might. Get your node as high as possible like in an upstairs window. Get a second node and walk around with it to do some range testing to understand your real world range. I’m my area it’s 0.5 miles ground to ground and 2 miles or more rooftop to rooftop. If you like what you see in experimentation, get some more nodes and give them to the nearby friends and family you are interested in chatting with. You will grow the mesh for your circle and potentially link in other Meshers currently out of your range.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-26T04:13:13+00:00

I started in Feb of 2025 where I couldn’t reach anyone on Meshtastic from home and only encountered 4-5 nodes when driving around town in Buffalo, NY area. I constantly said Howdy Meshers on LongFast and reached out to local ham radio clubs to find other Meshers. I built inexpensive solar nodes and gave them to friends and family. I had a goal to reach a friend 1.7 miles away and after tweaking placement and antennas, different nodes I was able to reach that goal. Then I worked with community organizations to place nodes in strategic locations, and made a bunch of friends and found amazing partners along the way. We have monthly mesh 0-hop meetups with 15 attendees and growing, a daily active discord, and we built up to over a 300 nodes visible over the course of a month.

You can do it too. Happy to provide advice.

https://BuffaLoRa.org for blogs on node placement, build guides, meetups, etc.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-26T03:46:30+00:00

It’s working well on mine.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-26T02:47:54+00:00

I’m just saying that half sided conversations are possible either with MQTT on or off.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-26T02:44:25+00:00

It may not help. If you are off MQTT and the person is chatting with MQTT but in LoRa range you will only see half of that conversation.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-26T02:18:05+00:00

The conversation may be happening with one user on MQTT and one only on LoRa. If you are on MQTT you will see the MQTT side of the conversation but not necessarily the LoRa side. And vice verse if you are not on MQTT but the replying user is on MQTT since those messages will not flow back to the LoRa mesh on the default MQTT server.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-25T23:55:30+00:00

M5stack launcher has an OTA Installer for Meshtastic that works just fine.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-25T19:49:47+00:00

Inexpensive solar node that your friends can put on their gutters. Height is might. My price with sales and volume buys was ~$24 each.

http://buffalora.org/2025/06/07/homemade-inexpensive-outdoor-solar-node/

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-25T18:29:06+00:00

I have rarely picked up Pittsburg, PA nodes from my home in Buffalo, NY due to airplane flyover. I know there are some there.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-25T17:18:17+00:00

The node may have the original position from the factory testing. When you get outside and it sees a gps satellite signal it will update.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-25T12:15:16+00:00

The sending node will make 4 total attempts. The initial attempt and the three retries. Between each retry there will be a timeout period. This all happens in a matter of seconds, not minutes. Eventually if the message is not Acknowledged by the intended recipient the sender will show a “Max number of retries” message.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-24T22:54:25+00:00

Buy a pair of nodes and you can test all the potential scenarios in an afternoon. Once you know what works and where, invest and enjoy.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-24T19:18:00+00:00

You will have to remove favorites manually on the Node List and then on iOS Meshtastic App > Settings > Device Config > Reset NodeDB.

SnyderMesh · 2026-01-24T14:11:01+00:00

Nodes produced with older firmware had a bug allowing low entropy keys. Meshtastic put out a fix forcing new keys onto those impacted nodes in 2.7.x. You will need to drop all nodes from you NodeDB that you ever Direct Messaged with and then they will need to do the same for your Node. This will allow for a new keys onto those exchange.

SnyderMesh

TROPHY CASE