MeshCore terms
A practical explanation of the words and terms you often run into around MeshCore and mesh networks.
Useful when you are just getting started
At LocalMesh we try to explain things as clearly as possible. Even so, you will come across words that are not obvious right away. This page explains the most important terms in plain language.
Devices and roles
These are the words you will often see when people talk about hardware in the network.
Node
A device that takes part in the mesh network. That can be your own device or a repeater on a fixed location.
Companion
The small device you use to read and send messages. You usually pair it with your phone or computer.
Repeater
A node that helps move messages further through the network. That is how the network can cover more area.
Room server
An extra role some groups use for shared conversations or group communication.
Antenna
The part that receives and sends radio signals. A good antenna and a good location make a big difference for range.
BLE
Bluetooth Low Energy. This is the wireless connection between your companion and your phone.
Network and messages
These terms describe how messages move through the network.
Mesh
A network in which multiple nodes are connected and messages can travel through intermediate devices.
Hop
One step from one device to the next. A message can take several hops before it arrives.
Scope
Defines within which group, region or limit a message is meant to spread.
Region
An agreed area or structure used to organise traffic and repeater behaviour more logically.
Direct message
A private message sent to one specific recipient instead of a group.
ACK
A short acknowledgement that confirms a message arrived or was received.
TTL
Time to Live. This sets how many steps or hops a message may take at most.
Radio and range
These words relate to LoRa, signal quality and transmit time.
LoRa
The radio technology used to send messages over longer distances with low power use.
868 MHz
The frequency band commonly used for LoRa devices in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe.
Airtime
The amount of radio time a single message takes up. More airtime means less room for other traffic.
Duty cycle
The legal limit on what share of the time you are allowed to transmit within a given band.
Preset
A predefined combination of radio settings, for example in a flasher or configuration tool.
RSSI
A measurement of received signal strength. It helps show how strong a signal is coming in.
SNR
The signal-to-noise ratio. It helps show how clean or usable a received signal is.
Security and software
These terms mainly appear when you read about firmware, updates and encryption.
Firmware
The software running on the device itself. MeshCore is firmware that you install on a node.
Flashing
Installing or updating firmware on a device.
OTA
Over The Air. An update sent wirelessly to a device.
End-to-end encryption
Encryption where only the sender and the receiver can read the message.
Public key
A public key that other people can use to encrypt something safely for you.
Private key
The secret key your device uses to decrypt messages intended for you.
Good to keep in mind
Some words are used slightly differently in different communities. On LocalMesh we keep the explanation as clear as possible: companions are for reading and sending messages, while repeaters move traffic further through the mesh network.
Want to keep reading?
If you want to move from terms into practical use, go straight to devices, MeshCore setup or repeaters.