MeshCore/Repeater Quick Setup

MeshCore Repeater Quick Setup

This is the short version for setting up a MeshCore repeater on ScotMesh.

A repeater helps the network by hearing MeshCore traffic and passing it on. A good repeater in a good location can make a big difference for everyone nearby.

ScotMesh does not use wildcard forwarding.

Add the right regions, allow those regions, and deny wildcard forwarding with region denyf *.

Quick settings

Setting	Use
Configurator	MeshCore web flasher: https://meshcore.io/flasher
Preset	UK / EU Narrow
Device role	Repeater
Browser	Chrome or Edge
Baseline regions	sco, sco-admin, ioi, wls, eng-ne
Local regions	Add only the areas the repeater genuinely serves
Wildcard forwarding	Deny with region denyf *
Flood advert interval	24 hours
Path hash	set path.hash.mode 2 (3-byte, avoids collisions)
Double ACKs	set multi.acks 1
Default scope	sco — required so other repeaters accept your adverts

Before you start

You will need:

• A supported LoRa device — open the MeshCore Flasher to see what can be flashed, or ask on Discord.
• A USB data cable, not a charge-only cable.
• A laptop or desktop with Chrome or Edge.
• A sensible repeater location.
• Reliable power.

Location matters more than almost anything else.

A modest repeater in a high, clear spot is usually more useful than a powerful setup hidden indoors.

Choose your region settings

Start with the baseline sco, sco-admin, ioi, wls and eng-ne, then add the local areas the repeater genuinely covers.

Location / coverage	Regions to add	Notes
Any Scottish repeater	sco, sco-admin, ioi, wls, eng-ne	Baseline ScotMesh setup.
Fife	sco, fif, sco-admin, ioi, wls, eng-ne	Fife-wide coverage.
Central Scotland	sco, cen, sco-admin, ioi, wls, eng-ne	Wider Central belt coverage.
Falkirk	sco, cen, fal, sco-admin, ioi, wls, eng-ne	Falkirk local coverage.
Edinburgh area	sco, cen, edi, sco-admin, ioi, wls, eng-ne	Edinburgh-facing Central Scotland coverage.
Glasgow area	sco, cen, gla, sco-admin, ioi, wls, eng-ne	Glasgow-facing Central Scotland coverage.
Tayside	sco, tay, sco-admin, ioi, wls, eng-ne	Wider Tayside coverage.
Dundee area	sco, tay, dun, sco-admin, ioi, wls, eng-ne	Dundee local coverage.
Perth area	sco, tay, per, sco-admin, ioi, wls, eng-ne	Perth local coverage.
High site / bridge	sco, sco-admin, ioi, wls, eng-ne, plus genuinely served areas	Do not add every region just because it is listed.

Simple setup flow

1. Open the MeshCore web flasher in Chrome or Edge.
2. Select your device.
3. Choose the repeater role.
4. Use the UK / EU Narrow preset.
5. Flash the device with the latest stable firmware
6. Set a clear repeater name.
7. Add the right regions from the table above.
8. Set flood adverts to 24 hours.
9. Deny wildcard forwarding.
10. Set region default sco.
11. Save the region configuration.

Simple command examples

Baseline Scottish repeater

Use this when the repeater is part of ScotMesh but does not have a more specific local region yet.

region def sco|* sco-admin|* ioi|* wls|* eng-ne
region denyf *
set flood.advert.interval 24
set multi.acks 1
set path.hash.mode 2
region default sco
region save

Without region default sco, your repeater’s adverts are sent unscoped. The Scottish network denies unscoped forwarding (region denyf *), so other repeaters will reject those adverts and will not know your repeater is there.

Fife repeater

Use this when the repeater serves Fife.

region def sco fif|* sco-admin|* ioi|* wls|* eng-ne
region denyf *
set flood.advert.interval 24
set multi.acks 1
set path.hash.mode 2
region default sco
region save

Central Scotland / Falkirk repeater

Use this when the repeater serves Falkirk and wider Central Scotland.

region def sco cen fal|* sco-admin|* ioi|* wls|* eng-ne
region denyf *
set flood.advert.interval 24
set multi.acks 1
set path.hash.mode 2
region default sco
region save

Good repeater habits

• Put the repeater as high and clear as you reasonably can.
• Use stable power.
• Keep the antenna vertical.
• Give the repeater a name people can recognise.
• Add only the regions it genuinely serves.
• Use region denyf *; do not allow wildcard forwarding.
• Set region default sco so your adverts are accepted by the rest of the mesh.
• Set flood adverts to 24 hours.
• Ask the community before inventing new region codes.

Where to go next

• Regions has the fuller region guide and more command examples.
• Scopes explains what Companion App users need to set.
• Channels lists the agreed and proposed channels.
• MeshCore CLI Commands is the upstream command reference.

Appendix: what the key commands mean

Command	Meaning
region def sco …	* resetting to the root.
set multi.acks 1	Turn on double ACKs.
set path.hash.mode 2	Use the 3-byte path hash (avoids collisions).
region denyf *	Deny unscoped wildcard forwarding.
set flood.advert.interval 24	Set flood adverts to 24 hours.
region default sco	Set the default scope so adverts from this repeater are scoped to sco and accepted by the mesh.
region save	Save the region configuration.