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Closure Notice

The New Welsh Mesh project is in archive, you can still access the discord server and website but no active development will continue

Mesh Etiquette & Best Practices

How to be a good node operator on the Welsh Mesh

Information

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The Welsh Mesh only works well when everyone uses it responsibly. None of this is complicated, it's mostly just common sense, but it's worth spelling out.

Radio Settings

Use LONG_FAST

Always set your Modem Preset to LONG_FAST. It's the standard for the Welsh Mesh and the default Meshtastic public channel. If you're running a different preset, your node won't communicate properly with the rest of the network.

Keep Hop Limit at 4 or Below

The hop limit controls how many nodes your message can bounce through before it's dropped.

  • Default: 3 hops
  • Welsh Mesh recommended: 4 hops
  • Maximum: 4 hops

Don't go higher than 4. Every extra hop means your message gets re-broadcast by more nodes, which uses up airtime that everyone shares. A high hop limit doesn't just affect you, it slows down the entire network for everyone in range.

Seriously, Don't Crank It

Setting your hop limit to 7 because you want "better range" doesn't give you better range. It just floods the mesh with redundant packets and makes the network worse for everyone. 4 is the ceiling for a reason.

Your Node Identity

Pick a Proper Name

When you set up your node, give it a name that's short, clear, and actually identifies you or your location. The mesh is a community network and people need to know who they're talking to.

Good names: * Fin - Tonyrefail * NWM-Gateway-01 * Rhondda Hilltop

Bad names: * Meshtastic 3a2f (the default, change it) * node * aaaaaaaaaaaaaa * test

Your short name (the 4-character ID shown in the app) should also be something recognisable, not just the default hex characters.

Don't Impersonate Other Nodes

Don't set your node name to match someone else's. It causes confusion, makes the network unreliable for people trying to route messages, and is just a dick move. If you're not sure what names are already in use, send a message on the mesh and ask.

Network Behaviour

Don't Flood the Network

LoRa is a shared, low-bandwidth radio channel. Everyone in range is sharing the same airtime. Keep that in mind.

  • Don't send the same message over and over.
  • Don't run automated scripts that hammer the mesh with test packets unless you've told the community and you're doing it off-peak.
  • Don't send large or frequent position updates if you're stationary. If you're sat at home, your GPS position doesn't need to broadcast every 30 seconds.

Keep Position Intervals Sensible

If your node is fixed (a home node, a repeater, anything that doesn't move), set your position broadcast interval to something reasonable, 15 to 30 minutes is plenty. There's no point in a stationary node screaming its GPS coordinates at the mesh every minute.

If you're mobile, more frequent updates make sense, but even then every 2-5 minutes is usually fine.

Test Messages

If you're testing your setup, that's totally fine. Just be aware that test messages go out to the whole mesh. A couple of "hello, testing" messages is no problem. Sending 50 in a row is not great. If you need to do heavy testing, let people know on the mesh first.

Channels and Communication

Keep the Default Channel for General Use

The default channel (LongFast / Channel 0) is the public channel everyone's on. Use it for general mesh traffic, check-ins, and community messages. If you want a private conversation or a channel for a specific group, set up a secondary channel with a shared key, and use that instead.

Be Decent

It sounds obvious but: don't use the mesh to harass people, spread garbage, or cause problems. It's a small community network. Everyone can see what you're sending on the public channel.

Hardware

Always Use an Antenna

Never power on your node without an antenna connected. You will fry the RF chip. It's not a maybe, it's a when.

Label Your Nodes

If you're running a fixed repeater node somewhere accessible to other people (a rooftop, a shared location, etc.) put a label on it with your contact info. If something goes wrong, people need to know who to call.

Following these guidelines keeps the Welsh Mesh reliable and usable for everyone. If you've got questions or you're not sure about something, just ask on the mesh.