Recommended Settings

See the current Recommended Settings page

This page is kept for reference. The maintained guidance lives on the Recommended Settings page, which matches the config checker. Values here have been reconciled to the canonical intervals (NodeInfo 43200, stationary Neighbor Info 39600).

To help maintain a healthy and reliable mesh network across Arizona, we suggest the following configuration settings for your Meshtastic devices.

These recommendations are based on real-world use and shared experiences within the Arizona Meshtastic community. They’re designed to promote mesh stability and will likely evolve as our network grows.

🔧 Radio Settings

📱 Device Settings

Setting	Recommended Value	Details
Role	`CLIENT` or `CLIENT_MUTE`	For most nodes. See Deployment Scenarios on YouTube.
NodeInfo broadcast interval	`43200` seconds (12 hours)	Keeps the mesh updated with node info without excess traffic. Node info rarely changes, so 12 hours is plenty.

📍 Position Settings

Setting	Recommended Value	Notes
Smart position enabled	`True`	Helps devices determine when they’ve moved.
Position broadcast interval	`3600` seconds (1 hour)	For mobile nodes. Disable for fixed installations.
GPS update interval	`1800` seconds (30 minutes)	Regular GPS refresh for mobile devices.
Position flags	Disable unused flags	Fixed nodes should turn off most position-related flags.

📶 LoRa Settings

Setting	Recommended Value	Notes
Hop limit	`5`	Please avoid setting higher than `6` to reduce network congestion.
Ignore MQTT	`True`	Ensures nodes don’t rely on cloud-based data relays.
OK to MQTT	`True`	(Firmware v2.5.0+) Allows your node to appear on view.azmsh.net.

⚙️ Module Settings

📊 Telemetry

Setting	Recommended Value	Notes
Device metrics update interval	`3600` seconds (1 hour)	Consider `1800` (30 min) when testing or monitoring new devices.
Environment metrics update interval	`3600` seconds (1 hour)	Disable if you’re not using environmental sensors.
Power metrics module	`False`	For advanced setups with I²C sensors, usually not needed.

ℹ️ If you don’t use temperature, air quality, or similar sensors, it’s best to turn off the corresponding modules to reduce bandwidth usage.

🤝 Neighbor Info

Setting	Recommended Value	Notes
Neighbor Info enabled	`True`	Enables your node to keep track of nearby devices.
Update interval	`39600` seconds (11 hours)	Recommended for stationary nodes (neighbors rarely change). `14400` (4 hours) is the firmware minimum for mobile nodes.
Transmit over LoRa	`True`	Share info with nearby nodes via radio.

🛠️ Apply Settings Using Meshtastic CLI

If you haven’t installed the CLI yet, follow the official instructions here:
🔗 Meshtastic CLI Installation Guide

Device Settings

meshtastic \

  --set device.role CLIENT \

  --set device.node_info_broadcast_secs 43200

Position Settings

meshtastic \

  --set position.position_broadcast_smart_enabled true \

  --set position.position_broadcast_secs 3600 \

  --set position.gps_update_interval 1800 \

  --pos-fields ALTITUDE ALTITUDE_MSL HEADING SPEED

LoRa Settings

meshtastic \

  --set lora.hop_limit 5 \

  --set lora.ignore_mqtt true \

  --set lora.config_ok_to_mqtt true

Telemetry Module

meshtastic \

  --set telemetry.device_update_interval 3600 \

  --set telemetry.environment_update_interval 3600 \

  --set telemetry.power_measurement_enabled false \

  --set telemetry.environment_measurement_enabled false \

  --set telemetry.air_quality_enabled false

Neighbor Info Module

meshtastic \

  --set neighbor_info.enabled true \

  --set neighbor_info.update_interval 39600 \

  --set neighbor_info.transmit_over_lora true