Companion
This is the normal starting point. A companion radio connects to an app so you can message people. BLE Companion uses Bluetooth; USB Companion talks over USB serial.
Complete beginner • MeshCore 101
YOU WANT TO TRY MESHCORE. START HERE.
This guide assumes companion, repeater, room server and advert all sound like made-up words. We will turn one supported radio into a working MeshCore companion before worrying about infrastructure.
Your first goal
Flash one supported device as a BLE Companion, connect it to the MeshCore app, configure it correctly and discover/send messages to other MeshCore users in range.
You do not need a repeater or room server to learn MeshCore.
The part beginners need explained
MESHCORE DEVICES HAVE DIFFERENT JOBS.
The firmware you flash decides what job the radio performs.
Repeater
A dedicated infrastructure device whose job is to help forward MeshCore packets and extend useful network reach. It is not the radio you normally hold while typing messages.
Room Server
A simple message-board style server that stores posts/messages for people to retrieve later. It is a separate role from a normal repeater.
Your first device should usually be a Companion. Do not accidentally flash Repeater firmware and then wonder why it does not behave like a phone-connected messenger.
Step 1
CHECK YOUR HARDWARE.
You need
- A MeshCore-supported LoRa device
- The correct antenna for its band
- A USB data cable for flashing
- An Android/iOS device for BLE Companion, or a compatible computer/web client for USB workflows
Know the exact board
Firmware is device-specific. “RAK” or “Heltec” is not enough. Confirm whether you have a RAK4631, Heltec V3, V4, T114 or another exact model before selecting firmware.
Step 2
FLASH BLE COMPANION FIRMWARE.
- Attach the correct antenna.
- Connect your supported radio to a computer using a USB data cable.
- Open the official MeshCore flasher.
- Select your exact hardware.
- Select the BLE Companion firmware if your goal is normal phone messaging over Bluetooth.
- Flash the current recommended release and follow any board-specific instructions shown by the flasher.
USB Companion is another valid client role, but BLE Companion is generally the simplest phone-first learning path.
Step 3
CONNECT THE APP.
Phone setup
Install a current MeshCore client for your phone. Turn on the flashed BLE Companion and connect to it through the app. Once connected, the app becomes your interface for contacts, channels, messages and settings.
What Bluetooth is doing
Bluetooth connects your phone to your nearby companion radio. The companion's LoRa radio handles the longer-range MeshCore link. Bluetooth is not the mesh itself.
Step 4
CONFIGURE THE RIGHT RADIO SETTINGS.
Use the frequency and radio parameters appropriate for your country/region and local MeshCore network. If you are joining an established community, use the settings that community documents rather than inventing your own.
Do not blindly copy Meshtastic settings. MeshCore is a different protocol and ecosystem even when the hardware and LoRa band look familiar.
Step 5
NAME YOUR COMPANION AND LEARN ADVERTS.
Give the device a recognizable name without publishing unnecessary private information. In MeshCore, an advert is part of how identities/nodes announce information so other devices can discover them. You do not need to understand the packet format to begin using it.
Step 6
DISCOVER A CONTACT AND SEND A MESSAGE.
If MeshCore exists nearby
Use the app to discover or import contacts/channels as appropriate, then send a simple test message. Existing repeaters may help route traffic depending on the network around you.
If nobody appears
That may simply mean there are no compatible MeshCore users within range. Two companion devices provide a controlled test when you are learning in an area without existing infrastructure.
Step 7
ONLY THEN THINK ABOUT A REPEATER.
A repeater is useful when you have a reason to improve routing or coverage. Place it where radio conditions are good, usually with better elevation and a proper antenna installation.
Do not build a giant repeater before proving your companions work. Otherwise every troubleshooting problem becomes “Is it the client? The repeater? The antenna? The frequency? The firmware?” all at once.
Step 8
ROOM SERVERS ARE OPTIONAL.
A Room Server provides stored message history / BBS-style functionality. It is useful when that behavior solves a real problem, but it is not required for normal person-to-person MeshCore messaging.
MeshCore documentation recommends keeping Room Server and Repeater roles on separate devices for the best experience rather than treating one device as everything.
Do not touch everything
WHAT TO IGNORE ON DAY ONE.
Remote server admin
Useful later. First learn the companion and basic messaging workflow.
Room servers
Cool, but absolutely not necessary to prove your first MeshCore client works.
Power chasing
Do not assume maximum transmit power equals maximum network quality. Antenna placement and elevation still matter enormously.
Troubleshooting
THE BEGINNER MISTAKES.
- Wrong firmware role: Repeater was flashed instead of Companion.
- Wrong board target: exact hardware model was not verified.
- Wrong local radio parameters: devices are not using compatible settings.
- Expecting Bluetooth to reach miles: Bluetooth is only phone-to-companion; LoRa is the radio link.
- Assuming a repeater is required: companions can communicate directly when RF conditions allow.
Words you're going to see
PLAIN ENGLISH GLOSSARY.
Companion
Your messaging radio/client interface.
Repeater
Dedicated infrastructure that helps move packets toward destinations.
Room Server
A store-and-retrieve message area, closer to a tiny BBS/mailbox concept.
Advert
An announcement used in discovery and identity exchange.
Path
The route MeshCore learns/uses to reach another destination through available infrastructure.
LoRa
The long-range, low-data-rate radio technology underneath the RF side of MeshCore.
You're done when...
YOUR FIRST MESHCORE CHECKLIST.
Correct firmware role ✓ App connected ✓ Radio parameters configured ✓ Companion named ✓ Antenna attached ✓ Contact/message test attempted ✓
No Bars Club is an independent community resource and is not the MeshCore project. Verify current firmware behavior and configuration against official MeshCore documentation.