Meshtastic Guide - Meshtastic Device Configuration

Meshtastic Device Configuration includes essential parameters such as Role, Rebroadcast Mode, GPIO assignments, broadcast intervals, and power behavior. These settings define how each device functions within the Meshtastic mesh—whether as a Client, Router, Repeater, Sensor, or Tracker—and how it handles message rebroadcasting. Configuration is applied via an admin message using the Config.Device protobuf structure.

Device Configuration Parameters

Meshtastic Device Roles

Device Role	Description	Best Uses
CLIENT	Standard Meshtastic messaging node, app-connected or standalone. Rebroadcasts packets if no other node has done so.	General-purpose Meshtastic role for individuals using client applications to communicate across the mesh.
CLIENT_MUTE	Meshtastic node that does not rebroadcast packets from other devices, reducing airtime usage.	Ideal for dense Meshtastic deployments where minimizing rebroadcast traffic is important.
CLIENT_HIDDEN	Meshtastic device that only transmits when necessary, supporting stealth or power-saving configurations.	Useful for hidden or low-power Meshtastic roles that still need to participate in the mesh network.
TRACKER	Meshtastic node that prioritizes GPS position packets for reliable location tracking.	Best for tracking assets or individuals where timely Meshtastic location updates are critical.
LOST_AND_FOUND	Meshtastic device that regularly broadcasts its location to the default channel to aid recovery.	Used for locating lost Meshtastic nodes in the field.
SENSOR	Meshtastic node that prioritizes telemetry packets, such as environmental or sensor data.	Ideal for Meshtastic deployments focused on data collection with efficient power usage and frequent updates.
TAK	Meshtastic role optimized for ATAK system integration, minimizing routine broadcasts.	Used in tactical Meshtastic deployments requiring ATAK plugin support and coordinated communication.
TAK_TRACKER	Meshtastic node that automatically sends TAK PLI broadcasts while reducing routine traffic.	Standalone Meshtastic integration with ATAK systems for location-based tactical operations.
REPEATER	Meshtastic infrastructure node that always rebroadcasts packets once, extending coverage with minimal overhead. Not shown in topology.	Strategically placed Meshtastic repeater to maximize mesh coverage without appearing in the node list.
ROUTER	Meshtastic infrastructure node that always rebroadcasts packets once. Visible in topology and node list.	Best used in fixed locations to extend Meshtastic mesh coverage and improve routing reliability.
ROUTER_LATE	Meshtastic node that rebroadcasts packets only after other roles, enhancing coverage for local clusters. Visible in topology.	Ideal for filling coverage gaps or supporting isolated Meshtastic clusters without disrupting broader mesh traffic.

Looking for ROUTER_CLIENT? This role was deprecated in firmware 2.3.15. Learn more in the 2.3.15 release notes。

If you're still unsure about which role to choose after reviewing the information above, please read my blog post: Choosing the Optimal Device Role.

Comparative Analysis of Roles

This table displays the default values after a preset is selected. As always, individual settings can be adjusted after choosing a preset.

Device Role	BLE/WiFi/Serial	Screen Enabled	Power Consumption	Retransmit	Prioritized Routing	Visible in Nodes List
CLIENT	Yes	Yes	Regular	Yes	No	Yes
CLIENT_MUTE	Yes	Yes	Lowest	No	No	Yes
CLIENT_HIDDEN	Yes	Yes	Lowest	Local Only	No	No
TRACKER	Yes	No	Regular / Low	Awake Only1	No	Yes
LOST_AND_FOUND	Yes	No	Regular	Yes	No	Yes
SENSOR	Yes	No	Regular / Low	Awake Only1	No	Yes
TAK	Yes	Optional	Regular	Yes	No	Yes
TAK_TRACKER	Yes	Optional	Regular	Yes	No	Yes
ROUTER	No2	No	High	Yes	Yes	Yes
ROUTER_LATE	Yes	Yes	High	Yes	No	Yes
REPEATER	Yes	No	High	Yes	Yes	No

Understanding Power Savings and Role Performance

ESP32 Platform Only – Meshtastic Power Management

On the ESP32 platform, all Meshtastic device roles—except for TRACKER and SENSOR—support standard low-power operation using the power.is_power_saving setting. When enabled, the device enters a sleep mode where components such as the serial console, peripherals, GPS module, and WiFi/Bluetooth radios are powered down to conserve energy. The CPU transitions to a low-power state (either light or deep sleep), while the LoRa radio remains in standby mode to listen for incoming packets. Upon receiving a packet, the Meshtastic node wakes to resume normal operation.

Timeout parameters such as display.screen_on_secs (screen timeout), power.min_wake_secs (minimum wake duration), and power.wait_bluetooth_secs (Bluetooth wait time) influence when a Meshtastic device transitions into sleep. These timers can be interrupted by external events like packet reception, button presses, or client connections via serial or Bluetooth, resetting the sleep countdown.

For the ROUTER role, power.is_power_saving is automatically enabled and cannot be disabled. This ensures that Meshtastic Router nodes maintain efficient power usage while still supporting continuous LoRa mesh networking.

ESP32 and NRF52 Platforms – Tracker and Sensor Sleep Behavior

On both ESP32 and NRF52 platforms, the TRACKER and SENSOR roles implement specialized Meshtastic sleep behavior when power.is_power_saving is enabled. In the TRACKER role, the device sleeps for the duration defined by position.position_broadcast_secs. Upon waking, it waits for a valid GPS fix and then transmits a position packet before returning to sleep. In the SENSOR role, the device sleeps for telemetry.environment_update_interval, then wakes to collect environmental data and send a telemetry packet.

Unlike other Meshtastic roles, TRACKER and SENSOR nodes do not keep the LoRa radio in standby during sleep. These devices only wake at their configured transmission intervals, making them ideal for low-power, periodic data reporting in Meshtastic mesh networks.

NOTE:

In Meshtastic, the Awake Only mode allows retransmissions to occur during active periods, but not while the device is in sleep between transmission intervals. This behavior is relevant for roles like TRACKER and SENSOR, which rely on timed wake cycles.
For the ROUTER role on ESP32 devices, power.is_power_saving is enabled by default to reduce energy consumption. If you need to update a Meshtastic ROUTER via Bluetooth (BLE), it’s recommended to use the admin channel to temporarily change the Device Role to a non-sleeping mode. Once the update is complete, revert the role back to ROUTER to restore normal mesh behavior and power-saving operation.

Other Device Configuration Parameters

Meshtastic Rebroadcast Configuration

Value	Description
ALL	ALL (Default) – Rebroadcasts all messages from the local Meshtastic mesh and other meshes using the same modem settings, even if encryption differs.
ALL_SKIP_DECODING	Same behavior as ALL, but skips packet decoding and rebroadcasts blindly. Only available for Meshtastic devices using the Repeater role.
LOCAL_ONLY	Rebroadcasts only messages from the local primary/secondary channels. Ignores packets from foreign Meshtastic meshes or those it cannot decrypt.
KNOWN_ONLY	Similar to LOCAL_ONLY, but also filters out packets from unknown nodenums not listed in the device’s Meshtastic NodeDB.
NONE	Disables all rebroadcasting. Only permitted for Meshtastic roles such as SENSOR, TRACKER, and TAK_TRACKER. Behavior is similar to CLIENT_MUTE.
CORE_PORTNUMS_ONLY	Filters out non-standard portnums (e.g., TAK, RangeTest, PaxCounter). Rebroadcasts only core Meshtastic packet types: NodeInfo, Text, Position, Telemetry, and Routing.

Meshtastic User Button GPIO Settings: Defines the GPIO pin number used for the user button if the device lacks a built-in button.
PWM Buzzer GPIO Configuration: Specifies the GPIO pin number assigned to the PWM buzzer for Meshtastic devices without a built-in buzzer.
NodeInfo Broadcast Interval: Sets the interval (in seconds) between automatic NodeInfo broadcasts, including long and short names. Meshtastic devices also respond to ad-hoc NodeInfo requests and will auto-reply when receiving packets from unknown nodes.
Double Tap as Button Press: Enables double tapbutton pressaccelerometer is present on the Meshtastic device.
Disable Triple Click Feature: Disables the triple-click shortcut used to toggle GPS functionality on Meshtastic nodes.
Timezone Definition (TZDEF): Allows Meshtastic devices to define local time offsets using the TZ Database format. To set the timezone, use the corresponding POSIX TZ string. For example, PST8PDT,M3.2.0,M11.1.0 for America/Los_Angeles.
LED Heartbeat Disabled: If set to true, disables the default blinking behavior of the LED_PIN on the Meshtastic device, useful for stealth or power-saving deployments.

Device Configuration Client Accessibility

Android

Device Config is available for Android.

Open the Meshtastic App.
Navigate to: Vertical Ellipsis (3 dots in the top right) > Radio Configuration > Device.

Apple

All device configuration options, except for the NTP Server, are available on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS at Settings > Device Configuration > Device.

CLI

All device configuration options are accessible in the Python CLI. Example commands are provided below:

Setting	Acceptable Values	Default
device.role	CLIENT, CLIENT_MUTE, ROUTER, REPEATER, TRACKER, SENSOR	CLIENT
device.rebroadcast_mode	ALL, ALL_SKIP_DECODING, LOCAL_ONLY	ALL
device.button_gpio	0 - 34	0
device.buzzer_gpio	0 - 34	0
device.node_info_broadcast_secs	3600 - UINT MAX	10800 (3 hours)
device.double_tap_as_button_press	false, true	FALSE
device.disable_triple_click	false, true	FALSE

Set the role to client

meshtastic --set device.role CLIENT

Set tzdef

meshtastic --set device.tzdef UTC0

NOTE: Because the device will reboot after each command is sent through the CLI, it is advisable to chain commands together into a single command when setting multiple values in a configuration section. For example:

meshtastic --set device.role CLIENT --set device.tzdef UTC0

Web

All device config options are available in the Web UI.

Meshtastic Guide - Meshtastic Device Configuration