MeshCore Terms
A practical page that explains the words and phrases you will often come across when reading about MeshCore and mesh networks.
Useful when you are just starting out
At LocalMesh we try to keep things as clear as possible. Even so, MeshCore quickly introduces words that are not obvious at first glance. This page explains the most important terms in plain British English.
Devices and roles
These are the terms you will most often see when people talk about hardware and roles in the network.
Node
A device that takes part in the mesh network. That might be your own device or a repeater placed at a fixed location.
Companion
The small device you use to read and send messages. In most setups you pair it with your mobile phone or computer.
Repeater
A node that helps carry messages further through the network. That is how coverage can extend across a wider area.
Room server
An extra role used by some groups for shared conversations or organised group communication.
Antenna
The part that receives and transmits radio signals. A good aerial and a good mounting position make a real difference.
BLE
Bluetooth Low Energy. This is the wireless link between your companion and your mobile phone.
Network and messages
These terms describe how messages move around the network.
Mesh
A network in which several nodes are connected and messages can travel onwards through intermediate devices.
Hop
A single step from one device to the next. A message may take several hops before it reaches its destination.
Scope
Defines the group, region or limit within which a message is intended to spread.
Region
An agreed area or structure used to keep traffic and repeater behaviour better organised.
Direct message
A private message sent to one specific recipient rather than to a whole group.
ACK
A short acknowledgement that confirms a message has arrived or been received.
TTL
Time to Live. This sets the maximum number of steps or hops a message may take.
Radio and coverage
This section covers LoRa, signal quality and time on air.
LoRa
The radio technology used to send messages over longer distances while keeping power use low.
868 MHz
The frequency band most commonly used for LoRa devices in the UK and across much of Europe.
Airtime
The amount of radio time taken up by a single message. More airtime leaves less room for other traffic.
Duty cycle
The legal limit on how much of the time you are allowed to transmit within a given band.
Preset
A ready-made combination of radio settings, for example in the configurator or setup tool.
RSSI
A measurement of received signal strength. It helps show how strongly a node is being heard.
SNR
The signal-to-noise ratio. It helps show how clean and usable the received signal is.
Security and software
These words usually appear when you read about firmware, updates and encryption.
Firmware
The software that runs directly on the device. MeshCore is firmware installed on a node.
Flashing
Installing or updating firmware on a device.
OTA
Over The Air. An update sent wirelessly to a device.
End-to-end encryption
Encryption in which only the sender and the recipient can read the message.
Public key
A public key that other people can use to encrypt something safely for you.
Private key
The secret key your device uses to decrypt messages intended for you.
Worth keeping in mind
Some words are used a little differently from one community to another. On LocalMesh we keep it simple: companions are for reading and sending messages, while repeaters help move traffic further through the mesh network.
Want to keep reading?
If you would like to move from the glossary into practical use, the best next steps are devices, MeshCore setup and repeaters.