Am I being stupid? Or am I missing something here?

[EmEiBee]

Hello everyone...

To start off, I should mention that I’ve already set up a handful of MeshCOM nodes/repeaters/gateways, all based on the LilyGo T-Beam and T3S3-v13-SX1262. They have their occasional quirks, but everything is easily manageable.

Today, I received five more T3S3 units: two for MeshCOM (TRX for 433 MHz) and three for initial experiments with MeshCore and MeshTastic (TRX for 869 MHz).

So, I spent today working on MeshCore. Flashing wasn't a problem, nor was connecting via the serial interface through the web app.

If I’m being dense and overlooking something crucial here, please bear with me and point it out.

Here’s what simply isn't working:

• Bluetooth:
  No Bluetooth signal is being broadcast at all. Consequently, I cannot pair my tablet or smartphone with the node.

• Repeater / Room server USB setup:
  Connection impossible. I get errors like "Cannot connect: Command timeout: time 1785621807" or "Cannot connect: Serial connection not open or writer unavailable." Neither the browser nor the specific COM port seems to matter; the app itself continues to work (though obviously not simultaneously).

• No Wi-Fi?!?
  Like Meshtastic, MeshCOM allows nodes to be integrated into the home LAN. This doesn't seem to be an option here at all? There is no corresponding setting in the app, and the Wi-Fi isn't active (checked via measurement); it’s simply sitting idle...

Right now, since neither Bluetooth nor Wi-Fi is available, I simply cannot use MeshCore or get it up and running effectively...

Or is it possible that the current firmware doesn't support the T3S3 v1.3 SX1262 (Source: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0GQSRV869?th=1 )???

73 de Micha, DJ4XI

[jschrempp]

Just a quick thought - are you aware that you only connect BLE to a companion device? Then you log in through the companion device, over the mesh, to your Repeater and Roomserver.

[EmEiBee]

Good morning @jschrempp and ty for your answer, even if I don't understand your answer...

What I know:
Almost all ESPs—or rather, the various operating systems running on them—handle this in a similar way: after flashing, they set up a Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi hotspot for initial configuration (MeshCom, EspEasy, ets-mini, Sonoff, Shelly, ... all ESP based stuff). This often runs alongside the physical serial terminal interface, serving as a monitor and backup in case the wireless methods fail (which isn't exactly rare with ESPs).

That is exactly what is supposed to happen here, according to the guides found everywhere online:

Buy hardware, flash firmware, launch the app (whether on a smartphone/tablet or via a web app), connect via Bluetooth, configure...

But that’s where it hits a wall—specifically with Bluetooth! None of the three T3S3 units I have activate Bluetooth after flashing, so I can't connect any app to the device. It makes absolutely no difference if I use the BOOT button to navigate the menu to the Bluetooth setting and toggle it off and on. Neither my smartphone, my tablet, nor my PC detects a Bluetooth signal that I could connect to.
And since Wi-Fi clearly isn't used by MeshCore in this instance, that potential option for connecting a so-called "Companion" device is off the table as well...

73 de Micha, DJ4XI

[jschrempp]

I don't know the T3S3 specifically. I believe you should focus on just the Companion firmware first. You should be able to flash it with the website over USB and then use the app on your phone to connect over BLE.

[EmEiBee]

Ty for your reply...
Meanwhile I’ve gone through everything by now. And yes—I have to admit I initially struggled to keep the different FW-systems straight. Each task here requires its own specific firmware, whereas in MeshCOM, for instance, everything is bundled into a single firmware that simply switches modes as needed.

Either way, I can’t carry out my plan.
The idea was an off-grid setup combining MeshCOM with a MeshTastic together with a MeshCore node/repeater/gateway (depending on the specific system capabilities), as I have access to the roof of the tallest building in the neighboring town—complete with Wi-Fi. That last part is exactly where it falls apart. MeshCore offers no option for remote management via Wi-Fi (e.g., using a secure VPN). This means that whenever a change is needed or new firmware is released, I’d have to drive 30 minutes to get there—assuming I could actually find the person with the roof key at that moment... It’s just not practical. Since I also planned to set up an identical system alongside the amateur radio repeaters on the DB0RH tower in Wardböhmen—where access is even more difficult and complicated—that option is completely off the table.

Given that MeshTastic also suffers from serious stability and functionality issues with Wi-Fi, I decided today to scale back the project by two-thirds and install only MeshCOM at both locations.

73 de Micha, DJ4XI

[jschrempp]

This is MeshCore, not Meshtastic. They are similar but different.

With MeshCore you can remotely manage your Repeaters through the mesh. You connect your phone to your Companion. Then with the app on your phone you "log in" to your Repeater - this happens over the mesh. You can then execute CLI commands to your Repeater.

For software updates you have to have your phone within BT range of the Repeater. Using the CLI (as above) you command your Repeater to "start OTA". That activates BT on the Repeater. You then use the DFU app on your phone to push the new firmware via BT to your repeater. This update process is fragile and sometimes I have to gain physical access to do the update via USB; that is a pain.

[EmEiBee]

I’m well aware that MeshCore isn’t Meshtastic isn't MeshCom; that remark was kind of... well, you know ^^

It’s doubtful whether my local client—or one connected via an under-roof repeater—will even reach the node in the neighboring town. And certainly not via Bluetooth ;o)
There is absolutely nothing here where I live! I’m the first one on any of these networks in this area. In really great HAM- weather, I sometimes get HF connections via MeshCom on 433 MHz, connectet directly to a X50 on my roof, but at 868 MHz, that kind of range is pure fantasy.
And even if it did work... what happens if the mesh goes down for some reason—say, because the military at the nearby training grounds is once again blasting the area with radar and the like? Then I’d still have to get in the car and drive there.
Access via VPN and Wi-Fi, on the other hand, works even when the mesh is down—even from halfway across the world if necessary. Plus, I’m not tied to a smartphone; I can use any internet-enabled device for it...

[jschrempp]

Yep. I agree. Sounds like an off-the-grid mesh network is not what you're looking for. Sounds like you have other options that should do you well. Good luck!

[EmEiBee]

You are wrong again... But let it be as it. I am tired of having to explain myself...