Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Yes, absolutely. Meshtastic and Meshcore operate on public, license-free radio frequencies (ISM bands like 433 MHz, 868 MHz, or 915 MHz). Once you purchase the initial hardware (a portable radio node), there are zero monthly fees, subscription plans, or charges per message. You can send unlimited texts for free forever.

Not directly over the radio waves, because standard mobile phones do not have LoRa radio chips. However, you can achieve this by using a Mesh-to-SMS Gateway. This is a hybrid setup where a radio node is connected to an internet-facing server or an Android device with a SIM card. When you send a message from your off-grid device, the gateway catches it and forwards it as a regular SMS to any cell phone.

No. The core power of Meshtastic is that it is 100% off-grid. Your smartphone connects to your local radio node via Bluetooth just to provide a screen and a keyboard. The actual transmission of the text message happens entirely over the airwaves from radio to radio, completely bypassing internet providers and cellular operators.

Meshtastic is the mainstream, open-source protocol and consumer software ecosystem that includes the mobile apps and standard device firmware. Meshcore focuses on deeper infrastructure optimization, alternative routing software engines, and advanced hardware integrations designed to handle high-traffic nodes and complex automation шлюзов (gateways).

The line-of-sight range between two standard nodes is typically 2 to 5 miles (3-8 km) in an urban environment, and up to 20+ miles (30+ km) from mountaintops or high roofs. However, because it is a mesh network, messages "hop" from node to node. If there are multiple active devices across a city, your message can travel dozens of miles by jumping through intermediate nodes until it reaches the destination.

Yes. Mainstream cellular SMS is completely unencrypted and visible to your mobile operator. Meshtastic, on the other hand, supports default end-to-end AES-256 encryption. You can easily set up a secure, private channel for your family or team, ensuring that nobody in the radio spectrum can intercept or read your text conversations.

It depends strictly on your local region's laws. Generally, the standard distribution is:

• 915 MHz: United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
• 868 MHz: Europe, United Kingdom, and parts of Asia.
• 433 MHz: Widely used globally for short-range and specific alternative setups.

Make sure to purchase the hardware model that matches the legal frequency of your area.