Portable / Base Station / Router

Optimal node settings.

Use the profile that matches the job your radio is doing. A hiking node should conserve battery and avoid excess broadcasts; a base station should be stable and helpful; a router should be planned infrastructure, not a casual checkbox.

Portable

`CLIENT`

Best for handhelds, trackers, backpacks, vehicles, and radios that move around or rely on battery.

Base Station

`CLIENT_BASE`

Best for your well-placed home, attic, roofline, or shop node that supports your nearby weaker radios.

Router

`ROUTER`

Best only for coordinated infrastructure sites with excellent placement, stable power, and community agreement.

Portable node

Use this for pocket carry, hiking, road testing, loaner devices, and mobile radios.

Setting	Recommended Value	Why
Device role	`CLIENT`	Normal user node behavior: app-friendly and still able to rebroadcast when useful.
LoRa region	`US`	Use the United States 915 MHz region for Montana.
Modem preset	`LONG_FAST`	Matches the common public LongFast mesh expectation.
Hop limit	`3`	Keeps portable traffic useful without spreading every packet too far.
Node info broadcast	`10800` seconds	Three hours is enough for identity freshness without constant metadata chatter.
Position broadcast	Smart broadcast on	Moving nodes should update intelligently instead of blasting fixed-interval positions.
Power saving	Use role defaults first	Advanced power tuning can make devices harder to reach; start simple.

Portable CLI

Good starting point

meshtastic \
  --set lora.region US \
  --set lora.modem_preset LONG_FAST \
  --set lora.hop_limit 3 \
  --set device.role CLIENT \
  --set device.node_info_broadcast_secs 10800 \
  --set position.position_broadcast_smart_enabled true

Base station

Use this for a stable home, shop, attic, roofline, or window node that stays powered and helps your local cluster.

Setting	Recommended Value	Why
Device role	`CLIENT_BASE`	Prioritizes traffic to and from your favorited nodes while remaining usable as a normal client.
LoRa region	`US`	Use the United States 915 MHz region for Montana.
Modem preset	`LONG_FAST`	Keeps the node on the shared public mesh preset.
Hop limit	`5`	Reasonable for a well-placed fixed node without defaulting to maximum reach.
Node info broadcast	`10800` seconds	Three hours keeps the node visible without excess air time.
Position	Fixed position if public location is acceptable	A fixed base station does not need GPS movement updates; share only the location precision you are comfortable with.
MQTT	Off unless intentionally configured	Most base stations should focus on RF coverage. Gateways need separate planning and credentials.

Base CLI

Stable fixed node

meshtastic \
  --set lora.region US \
  --set lora.modem_preset LONG_FAST \
  --set lora.hop_limit 5 \
  --set device.role CLIENT_BASE \
  --set device.node_info_broadcast_secs 10800 \
  --set position.fixed_position true

Router infrastructure

Use this only for planned coverage sites: high placement, good antenna, reliable power, and a real reason to prioritize routing.

Setting	Recommended Value	Why
Device role	`ROUTER` or `ROUTER_LATE`	Use `ROUTER` for strategic backbone coverage; use `ROUTER_LATE` for local dead spots when lower priority is better.
LoRa region	`US`	Use the United States 915 MHz region for Montana.
Modem preset	`LONG_FAST`	Keeps the infrastructure node on the shared public mesh preset.
Hop limit	`5`	Start here. Higher values should be intentional because they can increase congestion.
Node info broadcast	`10800` seconds	Even infrastructure does not need to announce itself constantly.
Position	Fixed position	Router sites should not send moving-position updates; use a deliberate public coordinate.
Power	Stable wall power or oversized solar	Router-class nodes are only useful when they stay online through weather and seasonal power swings.

Router CLI

Planned infrastructure

meshtastic \
  --set lora.region US \
  --set lora.modem_preset LONG_FAST \
  --set lora.hop_limit 5 \
  --set device.role ROUTER \
  --set device.node_info_broadcast_secs 10800 \
  --set position.fixed_position true

Important

Do not over-router the mesh.

Most nodes should remain CLIENT, CLIENT_MUTE, or CLIENT_BASE.

Use ROUTER only where placement improves broad coverage and the node can stay online.

Ask in Discord before turning a high-traffic public node into infrastructure.

Next Steps

Tune the right node.

Choose hardware Match the radio to portable, base, or infrastructure use. Host a node Find a useful fixed location before choosing router behavior. Official role docs Review current Meshtastic role behavior before changing infrastructure nodes.