The Mesh Networking Trilemma: Meshtastic, MeshCore, and Reticulum

Jonah Aragon, who has run his own ISP since 2024 with its own ASN and fiber optics, has a strong opinion on mesh networks. He argues that the two most popular consumer LoRa mesh projects—Meshtastic and MeshCore—are non-serious solutions for large-scale public mesh networking. His preferred alternative is Reticulum, a networking stack that routes over any physical interface.

Meshtastic: First-Mover, But Fundamentally Flawed

Meshtastic is the obvious frontrunner. It's a real product designed for mobile messaging and device tracking, which makes it easy for hikers or event-goers to buy and use out of the box. However, its original design floods the network with every message, hoping it reaches the destination. This works for small groups but collapses under public mesh scale.

  • Default 3-hop limit (configurable to 7) severely restricts range.
  • MQTT bridging to the internet degrades the network so much that it becomes impractical with more than a handful of users.
  • Aragon states: "Meshtastic by design is a fairly untenable solution" for large public meshes.

MeshCore: Better Routing, But Proprietary

MeshCore addresses Meshtastic's flooding problem with actual routing: messages travel only through specific devices on a path. This reduces radio transmissions dramatically. It also supports up to 64 hops, enabling real-world scale when LoRa repeaters are miles apart.

However, MeshCore is not a true mesh. Devices are split into companions (user devices) and repeaters (network extenders). Companions never relay for each other—they must be in range of a repeater to connect. This introduces centralization and planning requirements.

Worse, MeshCore's official clients are proprietary and have paywalled features. Aragon calls this a dealbreaker: "Proprietary software is simply not disaster-ready." He notes that unofficial open-source clients are in development, but the ecosystem is already locked into a proprietary core.

Reticulum: The Protocol-Agnostic Future

Reticulum is a networking stack that provides strongly-encrypted routing over any physical network: LoRa, Wi-Fi, fiber, or even the internet. It works out of the box on the same local network—connect two LoRa devices and you have a functional mesh immediately, no dedicated repeaters required.

Key advantages over Meshtastic and MeshCore:

  • Automatic routing over multiple interfaces, seamlessly.
  • Planetary-level scalability claims (Aragon cites this, though no benchmarks are provided).
  • Truly peer-to-peer: every device can relay for others, no companion/repeater distinction.
  • Open source and protocol-agnostic.

Aragon's concrete example: "I want to be able to build cheap, local LoRa networks in neighborhoods, and interconnect them with more powerful point-to-point microwave connections, or even fiber or the internet." Reticulum makes this a first-class feature.

Why LoRa Isn't Enough

Both Meshtastic and MeshCore rely almost exclusively on LoRa. LoRa is great for low-power, long-range, license-free communication, but it's slow. For bandwidth-intensive or latency-sensitive applications, it's unsuitable. Aragon argues that mesh routing software should be independent of the physical layer. Reticulum delivers this.

Practical Steps for Developers

If you want to experiment with mesh networking today:

  1. Start with Reticulum. Install it on a Raspberry Pi with a LoRa hat (e.g., RAK WisBlock) and a second device.
  2. Configure a simple interface: rnpath and rnconfig commands set up LoRa channels. Example: rnconfig lora frequency 868100000.
  3. Test messaging: Use rnmsg to send encrypted messages between two nodes.
  4. Bridge networks: Add a WiFi interface to one node and it automatically routes between LoRa and IP networks.

Aragon's verdict: "We have a unique opportunity as enthusiasts to adopt the best mesh networking solution we can, before the 'network effect' truly sets in." He believes Reticulum is that solution.

The Bottom Line

Meshtastic is for small, private groups. MeshCore scales better but is proprietary. Reticulum offers the flexibility and openness needed for a truly resilient, public mesh. If you're serious about off-grid communication, skip the walkie-talkie mentality and build a Reticulum network.