OERadio Goes Mesh – The Path to a Dedicated MQTT Server

3. March 2026

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How we connect Meshtastic nodes via the internet – and how you can join in.

Meshtastic is brilliant. Small LoRa nodes that communicate without internet, without a provider, and without monthly costs. Locally via radio, point to point, as it should be. But what if two nodes are 200 kilometres apart? Even the best antenna at 1,000 metres won’t help there.

That’s exactly what MQTT is for. And that’s exactly why there is now a dedicated server: meshmqtt.oeradio.at

What does MQTT do in Meshtastic?

MQTT is an internet bridge for your mesh network. Your node sends a message via radio – and if it’s simultaneously connected to an MQTT server via the Meshtastic app on your smartphone, that message is also forwarded over the internet. Other nodes connected to the same server then receive the message as if they were within direct radio range.

In short: Locally you transmit normally via LoRa. And via MQTT, your local mesh becomes a nationwide – or even Europe-wide – network. Both simultaneously, automatically.

The connection to the MQTT server runs via the Meshtastic app on your smartphone. The phone is connected to the node via Bluetooth and forwards the messages to the internet. The node itself doesn’t need Wi-Fi or internet.

Why our own server?

There are public MQTT servers for Meshtastic. They work fine. But running our own server has advantages: The data stays transparent. The server can be configured as needed. And availability is under control. The server runs on an Oracle Cloud instance in Frankfurt – TLS-encrypted, with a Let’s Encrypt certificate, available 24/7.

Connection details

Here are the credentials for the server – just enter them in the Meshtastic app:

Setting	Value
Server	`meshmqtt.oeradio.at`
Port	`8883`
Username	`meshtastic`
Passwort	`X6l906aQNcuIb8Pdh6YGT8Uu`
TLS	Enabled
Encryption	Enabled
Root Topic	`msh/oeradio`

Setup step by step

In the Meshtastic app (Android / iOS)

Open the Meshtastic app and connect to your node via Bluetooth
Settingen (Zahnrad-Symbol) antippen
Select MQTT
Enter the following:
- MQTT enabled: On
- Proxy to client: On
- Serveradresse: meshmqtt.oeradio.at
- Username: meshtastic
- Passwort: X6l906aQNcuIb8Pdh6YGT8Uu
- TLS enabled: On
- Encryption aktiviert: Ein
- Root Topic: msh/oeradio
Settingen speichern – fertig!

Via the command line (Meshtastic CLI)

For those who prefer the terminal – that works too of course:

meshtastic --set mqtt.enabled true 
  --set mqtt.address "meshmqtt.oeradio.at" 
  --set mqtt.username "meshtastic" 
  --set mqtt.password "X6l906aQNcuIb8Pdh6YGT8Uu" 
  --set mqtt.tls_enabled true 
  --set mqtt.encryption_enabled true 
  --set mqtt.proxy_enabled true 
  --set mqtt.root "msh/oeradio"

What do I need?

A Meshtastic node (e.g. Heltec V3, T-Beam, RAK WisBlock)
The Meshtastic app on your smartphone
Bluetooth connection between app and node
Internet connection on your smartphone (Wi-Fi or mobile data)

The node itself doesn’t need internet – the app on your phone acts as the bridge.

Testing if everything works

If you want to check whether the server is reachable, you can use mosquitto_sub:

Installing mosquitto_sub

The mosquitto_sub tool is part of the Mosquitto package. Here’s how to install it:

Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):

sudo apt install mosquitto-clients

macOS (Homebrew):

brew install mosquitto

Windows:

Download the installer from mosquitto.org/download and install. After installation you’ll find mosquitto_sub.exe in the installation directory (default: C:Program Filesmosquitto).

mosquitto_sub -h meshmqtt.oeradio.at -p 8883 
  --capath /etc/ssl/certs -t "msh/#" 
  -u meshtastic -P "X6l906aQNcuIb8Pdh6YGT8Uu"

If messages come through, everything is working. If not – just get in touch.

Questions about setup or connection issues? Just reach out via oeradio.at – help is available.

73 de OE8YML