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Meshtastic MQTT Server

The Meshtastic side of the Boston Mesh network uses a shared MQTT broker to sync telemetry and messages between local radios and the public Meshtastic map services.

Our Meshtastic MQTT broker is:

You only need to configure your radio to talk to mqttmt01.bostonme.sh. The broker will automatically uplink your position and telemetry to both maps.

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All radio-level security (encryption, channels, etc.) is still handled by Meshtastic. The MQTT broker simply carries already-encrypted Meshtastic packets between devices and the mapping backends.

MQTT Broker Behavior​

The broker at mqttmt01.bostonme.sh is configured to:

  • Accept connections from Meshtastic nodes with valid credentials.
  • Uplink packets under the msh/US/MA root topic to:
    • mqtt.meshtastic.liamcottle.net (for Liam Cottle’s map)
    • mqtt.meshmap.net / mqtt.meshtastic.org-style backends (for MeshMap.net and related services)
  • Not provide downlink commands from the internet back into the mesh (uplink-only from our broker’s perspective).

This keeps the mesh focused on local RF traffic, while still allowing public visualization of node positions and telemetry.

On your Meshtastic device (via the app, web UI, or CLI), configure the following options.

MQTT Settings​

Under MQTT:

  • MQTT > Enabled: ON
    Enables MQTT support so your node can connect to the broker.

  • MQTT > Encryption Enabled: ON
    Keeps your MQTT messages encrypted at the Meshtastic protocol level.
    (This is independent of TLS on the broker port.)

  • MQTT > Map Report: OFF
    We handle map uplinks at the broker level. You do not need to send map reports directly from the node.

  • MQTT > Root Topic: msh/US/MA
    This ensures your node publishes into the Massachusetts topic tree that our broker expects.

  • MQTT > Address: mqttmt01.bostonme.sh
    This is the hostname of the Boston Mesh Meshtastic MQTT broker.

  • MQTT > Username: meshdev

  • MQTT > Password: large4cats

    These are the required credentials for this broker.
    If your node doesn’t support username/password, it will not be able to connect.

  • MQTT > TLS Enabled: OFF
    Our Meshtastic MQTT listener currently runs on plain MQTT (tcp://) with encryption handled by Meshtastic itself.
    Make sure this is off unless explicitly told otherwise in future docs.

Channel Settings​

Under Channels → Primary Channel:

  • Positions Enabled: ON
    Allows your node to send GPS/location updates over the channel.

  • Approximate Location: (set as desired)
    Use this to blur your exact location if you want more privacy.

    • Smaller radius = more accurate position on the map.
    • Larger radius = more privacy, but less precise pin on the map.

  • MQTT Uplink: ON
    This allows position and telemetry from this channel to be sent up to the MQTT broker (and then to the maps).

  • MQTT Downlink: OFF
    We currently do not use downlink from MQTT → RF.
    Keeping this off reduces unnecessary traffic and potential noise on the mesh.

Module Settings​

Under Settings → Modules:

  • Neighbor Info: ON

This enables the Neighbor Info module, which provides information about nearby nodes and helps make the mesh health and topology visible to monitoring tools and maps.

LoRa Settings​

Under LoRa:

  • Ok to MQTT: ON

This setting confirms that it’s acceptable for RF traffic to be mirrored to MQTT.
With this turned on, your node will contribute to the shared view of the mesh on the mapping services.

What This Setup Does for You​

With the settings above:

  • Your node connects to mqttmt01.bostonme.sh using MQTT + credentials.
  • The broker forwards (uplinks) your Meshtastic packets to:
  • Your device’s position and telemetry appear on those maps under the Massachusetts region/topic.
  • RF traffic stays local on LoRa, but is mirrored to the internet for visualization and analysis.

You don’t need to configure any external MQTT addresses on your node—just the Boston Mesh MQTT broker details listed here.

Troubleshooting​

If your node is not appearing on the map:

  1. Verify MQTT Status on the Node

    • Check that:
      • MQTT is Enabled
      • Address is mqttmt01.bostonme.sh
      • Root Topic is msh/US/MA
      • Username/password are set correctly.

  2. Check Approximate Location

    • If your approximate radius is very large, your pin may look very “blurred” or generalized.

  3. Confirm Channel Matching

    • Ensure your node is using the correct Primary Channel matching the rest of the Boston Mesh Meshtastic setup.

  4. Try a Reboot

    • Power-cycle the node or restart from the UI after changing MQTT settings.

If the problem persists, reach out to the Boston Mesh maintainers with your node’s ID and approximate location so we can check the MQTT broker logs and map uplink status.