Troubleshooting Guide
Common issues and solutions for LA-Mesh devices and network.
Device Issues
Device won't power on
| Check | Action |
|---|
| Battery dead | Charge for at least 30 minutes via USB-C |
| Stuck state | Hold power button for 10+ seconds to force restart |
| Hardware failure | Try a different USB cable, check for physical damage |
Device not detected on USB
| Check | Action |
|---|
| Cable is charge-only | Use a data-capable USB-C cable |
| Wrong driver | ESP32-S3 uses built-in USB, CP2102/CH340 for older chips |
| Port in use | Close other serial monitors, check ls /dev/ttyUSB* /dev/ttyACM* |
| Bootloader mode needed | Hold BOOT, press RESET, release BOOT |
Network Issues
Can't see other nodes
| Check | Action |
|---|
| Wrong channel PSK | Verify PSK matches: meshtastic --info |
| Wrong region | Must be set to US: meshtastic --set lora.region US |
| Wrong modem preset | Must match network: meshtastic --set lora.modem_preset LONG_FAST |
| Out of range | Move closer to a known node, check antenna |
| Antenna disconnected | Verify antenna is firmly connected to SMA port |
Messages not delivering
| Check | Action |
|---|
| Hop limit too low | Should be 5 for LA-Mesh (check: meshtastic --info) |
| Airtime exhausted | Wait a few minutes (device enforces duty cycle limits) |
| Channel congestion | Too many nodes transmitting; reduce message frequency |
| Device role wrong | ROUTER nodes should have rebroadcast_mode: ALL |
Poor signal quality (low SNR)
| Action | Expected Improvement |
|---|
| Move to open area | +10-20 dB |
| Raise antenna height | +3-6 dB per doubling of height |
| Use external antenna | +3-10 dB over stock whip |
| Reduce distance | +6 dB per halving of distance |
| Clear obstructions | Trees: -3 to -10 dB, Buildings: -10 to -30 dB |
Firmware Issues
Flash fails
| Error | Solution |
|---|
| "Failed to connect" | Enter bootloader mode (BOOT + RESET) |
| "Invalid head of packet" | Erase flash first: just flash-erase |
| "Timed out" | Try lower baud rate (115200 instead of 921600) |
| Permission denied | sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER (re-login) |
Device stuck in boot loop
- Enter bootloader mode (BOOT + RESET)
- Erase flash:
just flash-erase - Re-flash firmware:
just flash-meshtastic firmware.bin - Re-apply configuration profile
Bridge Issues
SMS bridge not sending
| Check | Action |
|---|
| SMS gateway credentials | Verify in operator keystore |
| MQTT connection | Check: systemctl status mosquitto |
| Bridge running | Check: systemctl status lamesh-sms-bridge |
| Phone format | Must be E.164: +12075551234 |
MQTT not receiving mesh messages
| Check | Action |
|---|
| meshtasticd running | Check: systemctl status meshtasticd |
| MQTT enabled on device | Verify: meshtastic --info (MQTT section) |
| Topic mismatch | Default: msh/US/2/json/LongFast/+ |
| Mosquitto running | Check: systemctl status mosquitto |