Tested Hardware

Reference Hardware Setup

The development and reference configuration:

• Gateway: Windows PC running WSL2 + Seeed Wio Tracker L1 via USB/IP passthrough
• Client nodes: Raspberry Pi + Heltec LoRa 32 V3 (×2, one as relay)

Both Pis are fully capable of running the gateway — the binary is lightweight and the Pi 4's 8 worker threads handle concurrent proxy connections comfortably. WSL is convenient for development; Pi is the right choice for a permanent or solar-powered deployment.

Recommended Gateway Setup

Option 1: Raspberry Pi Gateway (recommended for permanent/solar deployment)

• Raspberry Pi 4/5 (2GB+ RAM)
• Any Meshtastic radio from the table above
• Connection: USB serial
• Power: 5V/3A supply or 12V solar panel + battery
• deadmesh binary is lightweight — a Pi Zero 2W can handle light traffic

Option 2: x86/ARM Linux (development / high-throughput)

• Any Linux box with USB port
• Identical build and config to Pi — no platform-specific code

Option 3: WSL2 (Windows development)

• USB/IP passthrough for the radio (see WSL section)
• Full feature parity with native Linux

Option 4: Industrial/Outdoor

• Weatherproof enclosure with Raspberry Pi
• High-gain directional antenna (5-8 dBi)
• Solar panel + LiFePO4 battery for 24/7 operation

Client Devices

Any Meshtastic-compatible device works:

• Android/iOS: Meshtastic app on phone (Bluetooth to radio)
• Handheld: RAK WisBlock, Lilygo T-Echo, Heltec LoRa 32
• Pi/Linux: deadmesh-client binary + Heltec or any Meshtastic radio
• Custom: ESP32 + LoRa module + deadmesh client build

Radio Configuration

For best Internet gateway performance:

# In Meshtastic app or CLI
meshtastic --set lora.region US --set lora.modem_preset LONG_FAST
meshtastic --set lora.tx_power 30  # Check local regulations
meshtastic --set lora.hop_limit 3  # Adjust for network size