MeshTexas started as a way to make sense of a Texas-based MeshCore mesh network — one place to see which nodes are active, how packets are moving across the state, and how the network is growing over time. Off-grid, decentralized mesh networking only gets more useful the more people can see it working, so instead of keeping that data to ourselves, we built a public map and opened it up.
MeshCore observer nodes across Texas — devices configured to capture and forward live packet data — report to a self-hosted MQTT broker, which feeds a real-time analyzer and map. Everything runs on infrastructure we manage, is scoped to Texas-region nodes only, and is free for the community to use and watch.
Setting one up takes a bit of configuration — not every node needs this, it's a dedicated observer role — but we've written guides for the most common hardware and software combinations. See the Connect section for setup instructions covering MeshCore firmware, meshcoretomqtt, and meshcore-packet-capture.
We built this as regional infrastructure, not a one-off personal project — and we'd rather see more of Texas (and neighboring communities) covered than keep it to ourselves. If you're running or organizing a MeshCore community in another region, we're open to giving your nodes access to our broker so you can stand up your own independently-branded map without having to run MQTT infrastructure of your own.
This isn't automatic — we review each request so the network stays healthy and regionally organized — but it's a quick process. Note that this is about observer infrastructure specifically (the piece that forwards packet data to a broker), not a requirement for every node on your mesh — see Connect for what that setup looks like.
Your name and group/community name (if any).
A link to your community's site or social presence.
Email address (or Discord handle).
What region you cover and roughly how many nodes/operators you have.
Broker access only (you run your own map), or help setting up a fully independent stack.
Send the details above and we'll follow up to get you connected.
Email Us ↗MeshTexas is community-run, volunteer infrastructure. We don't guarantee uptime, and access can be adjusted or revoked if needed to keep the network healthy for everyone.