Problem with sending messages to the network via Lora32 v.3 modules connected to a computer with MeshChat program

[yuz86]

Hey, everybody. Faced with the following situation, collected the following scheme to test the performance of the network Reticulum: one of the smartphones with installed Sideband is connected via bluetooth to Heltec lora32 v.3 with firmware 1.83, the second module Lora is connected via USB to a computer with the program MeshChat on which created two interfaces, one TCP with connection to the server RNS Testnet Amsterdam, the second RNode. The second phone with mobile internet is connected via TCP to the server in Amsterdam. From each of the phones to the computer and back messages are delivered in both directions without problems, from the phone connected to the mobile Internet to the phone with the Lora module also come messages in transit through the computer, but return messages do not come. That is, from the phone connected through the Lora module messages are not delivered and the status gives - “On Propagation Net”. Who has encountered this behavior, that messages go only in one direction and what are your thoughts on this matter?

[markqvist]

Computer A = Device with both TCP connection to testnet and RNode
Phone A = Device with only TCP connection to testnet
Phone B = Device with only RNode connection to Computer A

On the computer that has both a TCP connection and RNode, have you enabled Transport? I am guessing yes, since you can send message from Phone A to Phone B, but just checking to make sure.

If yes, what interface mode is the RNode configured for? Probably, you cannot resolve a path from Phone B to Phone A, since the RNode interface on Computer A is not allowing recursive path requests on the RNode interface. To fix this, set the RNode interface mode to ap or gw (access_point or gateway). That will allow clients on the RNode side of the network to recursively request paths to unknown devices.

In your situation, since the RNode on Computer A is acting like a radio access point, I'd suggest putting it into ap mode, since that will only transmit announces on the RNode when actually needed, and thus save precious LoRa bandwidth.

[yuz86]

Thank you for the detailed explanation. The default was set to Full mode, as I mistakenly assumed, supporting all possible modes of operation. Yes in access point mode the messages worked both ways, in the near future I plan to make a test using an external 6 meter collinear antenna at 430 MHz, which with SDR transceiver in digital modulation allows for communications on VHF up to several thousand kilometers in summer periods through the ionized layers of air above the surface of the earth. It will be very interesting to conduct similar tests with these modules.

[markqvist]

Very good to hear! Yes, it should be explained more clearly in the manual that in setups like this, the ap mode is the right way to go.

I plan to make a test using an external 6 meter collinear antenna at 430 MHz, which with SDR transceiver in digital modulation

Very interesting! Keep us all posted on how this goes!