Mesh Network in Raleigh, NC

RDUMesh provides community-owned, off-grid mesh radio coverage across Raleigh, North Carolina and the surrounding Wake County area. Using MeshCore and Meshtastic on the 915 MHz ISM band, the network enables free text messaging without internet or cellular service.

Raleigh Coverage

Raleigh is the largest city served by RDUMesh, with repeater infrastructure anchored at strategic locations across Wake County. The Eastern Repeater at North Hills is one of the highest nodes in the network at approximately 110 meters above ground level, providing broad coverage across north and central Raleigh.

Coverage extends to Cary, Wake Forest, Apex, Morrisville, Garner, and Fuquay-Varina through a combination of solar-powered repeater nodes and community-hosted infrastructure.

RDUMesh members use both MeshCore and Meshtastic, but they serve different roles. MeshCore is the major infrastructure we have chosen to build out — it supports planned, dedicated repeaters with up to 64 hops, giving us reliable coverage across the 16-county region. Meshtastic is still well-liked for ad-hoc temporary deployments, especially when exploring natural areas in and around the Triangle where the fixed MeshCore infrastructure cannot yet penetrate. Together they give the community the best of both worlds: a permanent backbone and flexible portable mesh when you need it.

Getting Started in Raleigh

  1. Get a radio — A BLE companion device like the RAK Wismesh Tag ($50) or Seeed SenseCAP T1000-E ($40-50) connects to your phone. For standalone use, the Lilygo T-Deck Plus ($100) works without a phone.
  2. Flash firmware — Visit flasher.meshcore.io with Chrome or Edge, connect your device, select your model, and flash.
  3. Configure — Set frequency to 910.525 MHz, bandwidth 62.5 kHz, spreading factor 7.
  4. Say hello — Send a message in the Public channel to introduce yourself.

Full setup instructions can be found in the Welcome to RDUMesh guide and the Device Quick Start Guide.

Raleigh Repeaters

RDUMesh operates several repeater nodes in and around Raleigh. If you are interested in hosting a repeater on your rooftop, workplace, or property, see the Repeater Host FAQ.

Raleigh Community

Join the RDUMesh Discord to connect with other mesh users in Raleigh. You can also check the RDUMesh coverage map to see current node locations and signal reach.