Hopefully once and for all, use smarter pathing data on all direct contacts

app/decoder.py

@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ class PacketInfo:
     payload_type: PayloadType
     payload_version: int
     path_length: int
+    path: bytes  # The routing path (empty if path_length is 0)
     payload: bytes
 
 
@@ -149,9 +150,10 @@ def parse_packet(raw_packet: bytes) -> PacketInfo | None:
         path_length = raw_packet[offset]
         offset += 1
 
-        # Skip path data
+        # Extract path data
         if len(raw_packet) < offset + path_length:
             return None
+        path = raw_packet[offset:offset + path_length]
         offset += path_length
 
         # Rest is payload
@@ -162,6 +164,7 @@ def parse_packet(raw_packet: bytes) -> PacketInfo | None:
             payload_type=payload_type,
             payload_version=payload_version,
             path_length=path_length,
+            path=path,
             payload=payload,
         )
     except (ValueError, IndexError):

app/packet_processor.py

@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ import time
 from app.decoder import (
     PayloadType,
     parse_packet,
+    parse_advertisement,
     try_decrypt_packet_with_channel_key,
-    try_parse_advertisement,
 )
 from app.models import CONTACT_TYPE_REPEATER, RawPacketBroadcast, RawPacketDecryptedInfo
 from app.repository import ChannelRepository, ContactRepository, MessageRepository, RawPacketRepository
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ async def process_raw_packet(
             result.update(decrypt_result)
 
     elif payload_type == PayloadType.ADVERT:
-        await _process_advertisement(raw_bytes, ts)
+        await _process_advertisement(raw_bytes, ts, packet_info)
 
     # TODO: Add TEXT_MESSAGE (direct message) decryption when private key is available
     # elif payload_type == PayloadType.TEXT_MESSAGE:
@@ -288,6 +288,7 @@ async def _process_group_text(
 async def _process_advertisement(
     raw_bytes: bytes,
     timestamp: int,
+    packet_info=None,
 ) -> None:
     """
     Process an advertisement packet.
@@ -295,14 +296,25 @@ async def _process_advertisement(
     Extracts contact info and updates the database/broadcasts to clients.
     For non-repeater contacts, triggers sync of recent contacts to radio for DM ACK support.
     """
-    advert = try_parse_advertisement(raw_bytes)
-    if not advert:
+    # Parse packet to get path info if not already provided
+    if packet_info is None:
+        packet_info = parse_packet(raw_bytes)
+    if packet_info is None:
         logger.debug("Failed to parse advertisement packet")
         return
 
+    advert = parse_advertisement(packet_info.payload)
+    if not advert:
+        logger.debug("Failed to parse advertisement payload")
+        return
+
+    # Extract path info from packet
+    path_len = packet_info.path_length
+    path_hex = packet_info.path.hex() if packet_info.path else ""
+
     logger.debug(
-        "Parsed advertisement from %s: %s (role=%d, lat=%s, lon=%s)",
-        advert.public_key[:12], advert.name, advert.device_role, advert.lat, advert.lon
+        "Parsed advertisement from %s: %s (role=%d, lat=%s, lon=%s, path_len=%d)",
+        advert.public_key[:12], advert.name, advert.device_role, advert.lat, advert.lon, path_len
     )
 
     # Try to find existing contact
@@ -320,6 +332,8 @@ async def _process_advertisement(
         "lon": advert.lon,
         "last_advert": advert.timestamp if advert.timestamp > 0 else timestamp,
         "last_seen": timestamp,
+        "last_path": path_hex,
+        "last_path_len": path_len,
     }
 
     await ContactRepository.upsert(contact_data)
@@ -330,8 +344,8 @@ async def _process_advertisement(
         "name": advert.name,
         "type": contact_type,
         "flags": existing.flags if existing else 0,
-        "last_path": existing.last_path if existing else None,
-        "last_path_len": existing.last_path_len if existing else -1,
+        "last_path": path_hex,
+        "last_path_len": path_len,
         "last_advert": advert.timestamp if advert.timestamp > 0 else timestamp,
         "lat": advert.lat,
         "lon": advert.lon,

app/routers/contacts.py

@@ -45,15 +45,17 @@ async def prepare_repeater_connection(mc, contact: Contact, password: str) -> No
     Raises:
         HTTPException: If login fails
     """
-    # Add contact to radio with flood mode
-    logger.info("Adding repeater %s to radio", contact.public_key[:12])
+    # Add contact to radio with path from DB (or flood if no path known)
+    path_len = contact.last_path_len if contact.last_path_len >= 0 else -1
+    path_str = "direct" if path_len == 0 else f"{path_len} hops" if path_len > 0 else "flood"
+    logger.info("Adding repeater %s to radio (%s)", contact.public_key[:12], path_str)
     contact_data = {
         "public_key": contact.public_key,
         "adv_name": contact.name or "",
         "type": contact.type,
         "flags": contact.flags,
-        "out_path": "",
-        "out_path_len": -1,  # Flood mode
+        "out_path": contact.last_path or "",
+        "out_path_len": path_len,
         "adv_lat": contact.lat or 0.0,
         "adv_lon": contact.lon or 0.0,
         "last_advert": contact.last_advert or 0,
@@ -380,15 +382,17 @@ async def send_repeater_command(public_key: str, request: CommandRequest) -> Com
 
     # Pause message polling to prevent it from stealing our response
     async with pause_polling():
-        # Add contact to radio with flood mode
-        logger.info("Adding repeater %s to radio", contact.public_key[:12])
+        # Add contact to radio with path from DB (or flood if no path known)
+        path_len = contact.last_path_len if contact.last_path_len >= 0 else -1
+        path_str = "direct" if path_len == 0 else f"{path_len} hops" if path_len > 0 else "flood"
+        logger.info("Adding repeater %s to radio (%s)", contact.public_key[:12], path_str)
         contact_data = {
             "public_key": contact.public_key,
             "adv_name": contact.name or "",
             "type": contact.type,
             "flags": contact.flags,
-            "out_path": "",
-            "out_path_len": -1,  # Flood mode
+            "out_path": contact.last_path or "",
+            "out_path_len": path_len,
             "adv_lat": contact.lat or 0.0,
             "adv_lon": contact.lon or 0.0,
             "last_advert": contact.last_advert or 0,

frontend/dist/index.html

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
     <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico" />
     <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/apple-touch-icon.png" />
     <link rel="manifest" href="/site.webmanifest" />
-    <script type="module" crossorigin src="/assets/index-BqCjcbH8.js"></script>
+    <script type="module" crossorigin src="/assets/index-B6Dj5zg2.js"></script>
     <link rel="stylesheet" crossorigin href="/assets/index-DZ67iE5i.css">
   </head>
   <body>

tests/test_packet_pipeline.py

@@ -204,6 +204,10 @@ class TestAdvertisementPipeline:
         assert contact.lon is not None
         assert abs(contact.lat - expected["lat"]) < 0.001
         assert abs(contact.lon - expected["lon"]) < 0.001
+        # This advertisement has path_len=6 (6 hops through repeaters)
+        assert contact.last_path_len == 6
+        assert contact.last_path is not None
+        assert len(contact.last_path) == 12  # 6 bytes = 12 hex chars
 
         # Verify WebSocket broadcast
         contact_broadcasts = [b for b in broadcasts if b["type"] == "contact"]
@@ -213,6 +217,7 @@ class TestAdvertisementPipeline:
         assert broadcast["data"]["public_key"] == expected["public_key"]
         assert broadcast["data"]["name"] == expected["name"]
         assert broadcast["data"]["type"] == expected["type"]
+        assert broadcast["data"]["last_path_len"] == 6
 
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_advertisement_updates_existing_contact(self, test_db, captured_broadcasts):
@@ -244,6 +249,10 @@ class TestAdvertisementPipeline:
         assert contact.type == expected["type"]  # Type updated
         assert contact.lat is not None  # GPS added
         assert contact.lon is not None
+        # This advertisement has path_len=0 (direct neighbor)
+        assert contact.last_path_len == 0
+        # Empty path stored as None or ""
+        assert contact.last_path in (None, "")
 
 
 class TestAckPipeline: