Meshstream

Meshstream is a bridge between Meshtastic MQTT networks and web clients, enabling real-time monitoring and visualization of mesh network activity. The server component connects to Meshtastic MQTT servers, decodes mesh packets, and streams this data to web clients using Server Sent Events (SSE). The client-side application then aggregates and visualizes this raw data stream in various interactive views.

Meshstream caches recent network packets on the server side, but does not persist pemanently. Client will receive some historical data upon connection. This provides immediate context and visualization even before new real-time data starts flowing.

Features

• MQTT to SSE Bridge: Connects Meshtastic MQTT networks to web clients using Server Sent Events
• Real-time Map: Interactive map showing node locations
• Message Streaming: Live view of all packets flowing reported on the MQTT topic
• Telemetry Monitoring: Track device metrics like battery levels, temperatures, and signal strength
• Encrypted Channel Support: Ability to decrypt private channels using pre-shared keys
• Node Details: In-depth information about each node in your network
• Chat Activity: View channels and text messages

Quick Start

Using Docker (Recommended)

The easiest way to get started:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/your-username/meshstream.git
cd meshstream

# Configure environment variables
cp .env.example .env

# Build and run with Docker Compose
docker-compose up

Then visit http://localhost:8080 in your browser.

Manual Setup

Prerequisites:

• Go 1.24 or later
• Node.js 20 or later
• pnpm (for web UI development)

# Install dependencies and generate protobuf code
go mod tidy
make gen-proto

# Run the server
make run

# Run the client
make web-run

Configuration

Meshstream can be configured through environment variables, command-line flags, or a .env file. All configuration options use the MESHSTREAM_ prefix.

Core Configuration

Environment Variable	Default	Description
MESHSTREAM_MQTT_BROKER	mqtt.bayme.sh	MQTT broker address
MESHSTREAM_MQTT_USERNAME	meshdev	MQTT username
MESHSTREAM_MQTT_PASSWORD	large4cats	MQTT password
MESHSTREAM_MQTT_TOPIC_PREFIX	msh/US/bayarea	MQTT topic prefix for Meshtastic
MESHSTREAM_SERVER_HOST	localhost	Host to bind the web server
MESHSTREAM_SERVER_PORT	8080	Port for the web server
MESHSTREAM_CACHE_SIZE	1000	Number of packets to cache for new client connections
MESHSTREAM_STATS_INTERVAL	30s	Interval for statistics reporting
MESHSTREAM_CHANNEL_KEYS	LongFast:DefaultKey,...	Comma-separated list of channel:key pairs for decrypting private channels

Note

Meshstream can be configured with pre-shared keys to decrypt private encrypted channels. This should only be done when channel participants have explicitly consented to having their messages monitored or when Meshstream is deployed behind an authentication gateway. Remember that decrypting private channels without consent may violate privacy expectations and potentially laws depending on your jurisdiction.

Web UI Configuration (Build-time)

These must be set at build time (via Docker build args or web/.env.local):

Build Variable	Default	Description
VITE_SITE_TITLE	My Mesh	Site title shown in the browser tab
VITE_SITE_DESCRIPTION	Realtime Meshtastic activity via MQTT.	Meta description
VITE_API_BASE_URL	(empty — same origin)	API base URL, if serving from a different host

Maps use MapLibre GL JS with free CartoDB Dark Matter tiles — no API key required.

For complete configuration options, see the Dockerfile and docker-compose.yml.

License

MIT License