ChirpStack Gateway Mesh

This pages describes how to configure the ChirpStack Gateway Mesh feature on the ChirpStack Gateway OS. In case you have not yet configured you ChirpStack Gateway OS instance, then please refer to Getting Started first. For more information about the ChirpStack Gateway Mesh feature, please refer to the ChirpStack Gateway Mesh documentation.

• Before you start
  • Minimum architecture
    • Border Gateway
    • Relay Gateway
  • Concentrator slots
• Configuration
  • ChirpStack Gateway Mesh
  • ChirpStack MQTT Forwarder

Before you start

Minimum architecture

To start using the Gateway Mesh feature, you must at least configure one LoRa Gateway as Border Gateway and an other as Relay Gateway.

Border Gateway

This Gateway forwards (Mesh) uplinks to ChirpStack using the ChirpStack MQTT Forwarder like a regular LoRa Gateway that you would use with ChirpStack. The only difference is that the ChirpStack MQTT Forwarder uses the ChirpStack Gateway Mesh as backend instead of the ChirpStack Concentratord.

Relay Gateway

This Gateway is not connected to ChirpStack and is able to operate without internet connection. It will encapsulate received LoRaWAN uplink frames in the Mesh package format, and unwraps Mesh encapsulated LoRaWAN downlinks.

Concentrator slots

LoRa Gateways can have one or multiple concentrator modules. For example they could contain a single EU868 module, one EU868 + one 2.4GHz module, two EU868 modules etc.

In case your LoRa Gateway only supports one module, then these must be configured as single slot gateways, in any other case, you must configure either Slot 1 or Slot 2 in the configuration. See also the ChirpStack Concentratord configuration.

Configuration

ChirpStack Gateway Mesh

1. Within the web-interface, in the left menu click ChirpStack, then click Gateway Mesh.
2. In the Global Configuration tab you must at least configure:
   • Enabled: Check this box to enable the ChirpStack Gateway Mesh.
   • Region: Select the region for which you would like to setup the ChirpStack Gateway Mesh.
3. In the Mesh Configuration tab you must at least configure:
   • Region: Select the region to use for the Mesh communication. Note that this does not have to be the same region as in step 2 as this region is used for the Mesh protocol only. For example you could use the ISM2400 region for Mesh communication (if the gateways support it).
   • Signing key: Configure the 128 bit (HEX) signing key used to signing and validate the Mesh communication.
   • Border Gateway: Enable this checkbox if the gateway must operate as a Border Gateway.
   • Ignore direct uplinks: Enable this checkbox if the gateway is a Border Gateway and you would like to ignore non-Mesh uplinks.
4. The Mesh data-rate configuration tab is automatically configured based on the selected Region in the Mesh Configuration. It can be modified if you would like to use different data-rate configuration.
5. In the Backend configuration you must configure:
   • Slot: The concentrator slot used for communication with LoRaWAN End Devices.
6. In the Mesh Backend configuration you must configure:
   • Slot: The concentrator slot used for Mesh communication. Note that this can be the same slot as configured in the Backend Configuration.
7. Click Save & Apply to apply all changes.

ChirpStack MQTT Forwarder

1. Within the web-interface, in the left menu click ChirpStack, then click MQTT Forwarder.
2. On the top of the page, you will find the following tabs, Slot 1 (, Slot 2) and Mesh.
   • Make sure that the ChirpStack MQTT Forwarder is disabled for Slot 1 and if available, Slot 2. Click Save & Apply before going to the next tab.
   • For the Mesh tab you must configure:
     • Global configuration tab:
       • Enabled: Only enable the ChirpStack MQTT Forwarder in case it is not configured as a Border Gateway.
     • In the MQTT configuration tab you must at least configure (for non-Border Gateways):
       • Server: The address of the MQTT broker.
     • Click Save & Apply to apply all changes.