After years of experimenting with various LPWAN mesh networking technologies, I’ve unequivocally settled on Reticulum for my serious deployments. It emerged as the clear frontrunner not because it’s simpler than the rudimentary Meshtastic (it isn’t), nor because it’s overtly more feature-rich than the robust MeshCore (though debatable), but because its extremely well-thought-through design philosophy fundamentally aligns with what I’ve come to believe matters most: privacy, resilience, and true decentralisation in the face of an increasingly “enshittified” internet. It strongly supports multiple bearer protocols, making it an ideal candidate for a future decentralised internet.

While MeshTastic might serve as a basic introduction to LPWAN mesh networking, MeshCore represents a significant leap forward, particularly when the limitations of hobbyist solutions become apparent. It effectively addresses many of the fundamental issues encountered with earlier, simpler protocols, offering a far more robust option for scenarios where “it mostly works” is simply not good enough. MeshCore is designed for industrial deployments, large-scale sensor networks, and applications where reliability and flexibility are paramount.