Meshtastic MQTT Proxy

[LN4CY]

Meshtastic MQTT Proxy

After experiencing unreliable behavior with the built-in Meshtastic MQTT gateway, I created an MQTT proxy that runs in a Docker container and behaves like the official Meshtastic iOS and Android apps, where MQTT traffic is routed through the client instead of directly from the node.

📦 Repository: https://github.com/LN4CY/mqtt-proxy

This proxy can integrate with MeshMonitor, or it can run completely standalone.

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Why this exists

I was originally using a T-Deck as an MQTT gateway, but in practice it proved to be unreliable. The device would frequently drop Wi-Fi, resulting in the loss of my only connection to MQTT.

This became especially problematic when not running the mobile apps and relying solely on MeshMonitor. When the T-Deck lost connectivity, MQTT traffic stopped entirely, leaving no stable or automatic recovery.

This project was created to:

• Move MQTT responsibility off the T-Deck
• Maintain stable, persistent Internet and broker connectivity
• Allow MQTT to function without requiring mobile apps to be running
• Provide a solution that behaves identically to the official apps from the node’s perspective
• Does not require a Ethernet or Wi-Fi enabled node

Running the MQTT client proxy logic inside a Docker container has proven to be significantly more reliable than gateway mode on embedded hardware.

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How it works

The proxy uses the same underlying mechanism as the Meshtastic apps (mqttClientProxyMessage). As long as the node:

• Has MQTT enabled
• Is configured with an MQTT broker
• Is set to Client Proxy mode

…the proxy will automatically route MQTT traffic to the configured server.

The proxy reads all MQTT and channel settings directly from the node, meaning no duplicate or manual MQTT configuration is required.

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Features

• ✅ No additional node configuration
  • Uses the node’s existing MQTT, channel, and encryption settings
• 🔁 Full bidirectional MQTT forwarding
• 🔌 Multiple connection methods
  • TCP
  • Serial
  • BLE is possible but more complex and not currently implemented
• 🧩 MeshMonitor compatible, but not required
• 🐳 Docker-ready for easy deployment
• 📡 Supports all channels and message types configured on the node

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Summary

This project provides a stable, app-equivalent MQTT client proxy for Meshtastic networks. By moving MQTT handling off embedded devices and into a containerized environment, it eliminates common connectivity issues while remaining fully compatible with existing node configurations.

[Yeraze]

Now available in the Docker Configurator :)