ESP32 Forum

Am studying the ESP-MESH and read the following (https://espressif-docs.readthedocs-host ... networking):

A router is mandatory during the ESP-MESH networking. Users need to configure the Service Set Identification (SSID), password and channel of the router for each node.

What if I don't have a router? For example, if I want a collection of ESP32s to communicate with each other exclusively without any external (non-mesh) networking.

Same question as I read the docs today. Looks like the whole root node election is done in part by the best Rssi to the target ssid. But, what happens if some of the fringe of your network won’t hear the ssid at all? Can you have that scenario? Do they default to worst rssi and resolve their position in the mesh with some tie breaker?

I’m just getting started with the mesh but want to get some intuition on how it works before I sink too much time/faith into it.

Some positive hope in the language.

“A router is mandatory during the ESP-MESH networking. Users need to configure the Service Set Identification (SSID), password and channel of the router for each node. If the router is hidden, users will need to configure the Basic Service Set Identification (BSSID) for the nodes.（For mesh configuration solutions, please refer to the link to Mesh IoT solutions. The link will be released soon.）”. <—- the last sentence


http://esp-idf.readthedocs.io/en/latest ... /mesh.html

Indeed, this seems like an unnecessary constraint. It would be very useful to have a mesh with no router. Hopefully, ESP will soon fix this, as the doc suggests.

In the meantime, would a (strange) solution be : use one of the Esp as the router ?

Like :
- Setup one Esp as a fixed AP, acting as a router (and providing DHCP ?).
- Setup all the other Esp as mesh elements..

What do you think ?

That's what i was thinking... if we were forced to have an AP, i would just write some code to designate an ESP as an access point if needed. I haven't had time to mess with mesh yet, but its on the chopping block. I was hoping giving some more time might give some more clarity as they work out some of the implementation details..

The non-router mesh network is being designed.

Koulwa wrote: But, what happens if some of the fringe of your network won’t hear the ssid at all? Can you have that scenario?.

Yes, we have. As you say, it will be the worst rssi.

i have been playing around with the mesh stuff and also tried the esp32 as a router. for some reason the mesh doesn't authenticate to the esp32 AP... even took my routers settings that worked and propagated to eh esp AP with no luck...
Hacking away still. if i get a solution i will post.

Hi,

By any chance is there any progress on the 'non-router' mesh network?