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Download And Flash Releases

EastMesh release assets are published on:

Start Here

If this is your first time flashing EastMesh firmware, the easiest path is:

  1. Open https://flasher.eastmesh.au/.
  2. Select the firmware that matches what the device will do.
  3. Select the board that matches your exact hardware.
  4. Select the version. The flasher defaults to the latest available release.
  5. Select the image type:
  6. Update for a normal firmware update
  7. Full Flash for a clean full-image flash
  8. Click Flash Firmware.
  9. After flashing, finish setup with Open MeshCore Config Panel or the Serial Console.

If you are not sure which track you need, start with companion-wifi for app-connected companion devices or observer-eastmesh for a fixed repeater that should publish to MQTT.

Pick Your Track

EastMesh publishes four release tracks:

Track Use it when Firmware filename suffix
companion-wifi You want a companion device that connects over Wi-Fi instead of BLE or USB. *_companion_radio_wifi
observer-eastmesh You want a repeater with Wi-Fi and MQTT uplink, usually feeding broker visibility such as EastMesh/CoreScope. *_repeater_observer
repeater-bridge-espnow You want a local ESP-NOW bridge between nearby repeaters, without MQTT uplink or the EastMesh web panel. *_repeater_bridge_espnow
observer-eastmesh-bridge-espnow You want one repeater to provide both MQTT uplink and local ESP-NOW bridge duties. *_repeater_observer_espnow

Bridge firmware is not a WAN bridge

Bridge tracks are for bridging two nearby repeaters that operate on different MeshCore radio configs, for example Australia (Narrow) and Australia (Mid).

They do not use MQTT to tunnel mesh traffic over the internet, WAN links, or VPNs.

Pick The Right Asset

Download the asset that matches your board and firmware type.

Examples:

  • heltec_v4_companion_radio_wifi-v1.14.1-abcdef.bin
  • heltec_v4_repeater_observer-v1.15.0-eastmesh-v2026.5.1-abcdef.bin
  • heltec_v4_repeater_observer-v1.15.0-eastmesh-v2026.5.1-abcdef-merged.bin
  • heltec_v4_repeater_bridge_espnow-v1.15.0-abcdef.bin
  • heltec_v4_repeater_observer_espnow-v1.15.0-eastmesh-v2026.5.1-abcdef.bin

The important part is the board/env prefix:

  • *_companion_radio_wifi
  • *_repeater_observer
  • *_repeater_bridge_espnow
  • *_repeater_observer_espnow

Which File To Flash

If you are using https://flasher.eastmesh.au/, choose the image type in the flasher:

  • Update = normal firmware update
  • Full Flash = clean full-image flash

If you are manually downloading files from GitHub Releases, use the filename instead:

Use the standard .bin file when you are updating an existing device with the same target and partition layout.

Use the -merged.bin file when you want a clean install after erasing flash. This is the full ESP32 image and is intended to be flashed from address 0x0.

Practical rule:

  • .bin = incremental update
  • -merged.bin = erase and clean flash

Flashing Flow

  1. Select firmware.
  2. Select board.
  3. Select version. The latest version is selected by default.
  4. Select image type: Update or Full Flash.
  5. Click Flash Firmware.
  6. After flashing, use Open MeshCore Config Panel or the Serial Console for post-flash setup such as Wi-Fi, MQTT, bridge, or radio settings.

The recommended flasher is:

It includes native support for the common EastMesh firmware types and can also flash custom firmware files:

  • companion_radio_wifi firmware
  • repeater_observer firmware
  • custom firmware files

For bridge releases, use the matching bridge option if the flasher shows one. Otherwise, download the release asset yourself and flash it as a custom firmware file.

Recommended usage:

  • use Update when you are updating an existing device
  • use Full Flash when you want a clean full-image flash

After flashing, there are two useful setup paths in the flasher.

Open MeshCore Config Panel

Use Open MeshCore Config Panel to access the guided MeshCore setup tools:

  • Repeater Setup
  • Console

Repeater Setup

Repeater Setup is the guided first-time repeater flow.

It is the traditional way to configure a repeater after flashing, including:

  • device name
  • latitude and longitude
  • admin and guest passwords
  • radio settings, including preset selection
  • advert interval
  • flood advert interval
  • flood max
  • some advanced repeater settings

As of v1.2.1, the local repeater web panel also includes the same common repeater settings, so users can complete initial setup there and return for occasional troubleshooting or configuration changes. On observers that need maximum headroom, it is still best to disable the panel again when you are finished.

Console

Console is the raw CLI interface.

It is especially useful, and often required, for initial Wi-Fi setup on Wi-Fi-capable firmware tracks:

  • set wifi.ssid <your-ssid>
  • set wifi.pwd <your-password>

This applies to:

  • companion_radio_wifi
  • repeater_observer
  • repeater_observer_espnow

Serial Console

Use Serial Console when you want to connect over USB and type CLI commands directly.

The flasher can connect and disconnect from the device over USB. It also includes preset CLI commands that populate the command input for easier setup:

  • set wifi.ssid
  • set wifi.pwd
  • get wifi.status
  • get mqtt.status
  • set web on
  • get web.status

For set commands, complete the command in the input box before sending it. For example, select set wifi.ssid, add your Wi-Fi network name, then press Send.

Common First Steps

Observer

repeater_observer builds include the EastMesh MQTT additions. Depending on the board, they may also include the local web panel.

Typical first steps after flashing:

  • set wifi.ssid
  • set wifi.pwd
  • set mqtt.iata
  • confirm get mqtt.status
  • optionally set mqtt.owner and mqtt.email
  • optionally enable letsmesh-eu or letsmesh-us

Observer ESP-NOW

repeater_observer_espnow builds combine the observer role with local ESP-NOW bridge support.

Typical first steps after flashing:

  • set wifi.ssid
  • set wifi.pwd
  • set mqtt.iata
  • confirm get mqtt.status
  • check get wifi.status and note the connected Wi-Fi channel
  • set bridge.channel to match that Wi-Fi channel
  • set the same bridge.secret on every local ESP-NOW bridge node that should talk together

Repeater ESP-NOW Bridge

repeater_bridge_espnow builds are for local ESP-NOW bridge nodes without MQTT uplink.

Typical first steps after flashing:

  • configure the normal repeater settings for the board
  • set the intended MeshCore radio preset/config
  • set the same bridge channel and secret on the local bridge pair
  • confirm both bridge repeaters are physically nearby enough for ESP-NOW to work

Companion Wi-Fi

companion_radio_wifi builds are for companion devices that expose the app interface over Wi-Fi instead of BLE or USB.

Typical first steps after flashing:

  • set Wi-Fi credentials
  • confirm get wifi.status
  • connect your client app to the companion over Wi-Fi