[Feature Request]: add ability to reduce mesh traffic

[denis1482]

Platform

Cross-Platform

Description

In densely populated metro network we may have overused channel utilization using default settings for endpoint devices:

Since we have an option to filter some protocols for rebroadcast (CORE_PORTNUMS_ONLY), please implement more strict MESSAGING_ONLY. This could solve traffic overload for many crowded sites.

[korbinianbauer]

What nodes should use this setting and how would it help?

What's the use case in which Client_Mute isn't the proper solution?

[denis1482]

What nodes should use this setting and how would it help?

Any node that rebroadcasts should have this option. This would help to reduce mesh traffic in situation where a lot of users do not bother to set their devices to optimal settings.

What's the use case in which Client_Mute isn't the proper solution?

We cannot force non-optimal users to behave properly, but we can optimize mesh traffic with this mode.

[b8b8]

This isn't really fair to filter everyone's traffic on the public defaults. For some, sensor data is important, for others they need position data through the mesh.

You either want to participate in the larger mesh or you don't (client_mute).

The answer (and there was a blog post about it) is to move to a faster preset or make a private mesh, not nerf the public mesh to only text traffic.

https://meshtastic.org/blog/why-your-mesh-should-switch-from-longfast/

[denis1482]

This isn't really fair to filter everyone's traffic on the public defaults.

We already have such discriminatory mode CORE_PORTNUMS_ONLY mode and no one complains. MESSAGING_ONLY mode could be an option, not an obligatory default.

The answer (and there was a blog post about it) is to move to a faster preset

Moving to a faster preset breaks weak links, that is not the goal. Selectively dropping unnecessary flood traffic that overflows the mesh because of default settings may be reasonable. The node owner should have the ability to decide what to rebroadcast depending on the site conditions.

[b8b8]

This isn't really fair to filter everyone's traffic on the public defaults.

We already have such discriminatory mode CORE_PORTNUMS_ONLY mode and no one complains. MESSAGING_ONLY mode could be an option, not an obligatory default.

The answer (and there was a blog post about it) is to move to a faster preset

Moving to a faster preset breaks weak links, that is not the goal. Selectively dropping unnecessary flood traffic that overflows the mesh because of default settings may be reasonable. The node owner should have the ability to decide what to rebroadcast depending on the site conditions.

Core port numbers still includes the core message types of Meshtastic: text, position, sensor telemetry.

[GUVWAF]

It is good to note that the statistics you show is the result of the various firmware versions that are out right now. In 2.7, by default there is no telemetry enabled anymore, for example. When people update their firmware, the traffic will be reduced automatically already.

I'm also not a fan of restricting it to text only. Users will think the mesh doesn't work anymore when trying to do e.g. a position request or traceroute, but it would be just because it gets filtered. NodeInfo is also very important for node discovery and even secure direct messaging (due to key exchange).

[b8b8]

The mesh is more than just texting and it is a little selfish to drop people's otherwise non abusive packets on the PUBLIC mesh defaults.

Everyone has the opportunity to make their own private mesh with the same longfast presets but a different frequency if the public mesh has too much congestion.

But as said before the answer is telemetry off by default now, and faster presets. Weak links aren't an excuse. It means you need more nodes in the area so it becomes a STRONG link. That's just the way it is. It's not fair to black hole all mesh traffic except text on PUBLIC channel. If you want to do that, make a private channel you control.

Longfast is only the current default. Years ago when meshtastic started, the default was LongSlow. It had even greater range than longfast and (in my personal experience) a single router could cover an entire city.

The default preset may change again one day. All "weak links" would have to be reconsidered.

[NomDeTom]

This has been discussed in #6675

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