Meshtastic LoRa Modem Presets — Range vs Speed Compared
Every Meshtastic LoRa modem preset compared: bandwidth, spreading factor, coding rate, data rate and link budget (range). Long Fast is the interoperable default. Free CSV/JSON + REST under CC BY 4.0.
Quick answer
A Meshtastic modem preset is the bundle of LoRa radio settings — bandwidth, spreading factor and coding rate — that every node on a mesh must share to talk to each other. The trade-off is speed versus range: faster presets (Short Turbo, Short Fast) move more data over shorter distances, while slower ones (Long Moderate, Long Slow) reach much farther at a trickle. This reference lists all 9 presets with their bandwidth, spreading factor, coding rate, theoretical data rate and link budget (a relative range proxy). Long Fast is the default and what most public meshes use.
Use Long Fast — it is the Meshtastic default and the only preset that guarantees you can join the public community mesh in your area. Go faster (Short/Medium) only on a private, dense mesh; go to Long Moderate/Slow only for sparse, long-haul links where every dB of range matters. Nodes on different presets cannot hear each other.
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| Preset | Bandwidth | SF | Coding | Data rate | Link budget | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Turbo | 500 kHz | 7 | 4/5 | 21.88 kbps | 140 dB | Highest throughput, shortest range. 500 kHz bandwidth is restricted in some regions (e.g. EU868). |
| Short Fast | 250 kHz | 7 | 4/5 | 10.94 kbps | 143 dB | Fast and short-range; suits dense urban meshes with many nearby nodes. |
| Short Slow | 250 kHz | 8 | 4/5 | 6.25 kbps | 145.5 dB | A step more range than Short Fast at lower throughput. |
| Medium Fast | 250 kHz | 9 | 4/5 | 3.52 kbps | 148 dB | Balanced medium-range option. |
| Medium Slow | 250 kHz | 10 | 4/5 | 1.95 kbps | 150.5 dB | More range than Medium Fast, slower airtime. |
| Long Turbo | 500 kHz | 11 | 4/8 | 1.34 kbps | 150 dB | Long range with wider 500 kHz bandwidth (region-permitting); faster than Long Fast where 500 kHz is allowed. |
| Long Fast | 250 kHz | 11 | 4/5 | 1.07 kbps | 153 dB | The Meshtastic DEFAULT preset — the best general-purpose range/speed balance, and the preset most public/community meshes run so devices can interoperate. |
| Long Moderate | 125 kHz | 11 | 4/8 | 0.34 kbps | 156 dB | Long range on the narrow 125 kHz bandwidth, robust coding. |
| Long Slow | 125 kHz | 12 | 4/8 | 0.18 kbps | 158.5 dB | Maximum range, lowest throughput; for sparse, long-haul links. |
Source: the Meshtastic radio-settings documentation (June 2026); data rate is theoretical (before headers/hops/retransmits), link budget is a relative range proxy. See also D-Central’s Meshtastic LoRa region/frequency reference, the Meshtastic range calculator, the LoRa device database, and the Sovereign Mesh hub.
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Last reviewed June 19, 2026.