built reference verified 3b862d5 (2026-09-14)
Troubleshooting
Find your symptom, then work through the fixes in order.
hello.mesh or other `.mesh` names don't open
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Browser searched instead of opening | Type the whole address with http://, for example http://hello.mesh |
| Android Private DNS is on | Settings → Network → Private DNS → Off while on this network |
| Browser secure DNS (DNS over HTTPS) is on | Chrome: Settings → Privacy → Use secure DNS → off. Firefox usually turns it off by itself here |
| A VPN or iCloud Private Relay is on | Pause it for this network |
| Not actually on the mesh | Check your address starts with 10.42. (Connect, step 3) |
Still stuck: open the router's numeric address, http://10.42.x.1.
Connected, but nothing loads at all (the phone just spins)
You got an address, but the router at 10.42.x.1 doesn't answer.
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Your router has a known misconfiguration (a leftover second address on its LAN) | Tell the operator: "gateway blackhole on 10.42.x.1". Meanwhile, forget the network and rejoin, which may put you on a different router |
| The router is restarting after an update | Wait two minutes and rejoin |
Mesh works, internet doesn't
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| No router in the mesh has an uplink right now | Nothing to fix on your device. .mesh services still work |
| A sheet says the local mesh is available | Expected when the router has no internet route. Use its hello.mesh link for local services |
A captive welcome sheet appeared
This is expected when the mesh has no internet route. It explains the offline
state and links to http://hello.mesh; no login or dismissal unlocks internet.
If a real internet site already loads while the sheet remains, close it and
rejoin. Tell the operator that CAPPORT and the router's default route disagree.
My identity disappeared
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
You opened the numeric address instead of http://hello.mesh |
Go back to http://hello.mesh. Identities are kept per address |
| Private browsing, or site data was cleared | Restore from your recovery phrase |
| Different browser or device | Same: restore from the phrase |
No recovery phrase saved? That identity is gone. Create a new one.
"Still introducing you — retrying"
The router is busy or briefly unreachable. Keep the page open; it retries. If it never finishes, rejoin the Wi-Fi and tap Join again.
People list shows odd "last seen" times
"Last seen" updates while someone has hello.mesh open. It isn't a live online indicator. Closed tabs look stale even if the person is in the room.
Certificate warning on an `https://….mesh` app
Expected. .mesh apps use self-made certificates. See
Find services.
The router map is missing some routers
Routers running older software, or ones that don't answer at their LAN address, drop out of the map. Everything else still works.
Moving between rooms dropped my call or download
Moving to another router can briefly interrupt connections, and your address may change. Seamless roaming isn't field-proven yet. Reconnect the app.
For agents
Checks you can run from a device on the mesh:
ip -4 addr | grep -E 'inet 10\.42\.' # on the mesh? expect 10.42.x.n
ping -c 2 10.42.x.1 # gateway answers? (x from the line above)
nslookup hello.mesh 10.42.x.1 # .mesh resolution via the router
curl -s http://hello.mesh/api/health # front desk up
curl -s http://hello.mesh/api/directory | head -c 400 # directory (node, identities, services)