rns.recipes

I have RNode over Ethernet working on the RAK4631 with the RAK13800 Ethernet module. The eth module has an optional PoE module too. This branch is based on the latest 1.86 build.

The same firmware binary works for both plain RAK4631 boards and the ETH variant - the W5100S chip is detected at runtime, so there's no separate build to maintain. When the Ethernet module is present, the device
accepts RNode over TCP connections (on port 7633) in addition to the usual USB and BLE serial interface. PoE makes it easy to deploy as a fixed node with a single cable.

The firmware is available here: https://github.com/metrafonic/RNode_Firmware_RAK_Ethernet

To install or update with rnodeconf:

rnodeconf --autoinstall --fw-url https://github.com/metrafonic/RNode_Firmware_RAK_Ethernet/releases/

Hardware used:

• RAK4631 (nRF52840 core)
• RAK13800 Ethernet module (W5100S)
• Optional RAK19018 PoE module

The code has been updated. No new board definition, everything stays under the original RAK4631.

There is some logic to detect if the eth module is present.

I will update the repo so that rnodeconf can be used with a custom fw url

Good work. I've built a similar but a bit more DIY RNode solution., runs on my fork of RNode_Firmware.

New release dropped now. The previous build had an issue where the CSMA would wrongly detect network activity, in part due to the synchronous eth maintenance calls interfering with this logic.

https://github.com/metrafonic/RNode_Firmware_RAK_Ethernet/releases/tag/1.86

Changes in this build

• Fix: SX1262 carrier-sense wedge — A partial/foreign LoRa packet that triggers header-detect but never completes left the IRQ_HEADER_DET bit permanently set, causing dcd() to return true forever and blocking all TX. The driver now times out a stuck header-detect based on the maximum possible packet duration at the current data rate and clears the IRQ, mirroring the existing false-preamble self-heal.
• Fix: self-heal timeout no longer aborts valid long packets — The stuck-header timeout was derived from the nominal bitrate, which undercounts real airtime when Low Data Rate Optimize is active (SF11/SF12). A near-max-length packet at high spreading factor could exceed the estimate and be cleared mid-reception. The timeout now corrects for LDRO (×SF/(SF-2)) plus a margin, so genuine long frames are no longer dropped.
• Fix: DHCP renewal no longer stalls the modem — Ethernet.maintain() (lease renewal) is now gated on !dcd && queue_height == 0 so it only runs during radio-quiet gaps. The W5100S library advances lease timers by wall-clock time even when skipped, so renewals deferred during active radio use fire at the next quiet moment. The global DHCP timeout is also reduced from 8 s to 3 s to cap worst-case stall on an unresponsive server.

Both the carrier-sense and DHCP bugs combined to cause a hard lockup after hours of use: the DHCP renewal stall starved modem servicing long enough for a foreign packet to latch header-detect, after which channel load read 100% and TX was permanently blocked until restart.

Install

Install or update using rnodeconf:

rnodeconf --autoinstall --fw-url https://github.com/metrafonic/RNode_Firmware_RAK_Ethernet/releases/

Hello,

It's my very first time with RN. I received my device (RAK4631) just this morning.
I succeeded to flash your firmware successfully.

However, the procedure to pair the device using bluetooth is kinda hard since I don't have the bluetooth pin to use.
There's was no bluetooth pin printed in the console during the flashing.

How do you do to connect in bluetooth on such device, without display on them ?

p1ld7a wrote:

Hello,

It's my very first time with RN. I received my device (RAK4631) just this morning.
I succeeded to flash your firmware successfully.

However, the procedure to pair the device using bluetooth is kinda hard since I don't have the bluetooth pin to use.
There's was no bluetooth pin printed in the console during the flashing.

How do you do to connect in bluetooth on such device, without display on them ?

So this firmware is a modified version to support the ethernet extention board. You can just use the normal rnode firmware.

But to answer your question:

rnodeconf -p /dev/yourserialdevice

Enters pairing mode and shows the pin

Hello,

Yes, I have a RAK4631 and RAK13800 module hooked to it, this is the reason why I use your firmware.

By the way, thanks for the help, (rnodeconf -p) this helped me a lot, I haven't seen this anywhere on the documentation yet. I can now connect to my RAK4631 using Bluetooth.

Now the next step is to understand how to configure the RAK4631 so it gets an IP address and eventually connect to a public Reticulum network over the internet.

I am still new with this, feel free to send me to some good documentation.

Thank you!

Awesome!

In your case you do not need to use bluetooth, all communication can be done over IP.

The device gets an IP address via DHCP. Log in to your router or use a wifi scanning app like WifiMan to find the IP address. Then when setting up the RNode for use in rnsd, replace port = /dev/... with port = tcp://192.168.x.x. For example:

.reticulum/config

  [[RNode]]
    type = RNodeInterface
    enabled = true
    port = tcp://192.168.1.159 #replace with your ip
    frequency = 869525000
    bandwidth = 125000
    txpower = 22
    spreadingfactor = 7
    codingrate = 6

Hello,

I think that's the part I miss. How do you setup this config in the RAK ? How do you do to configure it ?

Also, I would like the radio to act as a bridge LoRa <-> Internet, is there anything else I should add ?

Thanks !!!

p1ld7a wrote:

Hello,

I think that's the part I miss. How do you setup this config in the RAK ? How do you do to configure it ?

Also, I would like the radio to act as a bridge LoRa <-> Internet, is there anything else I should add ?

Thanks !!!

Hi,

I think you should read the manual

• https://reticulum.network/manual/gettingstartedfast.html
• https://reticulum.network/manual/using.html
• https://reticulum.network/manual/interfaces.html#rnode-lora-interface

Hello,

Thanks I finally understood, it took me a bit of time.
Now I am looking forward to have a MicroReticulum builds including this feature.