Repeater: Failed to login error message after companion node loses power

[DaniAngel]

When I manage my meshcore repeater RAK 1 Watt running FW 1.17.1-d929643 (Build: 14-Aug-2026), I connect my android phone (running meshcore 1.49.0) to my companion node. I select my repeater and the login screen pops up. I login and manage my repeater. However, I have noticed if my companion node battery dies, then I cannot login to my repeater without physically rebooting the repeater. Either power cycling the repeater, or pressing the reset button is required. Both require that I climb up, or lower the mast the repeater is on. What a drag. I have also noticed that after I log in to my repeater, any subsequent times I want to log in, I have two choices, direct login or resume session. This makes me think that my node is still logged in as far as the repeater thinks. I don't see a logout button or option. So something has to give here. either make it easy to logout, or make it easy to log in after companion node power loss.

I should note that I can sucessfully ping my repeater and it handles traffic/repeats as intended even though it does not let me login. Only power cycling, or reset button seems to work for me to be able to log back in. I checked my contact list and only 1 other device in that list shares the first two characters of my repeater's public key. So I am reasonably certain this is not a collision issue. If it was, rebooting the repeater wouldn't work, correct?

Anyway, is there any further info you need from me to address this issue? I searched through the open issues and couldn't find anything that seemed to match my experience. I am happy to help get you more information if that is what's needed. Also is there a way to log out so this doesn't keep a live admin login going that I have the option to resume?

[recrof]

try "reset path" when you cannot login after companion powercycle

[DaniAngel]

try "reset path" when you cannot login after companion powercycle
Thanks for the ideas, recrof.
I had also tried that. It made no difference. I am zero hops away from my repeater so flooding wouldn't have any effect on the path between my companion node and the repeater. I still had to reset/power cycle the repeater. Since the only thing I've found that works is to power cycle the repeater, I think that once I login as admin, the repeater always sees the login session. after the first login, all subsequent logins give me the option to resume my prior session. That seems to be the key. There should be a way that the repeater drops/closes stale lognis, allows the logout to close the session, or something to that effect. It's just not a workable situation that once I login through my companion, that I have to keep the companion powered at the risk of climbing up the to repeater to manually reset it. It's a real problem.

[recrof]

am zero hops away from my repeater so flooding wouldn't have any effect on the path between my companion node and the repeater.

it would - in some cases. the repeater remembers last path to you and will try to use it. reseting your path to the repeater(thuss setting it as flood) will tell the repeater to forget its path to you as well and use flood instead.

the repeater always sees the login session

repeater doesn't use sessions - it only remembers your admin key in ACL and return path from your packets. therefore you can't "log out" from the repeater

after the first login, all subsequent logins give me the option to resume my prior session

That's not a repeater thing, but the app thing: app remembers if you got successful login before and will let you enter the admin menu without sending login packet. if you have your public key inside ACL, you don't need to send password ever again(in login packet). ACL persists reboots, so only thing that makes difference between reboots is the path repeater remembers to you.

[DaniAngel]

I appreciate the discussion but I suspect something else it at play here.

it would - in some cases. the repeater remembers last path to you and will try to use it. reseting your path to the repeater(thuss setting it as flood) will tell the repeater to forget its path to you as well and use flood instead.

Being 0 hops away from my repeater, the flood path and the "remembered" path are the same. I don't understand how this would change anything. In practice it does not change my ability to login. I had to physically reset the repeater by either power cycling or pressing the reset button.

That's not a repeater thing, but the app thing: app remembers if you got successful login before and will let you enter the admin menu without sending login packet. if you have your public key inside ACL, you don't need to send password ever again(in login packet). ACL persists reboots, so only thing that makes difference between reboots is the path repeater remembers to you.

Except it didn't allow me to login when I reset the path. I still had to access the physical repeater and reset it in order to get back in. Since I am resetting the repeater and not resetting the app, there is SOMETHING on that repeater that gets reset during a reboot that allows me to log in with the node that had lost power while connected. I suspect that SOMETHING is not the paths because resetting the paths didn't allow me to log in. There must be something else at play here.

[DaniAngel]

I have some more data points for this issue. And this is a pretty serious issue. All I have to do to recreate this login failure is reboot my companion device after I have logged into my repeater. The companion doesn't even need to lose power. The only way to get logged back into the repeater is a physical press of the reset button or power cycle of the repeater. BOTH of those options require that I physically access the repeater. Quite a chore every time I reboot my companion node. I would recommend that whoever is in charge of handling meshcore issues elevate the priority of this issue.

[recrof]

what is the radio you use for your companion? only thing I can do is replicate your setup 1:1.
Can you export your repeater config(via usb serial on https://config.meshcore.io) and your companion config(export config in the app) and send it to recrof@gmail.com please?

[DaniAngel]

Thank you for looking into this issue. My companion node is a heltec v4 board. My repeater is a RAK 1 watt. I have emailed you the two config files. Let me know if you need anything else.