Filter policy playground

Build a forwarding policy, see its readable definition, and simulate how a repeater handles a packet. Rules match received packet facts, then apply actions such as dropping, scoping, rate-limiting, or retrying a flood.

Everything runs locally in this browser. Channel keys, packet facts, and policy drafts are not uploaded anywhere.

Policy design preview

The phases and core conditions model current FPF7 behavior, including its forward rows, scope rewrites, and shared blacklist. The readable policy language, JSON, and Base64 bundle are still a prototype: current firmware is configured with set flood.* commands and cannot install a bundle from this page.

Build a policy

Start with an example or build a rule, then test the draft against packet facts in the simulator below. The examples draw from Flood Filtering and Moderation.

Remote login and direct routes

This policy only decides whether a relay retransmits a flood. Direct packets and local delivery are unaffected. Rules matching the login/admin family can still reduce multi-hop remote-login reach, so the analyzer flags them.

Example policies Choose one to load its full rules into the builder and draft.

Read each summary as when all conditions match, do the actions. A match alone does not stop forwarding.

Payload selectors

type= value	Matches
grp_data	Only the named payload type; see every exact type below
any	Every payload type
class:group	GRP_TXT and GRP_DATA
class:login	REQ, RESPONSE, TXT_MSG, ANON_REQ, and PATH
class:other	Every remaining payload type that is not group or login

Other conditions and actions

Field	Meaning
hops=	Received hop count: all, 3+, 2-6, or 3
channel=	* means no channel condition; a name or key authenticates one group channel; hash:XX is an unauthenticated one-byte fallback
rx.scope=	Original incoming transport scope
path=	Path prefix, blacklist, bucket, or loop match
tempradio=	Temporary-radio state
do drop	Do not retransmit
do scope=	Set the outgoing transport scope
do rate=	Apply a per-minute rate and burst
do timing=	Select fast, normal, or slow scheduling

There is no class:txt. Use type=grp_txt for channel text or type=txt_msg for peer text.

Set #BlackHole86 scope on all #rgdata group traffic when type=class:group hops=all channel=#rgdata do scope=#BlackHole86 timing=fast Add #BlackHole86 scope to unscoped #rgdata data when type=grp_data hops=all channel=#rgdata rx.scope=none do scope=#BlackHole86 timing=fast Replace #usa with #BlackHole86 on #rgdata data when type=grp_data hops=all channel=#rgdata rx.scope=scope:usa do scope=#BlackHole86 timing=fast Rate-limit packets whose path starts with 860C when type=any hops=all path=prefix:860C do rate=10/min burst=10 Drop selected flood types at their hop limits when type=control hops=1+ do drop
when type=req hops=3+ do drop; same for type=grp_data
when type=response hops=9+ do drop; same for type=anon_req and type=path Rate-limit Public messages from “Noisy User” when type=grp_txt hops=all channel=public sender="Noisy User" do rate=5/min burst=5 Stop forwarding traffic from blacklisted internet gateways when type=any hops=all path=blacklist do drop Drop OTA outside temporary-radio mode and distant #wardriving when type=ota hops=all tempradio=inactive do drop
when type=any channel=#wardriving hops=5+ do drop Set #BlackHole86 scope on login and bucket-matched other traffic when type=class:login hops=all do scope=#BlackHole86 timing=fast
when type=class:other hops=all path=bucket:2 do scope=#BlackHole86 timing=slow

Rule builder

Create a policy rule

Reset form

Common match settings

Payload type or class Any payload type Class: group text and data Class: login/admin family Class: every other payload REQ RESPONSE TXT_MSG ACK ADVERT GRP_TXT GRP_DATA ANON_REQ PATH TRACE MULTIPART CONTROL OTA Reserved type 13 Reserved type 14 RAW_CUSTOM Received hops Channel (optional) Original incoming scope Path matcher No path condition Ordered 1/2/3-byte pbyte prefix Passive blacklist Path bucket 1 Path bucket 2 Path bucket 3 Path bucket 4 Path bucket 5 Path bucket 6 Own-ID loop: strict Own-ID loop: moderate Own-ID loop: minimal Ordered pbyte prefix Decrypted sender (optional) Temporary-radio state Either state Inactive Active

Common actions

Choosing a phase-specific action automatically selects a compatible phase and ACL owner. Open the advanced section to inspect or override those choices.

Forwarding verdict No verdict change Drop / do not retransmit Region-gate decision Leave global gate unchanged Require original allowed region Bypass global gate for this packet Scope rewrite target Do not rewrite scope Regionless public scope Configured region Target name Token rate per minute (optional) Burst tokens Rewrite timing Inherit normal behavior Fast-track rewrite Normal queue timing Slow receive/transmit timing Queue priority Inherit High Normal Low Retry path bucket No retry action Bucket 1 Bucket 2 Bucket 3 Bucket 4 Bucket 5 Bucket 6 Retry attempts Decision tag (optional)

Advanced execution, ownership, and flood route

Direct packets already carry a supplied path and are intentionally outside this engine. The route condition below only distinguishes unscoped floods from transport-scoped floods.

Stable rule ID Processing phase 1 - Incoming scope gate 2 - Scope rewrite 3 - Forwarding decision 4 - Decrypted content 5 - Scheduling and retry Rule owner / capability ACL 4 - Region/scope manager ACL 5 - Filter manager Administrator Firmware-managed system rule Priority Mode Active Shadow - observe only Disabled Rule processing after a match Continue to later rules Skip later rules in this phase Skip all later policy rules Flood route Either flood route Unscoped flood only Transport-scoped flood only

Readable policy definition

Add rule to policy Copy definition

Policy draft

Rules in execution order

Clear policy

Approximate target budget Compact STM32 - 2 KB nRF52 - 8 KB Classic ESP32 - 16 KB Roomy ESP32 - 64 KB

Rules match the same immutable packet facts. Ordering is phase, then descending priority, then authenticated channel, raw hash, or wildcard specificity, then stable rule ID. Drop decisions are sticky.

Add a rule or load an example to start exploring.

Immutable packet simulator

Explain an evaluation

Reset packet

Read a raw MeshCore packet

Paste an on-air packet as hexadecimal. The decoder follows the MeshCore wire format, displays its header, route, pbyte path, and clear payload envelope, then loads only facts actually present on the wire into the simulator.

Runs locally

Raw packet hex 014e912ceebb98918b86772df5dacf1bcba9e4127ffffaa8665596aa3e2903a3b1901fdc53497dfca6b5d7df2d771bea68de

Decode and load packet

Received route Unscoped flood Transport-scoped flood Payload type REQ RESPONSE TXT_MSG ACK ADVERT GRP_TXT GRP_DATA ANON_REQ PATH TRACE MULTIPART CONTROL OTA Reserved type 13 Reserved type 14 RAW_CUSTOM Received hops Channel Received pbyte path Original scope status Unscoped Allowed region Unknown or denied scope Original scope name Resolved region name Decrypted sender Passive blacklist result No match Matched Matching path buckets Own-ID loop result No loop match Strict only Moderate and strict Minimal, moderate, and strict Temporary radio is active

Run policy simulation

Import and explain

Paste readable policy or a saved draft

Accepts one-line policy set ... when ... do ... definitions, playground JSON, or a playground Base64 bundle.

Explain input Load into builder

Export

Move or save this design

Readable policy Policy JSON Playground Base64

Proposed human-readable definition. Current firmware does not accept it yet.

Copy visible export Download JSON

Payload type reference

Use an exact type= value when a rule should match only one payload type. The class column shows which broader selector also matches it.

type= value	Payload	Class
req	Request	class:login
response	Response	class:login
txt_msg	Peer text message	class:login
ack	Acknowledgment	class:other
advert	Node advertisement	class:other
grp_txt	Group-channel text	class:group
grp_data	Group-channel datagram	class:group
anon_req	Anonymous request	class:login
path	Returned path	class:login
trace	Path trace	class:other
multipart	One frame in a multipart sequence	class:other
control	Control or discovery data	class:other
ota	OTA-over-LoRa data	class:other
13	Reserved payload type 13	class:other
14	Reserved payload type 14	class:other
raw_custom	Application-defined raw data	class:other

Current FPF7 command mapping

Firmware command	FPF7 role
flood.rule / flood.filter	Forward-phase match and action rows
flood.channel.data	Compatibility view over one visible type=grp_data forward drop row
flood.channel.scope	Scope-rewrite phase rows
flood.filter.blacklist	One shared unordered path-ID set referenced by path=blacklist rows

Generalized repeaters expose 63 forward rows and commit those sections together. The blacklist is useful for refusing to retransmit floods associated with internet gateways dumping bulk traffic, but a path ID is truncated and unauthenticated; it identifies a routing pattern, not a person.

Proposed evaluation contract

The simulator uses these rules:

1. Only flood retransmission enters the policy. Direct routing and local packet delivery remain outside it.
2. Every matcher reads the same immutable receive-time packet facts.
3. Rules run by phase and descending numeric priority. At an equal priority, authenticated channel matches run before raw one-byte hash matches, which run before wildcard channel matches; stable rule ID breaks the remaining tie. An explicitly higher numeric priority overrides channel specificity.
4. A drop decision is sticky and cannot be undone by a later rule.
5. The first matching scope, timing, queue, and retry action in execution order wins.
6. All matching token-bucket rate constraints remain attached to the decision.
7. stop=phase skips later rules in that phase. stop=policy skips later configurable rules, but never mandatory packet validation or radio safety.
8. Shadow rules report what they would do without changing the decision or stopping other rules.
9. Expensive facts such as channel-key matching, decryption, and path-table lookup are resolved once per packet and reused by every matching rule.

The byte-budget display is deliberately approximate until the packed firmware codec exists. It demonstrates why simple mappings should not reserve a maximum- sized structure for every possible condition and action.