[Feature Request]: Automatic WiFi disable when running on battery

[lexfrei]

Use Case

Docked mode (at home, charging):

• Node connected to USB power
• WiFi enabled for web UI access from PC, MQTT, remote management

Portable mode (on the go):

• Node running on battery
• WiFi not needed — phone connects via BLE
• WiFi wastes ~100-150mA for no benefit

Currently, users must manually toggle WiFi settings when switching between these modes.

Proposed Behavior

Add new configuration options:

• network.wifi_on_external_power_only (bool) — enable automatic WiFi management based on power source
• network.wifi_power_loss_timeout_secs (uint32, default: 30) — delay before disabling WiFi after power loss

When enabled:

1. Monitor power source using existing USB/external power detection
2. Automatically enable WiFi when external power is connected
3. Wait for wifi_power_loss_timeout_secs after power loss before disabling WiFi (prevents accidental disconnects from briefly unplugged cable)
4. If power is restored within timeout — cancel WiFi disable

Expected Benefits

• Significant battery life improvement when portable
• Seamless transition between docked and portable modes
• No manual configuration changes needed

Platform

Cross-Platform (ESP32, RP2040, Linux Native — platforms with WiFi support)

[github-actions[bot]]

@lexfrei, Welcome to Meshtastic! 👋

Thanks for opening your first issue. If it's helpful, an easy way
to get logs is the "Open Serial Monitor" button on the Web Flasher.

If you have ideas for features, note that we often debate big ideas
in the discussions tab
first. This tracker tends to be for ideas that have community
consensus and a clear implementation.

We're very active on discord,
especially the #firmware and #alphanauts-testing channels. If you'll
be around for a while, we'd love to see you there!

Welcome to the community! ❤️

[b8b8]

For what its worth, i did some testing on 4x Heltec V4's and and found that the power consumption difference isnt much between bluetooth (connected, not-connected) and wifi. Power usage gets cut in half when you turn BOTH off and the nodes is used purely as a relay, not connected to any client etc.

[lexfrei]

@b8b8 I think we're looking at different use cases here.

The feature isn't about choosing between BT and WiFi — it's about automatically disabling WiFi when unplugged while keeping BLE for phone connectivity.

Use case:

• Docked (USB power): WiFi enabled → web UI, MQTT, NTP, full features
• Portable (battery): WiFi off, BLE only → phone control still works, saves ~80-150mA

Your table actually supports this: "Both off" cuts power in half. I just want to automate the "turn WiFi off" part when switching to battery, since BLE is sufficient for mobile use.

For a portable node, every mA counts. Even 50mA difference means hours of extra runtime on a 1000mAh battery.

[aido]

Hi,

This feature request implements wifi_enabled logic for power saving, Could this be extended to the eth_enabled flag also?

For RAK users with the RAK13800 ethernet module, the power draw is ~150mA, so it is higher than WiFi.