diff --git a/src/c3nav/mesh/consumers.py b/src/c3nav/mesh/consumers.py
index 26c43b04..b710e1cb 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/mesh/consumers.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/mesh/consumers.py
@@ -10,11 +10,15 @@ from c3nav.mesh.models import MeshNode, NodeMessage
 class MeshConsumer(AsyncWebsocketConsumer):
     async def connect(self):
         print('connected!')
+        # todo: auth
+        self.node = None
         await self.accept()
 
     async def disconnect(self, close_code):
         print('disconnected!')
-        pass
+        if self.node is not None:
+            await self.channel_layer.group_discard('route_%s' % self.node.address.replace(':', ''), self.channel_name)
+        await self.channel_layer.group_discard('route_broadcast', self.channel_name)
 
     async def send_msg(self, msg):
         print('Sending message:', msg)
@@ -35,8 +39,13 @@ class MeshConsumer(AsyncWebsocketConsumer):
             return
 
         print('Received message:', msg)
-        node = await self.log_received_message(msg)  # noqa
+
         if isinstance(msg, messages.MeshSigninMessage):
+            self.node, created = await self.get_node(msg.src)
+            if created:
+                print('New node signing in!')
+                print(self.node)
+            await self.log_received_message(msg)
             await self.send_msg(messages.MeshLayerAnnounceMessage(
                 src=messages.ROOT_ADDRESS,
                 dst=msg.src,
@@ -46,12 +55,39 @@ class MeshConsumer(AsyncWebsocketConsumer):
                 src=messages.ROOT_ADDRESS,
                 dst=msg.src,
             ))
+            await self.channel_layer.group_add('route_%s' % self.node.address.replace(':', ''), self.channel_name)
+            await self.channel_layer.group_add('route_broadcast', self.channel_name)
+            await self.set_parent_of_nodes(None, (self.node, ))
+            await self.set_route_of_nodes(self.node, (self.node,))
+            return
+
+        if self.node is None:
+            print('Expected sign-in message, but got a different one!')
+            await self.close()
+            return
+
+        await self.log_received_message(msg)
 
     @database_sync_to_async
-    def log_received_message(self, msg: messages.Message) -> MeshNode:
-        node, created = MeshNode.objects.get_or_create(address=msg.src)
-        return NodeMessage.objects.create(
-            node=node,
+    def get_node(self, address):
+        return MeshNode.objects.get_or_create(address=address)
+
+    @database_sync_to_async
+    def log_received_message(self, msg: messages.Message):
+        NodeMessage.objects.create(
+            node=self.node,
             message_type=msg.msg_id,
             data=msg.tojson()
         )
+
+    @database_sync_to_async
+    def create_nodes(self, addresses):
+        MeshNode.objects.bulk_create(MeshNode(address=address) for address in addresses)
+
+    @database_sync_to_async
+    def set_parent_of_nodes(self, parent_address, node_addresses):
+        MeshNode.objects.filter(address__in=node_addresses).update(parent_node_id=parent_address)
+
+    @database_sync_to_async
+    def set_route_of_nodes(self, route_address, node_addresses):
+        MeshNode.objects.filter(address__in=node_addresses).update(route_id=route_address)
diff --git a/src/c3nav/mesh/migrations/0001_initial.py b/src/c3nav/mesh/migrations/0001_initial.py
index e601e6a1..ed614994 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/mesh/migrations/0001_initial.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/mesh/migrations/0001_initial.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Generated by Django 4.0.3 on 2022-04-15 18:00
+# Generated by Django 4.0.3 on 2022-04-15 18:52
 
 from django.db import migrations, models
 import django.db.models.deletion
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
         migrations.CreateModel(
             name='MeshNode',
             fields=[
-                ('id', models.AutoField(auto_created=True, primary_key=True, serialize=False, verbose_name='ID')),
-                ('address', models.CharField(max_length=17, unique=True, verbose_name='mac address')),
+                ('address', models.CharField(max_length=17, primary_key=True, serialize=False, verbose_name='mac address')),
                 ('first_seen', models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True, verbose_name='first seen')),
                 ('parent_node', models.ForeignKey(null=True, on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.PROTECT, related_name='child_nodes', to='mesh.meshnode', verbose_name='parent node')),
                 ('route', models.ForeignKey(null=True, on_delete=django.db.models.deletion.PROTECT, related_name='routed_nodes', to='mesh.meshnode', verbose_name='route')),
diff --git a/src/c3nav/mesh/models.py b/src/c3nav/mesh/models.py
index bb413654..c3c8f520 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/mesh/models.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/mesh/models.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ class ChipID(models.IntegerChoices):
 
 
 class MeshNode(models.Model):
-    address = models.CharField(_('mac address'), max_length=17, unique=True)
+    address = models.CharField(_('mac address'), max_length=17, primary_key=True)
     first_seen = models.DateTimeField(_('first seen'), auto_now_add=True)
     parent_node = models.ForeignKey('MeshNode', models.PROTECT, null=True,
                                     related_name='child_nodes', verbose_name=_('parent node'))
diff --git a/src/c3nav/settings.py b/src/c3nav/settings.py
index c332a8d7..9c526a1d 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/settings.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/settings.py
@@ -291,6 +291,22 @@ ROOT_URLCONF = 'c3nav.urls'
 WSGI_APPLICATION = 'c3nav.wsgi.application'
 ASGI_APPLICATION = 'c3nav.asgi.application'
 
+if HAS_REDIS:
+    CHANNEL_LAYERS = {
+        'default': {
+            'BACKEND': 'channels_redis.core.RedisChannelLayer',
+            'CONFIG': {
+                "hosts": [config.get('redis', 'location')],
+            },
+        },
+    }
+else:
+    CHANNEL_LAYERS = {
+        "default": {
+            "BACKEND": "channels.layers.InMemoryChannelLayer"
+        }
+    }
+
 USE_I18N = True
 USE_L10N = True
 USE_TZ = True