Phantom node fix perhaps (#11271)

* trying to fix phantom nodes

* fix comment spam

* oops - missed one

src/mesh/PhoneAPI.cpp

@@ -1222,17 +1222,29 @@ uint32_t makeReplayPacketId(NodeNum num, uint32_t timestamp, uint32_t kind)
     return h ? h : 1; // some clients treat id 0 as "unset"
 }
 
-/// Populate hop_start/hop_limit from the node's real last-known hop count (if any) so a
-/// replayed packet doesn't read as "heard directly" when it wasn't.
+/// Populate hop_start/hop_limit from the node's last-known hop count - never fabricate one.
+/// hop_start == 0 with no decoded bitfield means unknown, not a direct neighbor; clients must
+/// treat it that way too (see hop_start in mesh.proto).
 void setReplayHopFields(meshtastic_MeshPacket &pkt, const meshtastic_NodeInfoLite *header)
 {
+    if (!header || !header->has_hops_away) {
+        pkt.hop_start = 0; // unknown - do not fabricate a direct-neighbor reading
+        pkt.hop_limit = 0;
+        return;
+    }
     uint8_t hopLimit = Default::getConfiguredOrDefaultHopLimit(config.lora.hop_limit);
-    uint8_t hopsAway = (header && header->has_hops_away) ? header->hops_away : 0;
+    uint8_t hopsAway = header->hops_away;
     pkt.hop_start = hopLimit;
     pkt.hop_limit = hopsAway < hopLimit ? (uint8_t)(hopLimit - hopsAway) : 0;
 }
+
 } // namespace
 
+// Replayed packets deliberately leave rx_rssi absent. NodeInfoLite stores no RSSI, and
+// rx_rssi has explicit presence on the wire, indicating "unknown".
+// Previously these packets carried a bare 0, which a client renders as a real reading.
+// Note the asymmetry with rx_snr below: that field is still proto3 singular, so "unknown" and
+//  "0 dB" remain indistinguishable there.
 meshtastic_MeshPacket PhoneAPI::makeReplayPositionPacket(NodeNum num, const meshtastic_PositionLite &pos)
 {
     // Shape this exactly like a fresh live broadcast Position from the peer so the
@@ -1242,12 +1254,16 @@ meshtastic_MeshPacket PhoneAPI::makeReplayPositionPacket(NodeNum num, const mesh
     const meshtastic_NodeInfoLite *header = nodeDB->getMeshNode(num);
     pkt.from = num;
     pkt.to = NODENUM_BROADCAST;
-    pkt.rx_time = pos.time;
+    // rx_time means "when *we* received this" - use last_heard, not the position's own GPS
+    // fix time (which is often 0 and, when present, already round-trips inside the payload
+    // via ConvertToPosition).
+    pkt.rx_time = header ? header->last_heard : 0;
     // Stable per-node/per-fix id: replaying the same unchanged history on every
     // reconnect must not look like a brand new packet to the phone's history/dedup.
     pkt.id = makeReplayPacketId(num, pkt.rx_time, meshtastic_PortNum_POSITION_APP);
-    pkt.channel = 0;
+    pkt.channel = header ? header->channel : 0;
     pkt.rx_snr = header ? header->snr : 0;
+    pkt.via_mqtt = nodeInfoLiteViaMqtt(header);
     setReplayHopFields(pkt, header);
     pkt.priority = meshtastic_MeshPacket_Priority_BACKGROUND;
     // Mark as if heard over the air, not internally generated
@@ -1270,8 +1286,9 @@ meshtastic_MeshPacket PhoneAPI::makeReplayTelemetryPacket(NodeNum num, const mes
     const meshtastic_NodeInfoLite *header = nodeDB->getMeshNode(num);
     pkt.rx_time = header ? header->last_heard : 0;
     pkt.id = makeReplayPacketId(num, pkt.rx_time, meshtastic_Telemetry_device_metrics_tag);
-    pkt.channel = 0;
+    pkt.channel = header ? header->channel : 0;
     pkt.rx_snr = header ? header->snr : 0;
+    pkt.via_mqtt = nodeInfoLiteViaMqtt(header);
     setReplayHopFields(pkt, header);
     pkt.priority = meshtastic_MeshPacket_Priority_BACKGROUND;
     // Mark as if heard over the air, not internally generated - iOS client filters
@@ -1375,8 +1392,9 @@ meshtastic_MeshPacket PhoneAPI::makeReplayEnvironmentPacket(uint32_t num, const
     const meshtastic_NodeInfoLite *header = nodeDB->getMeshNode(num);
     pkt.rx_time = header ? header->last_heard : 0;
     pkt.id = makeReplayPacketId(num, pkt.rx_time, meshtastic_Telemetry_environment_metrics_tag);
-    pkt.channel = 0;
+    pkt.channel = header ? header->channel : 0;
     pkt.rx_snr = header ? header->snr : 0;
+    pkt.via_mqtt = nodeInfoLiteViaMqtt(header);
     setReplayHopFields(pkt, header);
     pkt.priority = meshtastic_MeshPacket_Priority_BACKGROUND;
     // Mark as if heard over the air, not internally generated - iOS client filters
@@ -1439,8 +1457,9 @@ meshtastic_MeshPacket PhoneAPI::makeReplayStatusPacket(uint32_t num, const mesht
     const meshtastic_NodeInfoLite *header = nodeDB->getMeshNode(num);
     pkt.rx_time = header ? header->last_heard : 0;
     pkt.id = makeReplayPacketId(num, pkt.rx_time, meshtastic_PortNum_NODE_STATUS_APP);
-    pkt.channel = 0;
+    pkt.channel = header ? header->channel : 0;
     pkt.rx_snr = header ? header->snr : 0;
+    pkt.via_mqtt = nodeInfoLiteViaMqtt(header);
     setReplayHopFields(pkt, header);
     pkt.priority = meshtastic_MeshPacket_Priority_BACKGROUND;
     // Mark as if heard over the air, not internally generated - client filters