diff --git a/meshtastic/node.py b/meshtastic/node.py
index 718b81f..5208581 100644
--- a/meshtastic/node.py
+++ b/meshtastic/node.py
@@ -16,25 +16,19 @@ from meshtastic.util import (
     pskToString,
     stripnl,
     message_to_json,
+    channel_hash,
 )
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
-def xor_hash(data: bytes) -> int:
-    """Compute an XOR hash from bytes."""
-    result = 0
-    for char in data:
-        result ^= char
-    return result
-
 def generate_hash(name: str, key: str) -> int:
     """generate the channel number by hashing the channel name and psk"""
     if key == "AQ==":
         key = "1PG7OiApB1nwvP+rz05pAQ=="
     replaced_key = key.replace("-", "+").replace("_", "/")
     key_bytes = base64.b64decode(replaced_key.encode("utf-8"))
-    h_name = xor_hash(bytes(name, "utf-8"))
-    h_key = xor_hash(key_bytes)
+    h_name = channel_hash(bytes(name, "utf-8"))
+    h_key = channel_hash(key_bytes)
     result: int = h_name ^ h_key
     return result
 
diff --git a/meshtastic/util.py b/meshtastic/util.py
index 243dfe9..de09e5c 100644
--- a/meshtastic/util.py
+++ b/meshtastic/util.py
@@ -365,6 +365,12 @@ def remove_keys_from_dict(keys: Union[Tuple, List, Set], adict: Dict) -> Dict:
             remove_keys_from_dict(keys, val)
     return adict
 
+def channel_hash(data: bytes) -> int:
+    """Compute an XOR hash from bytes for channel evaluation."""
+    result = 0
+    for char in data:
+        result ^= char
+    return
 
 def hexstr(barray: bytes) -> str:
     """Print a string of hex digits"""