Node-RED IoT Platform

beginner

Node-RED flow-based programming for IoT with MQTT broker.

[i]Overview

Node-RED is an open-source flow-based visual programming tool originally developed by IBM for wiring together hardware devices, APIs, and online services in IoT applications. Built on Node.js, it provides a browser-based flow editor that makes it easy to create event-driven applications using a wide range of pre-built nodes. The platform excels at rapid prototyping and deployment of IoT solutions, home automation systems, and data processing workflows without requiring traditional programming skills. This stack combines Node-RED with Eclipse Mosquitto, a lightweight MQTT message broker that implements the MQTT protocol versions 5.0, 3.1.1, and 3.1. Mosquitto serves as the central communication hub for IoT devices, while Node-RED acts as the orchestration layer, processing MQTT messages and triggering automated responses. The integration enables real-time data collection from sensors, device control commands, and complex automation logic through Node-RED's visual drag-and-drop interface. This configuration is ideal for IoT enthusiasts, home automation builders, and small-scale industrial deployments who need a powerful yet approachable platform for connecting and controlling smart devices. The combination provides enterprise-grade MQTT messaging capabilities with the flexibility of visual flow programming, making it accessible to both technical and non-technical users who want to build sophisticated IoT applications.

[*]Key Features

[+]Flow-based visual programming with drag-and-drop node editor for creating IoT automation logic
[+]Built-in MQTT nodes for seamless publish/subscribe messaging with Mosquitto broker
[+]Over 4,000 community-contributed nodes available through npm for extending functionality
[+]Real-time dashboard creation with gauge, chart, and control widgets for IoT monitoring
[+]Function nodes supporting JavaScript for custom data processing and transformation
[+]WebSocket support for real-time browser-based device interaction and monitoring
[+]Eclipse Mosquitto MQTT 5.0 compliance with quality of service levels and retained messages
[+]Persistent flow storage with automatic backup and version control capabilities

[#]Common Use Cases

[1]Home automation systems controlling smart lights, thermostats, and security sensors via MQTT
[2]Industrial IoT monitoring with sensor data collection and equipment status dashboards
[3]Greenhouse automation managing irrigation, climate control, and environmental monitoring
[4]Smart building management integrating HVAC, lighting, and occupancy sensors
[5]Weather station data aggregation with automated alerts and historical data logging
[6]Fleet vehicle tracking and monitoring using GPS and telemetry data over MQTT
[7]Energy monitoring systems tracking solar panels, battery storage, and consumption patterns

[!]Prerequisites

[!]Docker Engine 20.10+ and Docker Compose V2 for container orchestration
[!]Minimum 512MB RAM for Node-RED container and 256MB for Mosquitto broker
[!]Available ports 1880 (Node-RED), 1883 (MQTT), and 9001 (MQTT WebSocket)
[!]Basic understanding of MQTT publish/subscribe messaging concepts
[!]Mosquitto configuration file (mosquitto.conf) with authentication and access control settings
[!]Network access for downloading Node-RED community nodes from npm registry

[!]

WARNING: For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

[$]docker-compose.yml

[docker-compose.yml]

1services: 
2  mosquitto: 
3    image: eclipse-mosquitto:latest
4    container_name: mosquitto
5    restart: unless-stopped
6    ports: 
7      - "${MQTT_PORT:-1883}:1883"
8      - "${MQTT_WS_PORT:-9001}:9001"
9    volumes: 
10      - mosquitto_data:/mosquitto/data
11      - mosquitto_log:/mosquitto/log
12      - ./mosquitto.conf:/mosquitto/config/mosquitto.conf:ro
13    networks: 
14      - iot-network
15
16  node-red: 
17    image: nodered/node-red:latest
18    container_name: node-red
19    restart: unless-stopped
20    ports: 
21      - "${NODERED_PORT:-1880}:1880"
22    environment: 
23      - TZ=${TZ:-UTC}
24    volumes: 
25      - nodered_data:/data
26    depends_on: 
27      - mosquitto
28    networks: 
29      - iot-network
30
31volumes: 
32  mosquitto_data: 
33  mosquitto_log: 
34  nodered_data: 
35
36networks: 
37  iot-network: 
38    driver: bridge

[$].env Template

[.env]

1# Node-RED IoT
2NODERED_PORT=1880
3MQTT_PORT=1883
4MQTT_WS_PORT=9001
5TZ=UTC

[i]Usage Notes

[1]Node-RED at http://localhost:1880
[2]MQTT broker at localhost:1883
[3]Create mosquitto.conf before starting
[4]Install MQTT nodes in Node-RED

Individual Services(2 services)

Copy individual services to mix and match with your existing compose files.

mosquitto

mosquitto:
  image: eclipse-mosquitto:latest
  container_name: mosquitto
  restart: unless-stopped
  ports:
    - ${MQTT_PORT:-1883}:1883
    - ${MQTT_WS_PORT:-9001}:9001
  volumes:
    - mosquitto_data:/mosquitto/data
    - mosquitto_log:/mosquitto/log
    - ./mosquitto.conf:/mosquitto/config/mosquitto.conf:ro
  networks:
    - iot-network

node-red

node-red:
  image: nodered/node-red:latest
  container_name: node-red
  restart: unless-stopped
  ports:
    - ${NODERED_PORT:-1880}:1880
  environment:
    - TZ=${TZ:-UTC}
  volumes:
    - nodered_data:/data
  depends_on:
    - mosquitto
  networks:
    - iot-network

[>]Quick Start

[terminal]

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  mosquitto:
5    image: eclipse-mosquitto:latest
6    container_name: mosquitto
7    restart: unless-stopped
8    ports:
9      - "${MQTT_PORT:-1883}:1883"
10      - "${MQTT_WS_PORT:-9001}:9001"
11    volumes:
12      - mosquitto_data:/mosquitto/data
13      - mosquitto_log:/mosquitto/log
14      - ./mosquitto.conf:/mosquitto/config/mosquitto.conf:ro
15    networks:
16      - iot-network
17
18  node-red:
19    image: nodered/node-red:latest
20    container_name: node-red
21    restart: unless-stopped
22    ports:
23      - "${NODERED_PORT:-1880}:1880"
24    environment:
25      - TZ=${TZ:-UTC}
26    volumes:
27      - nodered_data:/data
28    depends_on:
29      - mosquitto
30    networks:
31      - iot-network
32
33volumes:
34  mosquitto_data:
35  mosquitto_log:
36  nodered_data:
37
38networks:
39  iot-network:
40    driver: bridge
41EOF
42
43# 2. Create the .env file
44cat > .env << 'EOF'
45# Node-RED IoT
46NODERED_PORT=1880
47MQTT_PORT=1883
48MQTT_WS_PORT=9001
49TZ=UTC
50EOF
51
52# 3. Start the services
53docker compose up -d
54
55# 4. View logs
56docker compose logs -f

[>]One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

[terminal]

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/node-red-iot/run | bash

[?]Troubleshooting

[!]Node-RED flows not saving: Check that the /data volume has proper write permissions and sufficient disk space
[!]MQTT clients cannot connect to Mosquitto: Verify mosquitto.conf allows anonymous connections or configure proper authentication
[!]Node-RED MQTT nodes show 'disconnected': Ensure Mosquitto container is running and check network connectivity between containers
[!]WebSocket connections failing on port 9001: Confirm Mosquitto configuration includes WebSocket listener and port is not blocked by firewall
[!]Node-RED dashboard not loading: Clear browser cache and check that ui nodes are properly installed and configured
[!]High memory usage in Node-RED: Reduce debug node output retention and limit the number of active dashboard charts

Community Notes

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## Download Recipe Kit

Get all files in a ready-to-deploy package

Includes docker-compose.yml, .env template, README, and license

## Components

node-redmosquitto

## Tags

#node-red#iot#mqtt#automation#flow-programming

## Category

Home Lab & Self-Hosting

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