# Switching gateway

**URL:** <https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/switching-gateway/36533>\
**Category:** LoRaWAN Discussions\
**Created:** [April 28, 2020, 4:59am UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/switching-gateway/36533 "2020-04-28T04:59:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![latzer](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/latzer/32/32664_2.png) [@latzer](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/latzer)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 4:59am UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/switching-gateway/36533/1 "2020-04-28T04:59:07Z")

</div>

Hi all I might have a basic question I didn’t found the answer googling. Does a node switch between gateways in other words is a tracker node bound to a gateway when it joined the network or does it hop to the next “best” gateway in reach. Or do I have to leave the network and re-join to do so?

Thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pe1mew](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/pe1mew/32/48520_2.png) [@pe1mew](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/pe1mew)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 5:27am UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/switching-gateway/36533/2 "2020-04-28T05:27:54Z")

</div>

No, nodes are not bound to a gateway. A node is broadcasting data that is sent to the network server by any gateway receiving it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cslorabox](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/user_avatar/www.thethingsnetwork.org/cslorabox/32/35697_2.png) [@cslorabox](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/u/cslorabox)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 6:36am UTC](https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/forum/t/switching-gateway/36533/3 "2020-04-28T06:36:40Z")

</div>

Indeed, nodes belong to a network not a gateway. All gateways within range contribute to uplink reception if they actually receive the signal.

The only “switching” is that if a downlink is to be sent in response, then the network server would select the gateway with the strongest report of that particular uplink [which has no conflicting transmit assignment, and that has available transmit duty cycle allowance] to transmit that reply. But that decision applies to the particular downlink packet only, there is no lasting assignment.