# Slimefun Cargo Networks: A Beginner's Guide

Cargo Networks are a powerful item-transportation system in Slimefun, allowing automated transfer of items between chests, machines, and containers. This guide covers the basics of setting up and managing your first network.

## Key Components

- **Input Node** (_Orange_): Pulls items from attached containers (e.g., chests). Place directly on the container.
- **Output Node** (_Blue_): Sends items to attached containers. Place on the target container.
- **Cargo Connectors** (_Red_): Cable-like blocks that connect nodes over long distances. Must be placed in a straight line; the wireless range doesn't reach out diagonally, only along the 6 cardinal directions.
- **Cargo Manager**: The "brain" of the network. Must be connected to an [[energy_network|Energy Network]] to power the operations of the cargo network.

## Basic Network Setup

_Example: Transfer items from a Chest A to Chest B_

1. Place an **Input Node** (orange) on Chest A.
2. Place an **Output Node** (blue) on Chest B.
3. Connect the nodes using **Cargo Connectors** in a straight line.
4. Place down a **Cargo Manager** so that it's next to one of the **Cargo Connector**s.
5. Open the GUI of the Input and the Output Node and put your desired item in the whitelist for both nodes.
6. Power the network by connecting the **Cargo Manager** to an energy source.

## Configuring Filters

Every Input and Output Node has a **Filter Whitelist** and a **Channel ID**. Input Nodes will only send items to Output Nodes on the same Channel ID (e.g. channel #1) and only if both nodes have that item whitelisted in their filters.

You can add any item to the filter whitelist by right-clicking the node and then placing the desired item in the 12 available whitelist slots. A [[cargo_wrench|Cargo Wrench]] can be used to copy-paste settings from one node to another quickly.

## Advanced Features

- **Multiple Channels**: Assign nodes to different channels (1-64) to create separate sub-networks.
- **Auto-Crafting**: Connect output nodes to machines like the [[auto crafter|Auto Crafter]] for automated production lines.
- **Buffer Sizes**: Adjust the Buffer Size of a node to move proportionally more or less items to different nodes.
- **Naming Nodes**: Giving your inputs/outputs or even Cargo Managers easy-to-remember names (by clicking the name tag in the GUI) can help a lot with making sense of your network.
- **Slot Layout Modes**: Input/Output nodes can be configured to only insert one stack of each item into an inventory (_One Stack Only_) or only top up slots that already have that item (_Preserve Slot Layout_). These are useful with autocrafters and hopper filters.

## Tips & Troubleshooting

- **Power**: Make sure the Cargo Manager has power. You can check the power level by right-clicking the Cargo Manager and hovering over the capacitor icon on the left side of the GUI.
- **Network Coverage**: Right click a Input/Output Node and hover over the "Network Status" (a Cargo Connector icon near the top-middle) in the GUI. Make sure it says "Connected" and shows your Cargo Manager.
- **Filters**: Right click a Input/Output Node and hover over the "Paired Nodes" (top right) in the GUI. Make sure the intended destination is shown in the list. If it isn't, double-check that the nodes have the same Channel ID, that the item is filter whitelisted on both nodes, and that both of the nodes are connected to the same network (see above).
- **Connectivity**: Use a Cargo Inspector to visualize how nodes connect to one another, the routes that items take inside the network to travel from inputs to outputs, and which nodes are connected to which neighboring nodes.