Harden flood retry airtime handling

docs/cli_commands.md

@@ -1267,7 +1267,7 @@ another qualifying repeater.
 **Parameters:**
 - `count`: Base retry attempts after the original send, from `0` to `15`. `0` disables flood retry.
 
-**Note:** Actual attempts are capped at `15`. Hop 1 flood retries use `count * 2`; hop 2 flood retries use `count * 1.5`, rounded up.
+**Note:** Actual attempts are capped at `15`. Path count 0 flood retries use `count * 2`; path count 1 retries use `count * 1.5`, rounded up; path count 2 and higher use the configured base count.
 
 **Defaults:**
 - `infra`: `1`
@@ -1374,7 +1374,9 @@ set flood.retry.ignore none
 - `get flood.retry.bridge`
 - `set flood.retry.bridge <on|off>`
 
-**Note:** Bridge mode retries until each configured fresh bucket, plus the non-source `other` bucket, has been heard or the retry count is exhausted.
+**Note:** Bridge mode retries until each configured fresh bucket, plus the non-source `other` bucket, has been heard or the retry count is exhausted. If prefixes in different buckets share their first byte, configuration commands return a warning because a 1-byte path cannot distinguish those buckets. The configuration remains valid: an ambiguous source is treated as belonging to every matching source bucket, and an ambiguous echo credits every matching target bucket so it cannot force retry exhaustion.
+
+Flood retry timing retains its fixed maximum-frame plus 20 packet-airtime wait, then adds a random `0-200%` of one additional packet airtime on every attempt. This de-synchronizes repeaters that may have missed the same echo while capping the added wait at two frames.
 
 **Examples:**
 ```

docs/halo_keymind_settings.md

@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ the bucket rules below instead.
 
 | Setting | What it does | How to use | Example |
 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
-| `flood.retry.count` | Base flood retry attempts after initial TX. Hop 1 doubles it, hop 2 uses 1.5x rounded up, and actual attempts cap at `15`; `0` disables flood retry. | `get flood.retry.count`, `set flood.retry.count <0-15>` | `set flood.retry.count 7` |
+| `flood.retry.count` | Base flood retry attempts after initial TX. Path count 0 doubles it, path count 1 uses 1.5x rounded up, path count 2+ uses the base, and actual attempts cap at `15`; `0` disables flood retry. | `get flood.retry.count`, `set flood.retry.count <0-15>` | `set flood.retry.count 7` |
 | `flood.retry.path` | Maximum path hash count eligible for flood retry, or `off` to disable the gate. | `get flood.retry.path`, `set flood.retry.path <0-63/off>` | `set flood.retry.path 1` |
 | `flood.retry.advert` | Allows or blocks retry for node advert packets (`type=4`). Default is `off`. | `get flood.retry.advert`, `set flood.retry.advert on/off` | `set flood.retry.advert off` |
 | `flood.retry.prefixes` | Target prefixes. If set, only same-packet echoes from matching last-hop prefixes cancel a retry. | `get flood.retry.prefixes`, `set flood.retry.prefixes <prefixes/none/off>` | `set flood.retry.prefixes BEEBB0,425E5C` |
@@ -338,6 +338,18 @@ Bridge retry stays eligible until every target bucket has been heard or
 least one of its prefixes is fresh in `recent.repeater`. Prefixes in
 `flood.retry.ignore` never count as bucket hits.
 
+Configuration reports a warning when prefixes in different buckets, including
+bucket 7 (`flood.retry.prefixes`), share the same first byte. A 1-byte path cannot
+distinguish those buckets. Bridge mode therefore excludes every matching bucket
+when that short prefix is the source, and credits every matching target bucket
+when it is heard as an echo. This prevents an ambiguous short prefix from keeping
+an impossible target outstanding through every retry.
+
+Each flood retry wait retains the fixed maximum-frame plus 20 packet-airtime
+delay, then adds random jitter from zero to 200 percent of one additional packet
+airtime. This keeps nearby repeaters from repeating a collision on fixed timing
+while capping the added wait at two frames.
+
 ## Troubleshooting
 
 If advert packets are still retrying: