Providing local information during an “internet kill switch”.
Due to recent events in Egypt and the speed of the shutdown.
Most of these projects are open to contribution and further development.
B.A.T.M.A.N – http://www.open-mesh.org/
Roofnet | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roofnet
GNUnet | https://gnunet.org/
Netsukuku | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netsukuku
Open Mesh Project | http://www.openmeshproject.org/
OLPC Mesh Network | http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Mesh_Network_Details
Open source BGP | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Gateway_Protocol
Digitatas | https://sites.google.com/a/opensailing.net/digitata/
sMesh | http://www.smesh.org/
Coova | http://coova.org/
Babel | http://www.pps.jussieu.fr/~jch/software/babel/
SolarMESH | http://owl.eng.mcmaster.ca/~todd/SolarMESH/
WINGproject | http://www.wing-project.org/
Wiki list of mesh protocols: Wikimedia list of ad-hoc mesh protocols and packet routing
Even bigger list of ad-hoc routing protocols: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hoc_routing_protocol_list
Commercial projects:
Meraki ( google funded) | http://meraki.com/
Firetide | http://www.firetide.com/
Basic explanation – how this stuff works:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesh_networking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_mesh_network
Example of a working grassroots wireless community
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens_Wireless_Metropolitan_Network
The list here is to consolidate information, please feel free leave any protocols that have been left out and relevant comparison/analysis of mesh solutions in the comments.
openmesh 
RONJA might also be of interest: http://ronja.twibright.com/
It’s an open-source free space optics communication system that can communicate at 10Mbps full duplex at up to 1.4km, designed by a Czech. Basically it’s one or more sets of line-of-sight IR transmitter/receiver lamps pointed at each other over an unobstructed distance. The parts are all common and cheap.
This is a great list! Thank you for compiling it.
For those just being introduced to the mesh concept, can you give any recommendations so as to narrow the choices? Perhaps a role-based analysis would be good: if you are a home user in the city, pick this mesh, if you are in the country, pick this one, if you serve websites… etc.
If the intertubes were to be taken down in the US, it wouldn’t be for very damned long. Think about it, busy politicians snot nosed children with no Halo Reach or Call of Duty Black Ops because XBox Live is broke, corrupt dope dealing local, state, fed com cut off from Mexican cartels and Afghan war lords, no internet commerce based tax income for the gov from the fat dumb and happy public. Money always wins, face it, it is your god.
Bookmarked in case it happens. Oh, wait…
What about the GOPHER protocol and distributed document delivery system. I know the name is silly but it’s one of the most efficient systems I’ve ever used. Entirely ASCII text-based it’s wickedly fast, servers are easy to set up (much more easily so than a web server) and modern GOPHER servers exist today and are continually being further developed and improved upon.
you forgot GUIFI.net
Hello,
This is great news.
Regarding inet connections in Egypt. Many of the users are already connected through shared connections. This is very common in Egypt. And many users have wireless routers or access points. So if it is possible to make some guide on how ordinary users can configure their networks to work as a mesh, or better, if it is possible to provide a software package that anyone can install and maybe provide a messaging software and simple web and video hosting then it would be a great help to citizens of Egypt who can barely follow the news now because of the blocking of internet and media sources such as Aljazeera.
I’m willing to contribute to make this happen.
Best Regards,
Another technical method for reestablishing information networks if and when the government restricts/censors/cuts off the internet — packetized radio — widely available parts and pieces, and the interfacing between the RF radio transmitter/receiver and a modern smartphone (currently only iPhone, but Android software is pending) or netbook, laptop or desktop computers is working well, and inexpensive. Packetized computer via radio can be done using a wide variety of frequencies/radio devices, to include HF, SW, FRS, MERS, and the CB radio side bands. Relay systems are also widely available, or can be set-up on an ad hoc basis — much of such kit can be portable, and relatively affordable — some users can simply use a packetized radio receiver as their information source, and don’t have to be able to transmit. While it is true that packetized radio does not have the bandwidth of a “normal” internet connection, it is sufficient enough to easily pass text, chat, and file-size limited graphics and pictures in real-time.
For clarification — my mention os using a smartphone with a packetized radio set-up is from the perspective of using the smartphone’s computing ability, not its 2G/3G/4G or WiFi capabilities — the idea is that the smartphone’s computer would packetize/depacketize/store/edit/author/forward information packets coming in or going out via the radio system/connection (USB, serial, analog audio jacks).
Hi,
I am 58, but not brain dead or technically unsaavy. However, I would really like more information on how to set up to use these protocols. Isn’t it time that everybody dedicated to net freedom begin to collaborate on how to set up the free net? Shouldn’t we be setting up workshops around the country?
MK
I used to be quite the ward-heeler back in the day, another cheap alternative communicatipn method, that is useful at distance of up to two miles is the 2 way radio. I got them originally as toys for my kids. Since I had 2 kids, I bought 2 $20 sets. We used them in the park. We spoke our language and that acted as a code for us.
Later, I got involved in a major voter registration drive, I persuaded the party to purchase a few sets of these to use for locating one another, questions and minor emergencies.
This was all before cell-phones.
Not sure how easy it would be to just jam them, bit the upsides are: if you use coded language, you can enhance the security value. There are NO PHONE #s stored on them.
Above all they are relatively cheap, frquently they actually are childrens toys, so if one gets broken, confiscated etc, it easy to replace. Oh and no charge to call one another.
They do not have a wide range and sound quality can suck, also you can’t send pictures. Maybe that part is not all bad, since it might make it less likely someone would confiscate it.
Also low frequency local FM radio is an option I think, again, fairly cheap to purchase and
assemble. Since transmiters are small, you could move them aroud so as to avoid being traced.
Project Byzantium is getting ready to release v0.1a.
http://wiki.hacdc.org/index.php/Byzantium
ObDisclaimer: I’m one of the developers. Here from /r/darknetplan.
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please is there a routing protocol which is open source and for the wired network even an algorithm without implementation can help
quit feeding the fucking terrorists!
Suppressing communication is terrorism.
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Thanks for posting this! Doing some research on ad-hoc mesh networks right now.
By the way, have you checked out cjdns? I’m looking into that one as well. https://github.com/cjdelisle/cjdns I connected to the network, but haven’t found any peers yet.