Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network
The Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network is a mesh network designed for amateur radio emergency communications. It takes commercial equipment with custom firmware to operate off grid using amateur radio allotments in bands such as 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 3GHz, 5.8 GHz and beyond. It allows hams to set up mesh communication systems in local areas that is able to pass data at high speeds. Content could include video, phone, email, chat, and beyond. Hams using AREDN can control repeaters, bring video in from remote areas, monitor weather stations, set up internal PBX telephone communications, use WINLINK, and beyond. The speeds this can be done are much faster than packet radio and even VARA, which makes it just another tool for an emergency communicators tool box. This page will explore what I am doing with AREDN as I dive deeper into it, serve as a place for information collection, as well as ways you too can get involved locally and state wide.
NA0D-AR-Supernode
I have built the first active Supernode in Arkansas. The intent is to use this super node to help other Arkansas mesh networks, as built, be able to communicate with each other for wider area use. Of course, Supernodes are only available with working Internet, but that is the beauty of AREDN. If meshes get built across Arkansas, the super node will use Internet if available, but can also bridge mesh connections as the mesh gets built out, WIHTOUT the Internet. Supernodes then can connect together out of state, out of county and beyond, all functioning under the same principle. There are only 56 supernodes in the entire world. Placing Supernodes takes an effort to make sure that they are in appropriate places, set up correctly, and not congesting the system, as well as making the right full-time link connections. We now have one for Arkansas and as AREDN meshes are built, hams are more than welcome to use this service.
The Arkansas Supernode (NA0D-AR Supernode) is a AREDN firmware-enhanced Mikrotik HAP AC2, fed with a fiber internet connection and battery backed up. Next to it is NA0D-1, a local AREDN 2.4 GHz node made from a GL-iNet 300M router flashed with AREDN Firmware.
Join me! Supernodes are designed to connect remote meshes together, as well as to the greater meshes beyond. If you have a mesh or two and want to connect them via Supernode or direct, send me a message and we'll get a tunnel built for you! I'm looking for others to experiment and expand this stuff!
Getting Started
AREDN has a huge, and well documented site and forums with how-to's explanations and beyond. However, let's look at what is probably needed to get one off the ground.
There are many pieces of equipment that can make AREDN nodes. Some for inside, some for outside and beyond. Here is a link to equipment that is "AREDN Approved".
GL-iNet makes inexpensive portable routers that can be converted to portable nodes. Fire this up in a mesh area, or connect two of these locally and you have a mesh! It's less than 35 dollars and runs on 2.4 GHz. Amazon link above.
So you have a node! Great! Here is the page we used to get some of the GL-iNet routers burnt with new AREDN firmware. The AREDN website has pretty decent instructions on the how to's!
Arkansas Mesh Citadel Server/Client
On my mesh and beyond, I have a CITADEL email/collaboration server that is built into the system that will allow hams a plethora of valuable communications on the mesh. Citadel is a message service that provides email, calendars, text and document passing within the mesh. Access to Citadel is available on the Mesh and can be utilized now.
NA0D Mesh
The NA0D Mesh is under construction.
As the mesh gets built, I will add equipment, locations and other information on how to join or access with your own equipment! I currently have the Supernode, NA0D-Home as a Mikrotik HAP AC Lite that is backboned to the Supernode, as well as 3 portable GL-iNet routers for local work. I am in the process of equipment collection for wider area meshes and will update as they are built out.
