AREDN Mesh Network: A Practical Guide for Hams
Most amateur data modes crawl by design. Packet radio, Winlink and the HF digital modes trade speed for reliability, which is exactly right for a message over a thousand kilometres of ionosphere. An AREDN mesh network sits at the opposite end of the scale. It uses inexpensive commercial wireless routers loaded with special firmware to build a high-speed, self-healing IP network on amateur microwave frequencies, with speeds in the multi-megabit range. Chat, email, voice over IP, photos, file sharing and live video all run across it, and the network keeps working when the internet and the phone lines do not.
This guide explains what the project is, what hardware and bands it uses, how links and topologies are planned, what services run on top and what a newcomer should check before buying a first node. The facts come from the project’s own documentation, which is linked in the text.
What AREDN Is
AREDN stands for Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network. The official overview describes it as a way for licensed operators to create high-speed ad hoc data networks for emergency and service-oriented communication. Its primary goal is to let amateurs deploy such a network quickly and easily, where and when it is needed, with as little networking expertise as possible. Devices running the firmware are largely self-configuring, so a volunteer without an IP networking background can build or join a local RF network.
The documentation is careful about what the network is not. Some people call it an amateur version of the internet, but it is not intended to connect people to the internet. It carries internet-style applications between people on the mesh. It is also not a replacement for voice nets or HF digital modes. The project’s own advice is to use it when it solves a real problem, for example when a served agency needs a computer network between several sites, when normal infrastructure is down, or when resources move around and need to join and leave a network automatically.
Why Operators Build Mesh Networks
The “Why AREDN” chapter traces how emergency communication has evolved. Voice nets and handwritten forms gave way to packet radio and Winlink, which moved messages into the digital domain but remained text-based and slow. A mesh network adds multi-megabit transfers and multimedia: voice, photos and streaming video, plus the ability to connect smartphones, tablets and laptops. The chapter describes a large city marathon where communication volunteers moved from data radios and packet to an AREDN network and reported speeds of 10 Mbps or more with lighter, simpler and less power-hungry equipment, along with voice over IP, video streaming and shared database access.
Other examples in the same chapter include a mesh of cameras feeding a sheriff’s mobile command post during a parade, a resource-tracking map used by a regional emergency team and mountaintop backbone sites whose cameras recorded the start of a wildfire. They illustrate the project’s central lesson: the network does not complete the mission, the applications on top of it do. Deploy services that people already know, such as a telephone, chat, email and a web browser.
If your interest is mainly in message passing over long distances without any infrastructure, read our guide to Winlink over HF first. The two systems complement each other rather than compete.
Hardware and Firmware
AREDN does not sell radios. It supplies firmware that can be installed on many low-cost, off-the-shelf wireless devices, and the documentation lists a supported device database. According to the “Why AREDN” chapter, the frequency ranges currently supported are 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz. Many of the radios are weatherproof, use Power over Ethernet so that a single cable feeds the device and have integrated high-gain antennas. Different models serve different roles: small indoor nodes with Ethernet and wireless coverage, sector radios covering a 90 or 120 degree area, and narrow-beam point-to-point radios for backbone links.
The downloading chapter explains the firmware types. Stable releases carry numbers such as 4.26.1.0, where 26.1 means January 2026, and are suitable for production nodes. Nightly builds contain the newest fixes and support for new devices but are considered experimental, and a new nightly makes the previous one obsolete. The project’s home page was running a release-candidate process in mid October 2026, so always check the project site for the current recommendation before you flash anything. The site has warned in the past that some nightly builds are not backward compatible, so back up your configuration and keep physical access to the node before testing one.
You choose the right image with the AREDN Firmware Selector. For a first installation, TP-Link and Ubiquiti devices need the factory image, Mikrotik devices need both a kernel image and a sysupgrade image, GL.iNet, MorseMicro, Cudy and OpenWrt One devices need only the sysupgrade image and ZyXEL devices always take the factory image. Read the install instructions for your exact model, because the procedures differ between vendors.
Bands, Channels and Power
The documentation’s chapter on spectrum characteristics is written from a United States perspective and repeatedly reminds the reader that they are responsible for using frequencies, channel widths and power levels that comply with their own country’s amateur rules. That is important for readers in Europe and elsewhere, where band edges, shared services and power limits differ. Treat the table below as an example of how the planning works, not as a statement about your country.
| Band | US range | Channels (5 MHz) | Notes from the documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 cm (5.8 GHz) | 5650-5925 MHz | 54 | Many channels, inexpensive equipment, good for backbone links |
| 9 cm (3.4 GHz) | 3300-3445 MHz | 14 | Equipment no longer manufactured; future regulatory risk noted |
| 13 cm (2.4 GHz) | 2390-2450 MHz | 10 | Common equipment; upper channels shared with Wi-Fi users |
| 33 cm (900 MHz) | 902-928 MHz (varies) | Legacy: four | Better foliage penetration; newer HaLow devices use 1 to 8 MHz widths |
Both ends of a link must use the same band, channel and channel width, and nearby links should use non-overlapping channels. Narrowing the channel can rescue a marginal link: the documentation notes that going from 20 MHz to 10 MHz gives about 3 dB more signal-to-noise ratio, at the cost of halving the maximum throughput. In practice many operators test several widths on a long path.
On power, the documentation advises using the minimum needed to make the link and explains that the commercial routers used for the network cannot physically reach the legal maximum in the US anyway. Before you mount an antenna on a roof or mast, read our article on RF exposure safety, because microwave dishes concentrate energy in a narrow beam.
Line of Sight and the Fresnel Zone
All the supported bands need a clear line of sight, and the Fresnel zone around the direct path must be clear as well. The documentation states that if less than 20 percent of the zone is blocked there is little loss, but beyond 40 percent the loss becomes significant and the path may be unusable. It gives examples for a 10-mile link: the first Fresnel zone radius is about 46 feet at 5.8 GHz, about 62 feet at 3.4 GHz and about 72 feet at 2.4 GHz, with the radius that must remain unobstructed at 60 percent being lower. The lesson is that antenna height and terrain matter more than a few extra decibels of gain. Plan with a map and a terrain tool, then verify with a test link.
Topologies and Link Types
Every node that is in range of others and uses the same SSID, channel and bandwidth can join the mesh. Nodes announce themselves, learn their neighbours and share routing information, so the network adapts when a link degrades or fails. A plain mesh is enough for a short-term local event. Larger deployments are usually designed with one of four patterns: point to point, hub and spoke, tree or a hybrid.
- Point to point moves data between far endpoints, possibly through intermediate nodes that clear terrain.
- Hub and spoke funnels traffic through a central location. The network survives the loss of a spoke, but not the loss of the hub.
- Tree separates traffic into branches with a parent and child hierarchy. It scales well but creates single points of failure.
The documentation also classifies links by purpose. Backbone links are permanent point-to-point paths on mountains or tall structures that can cover 10 to more than 30 miles. Relay links bridge the gaps, typically over 3 to 10 miles or more. Endpoint links connect the last users, typically within 3 miles. For networks that grow into several islands, the supernode architecture links local meshes without flooding each one with the others’ routing traffic.
Services That Run on the Mesh
The services chapter lists chat, email with attachments, file transfer, shared documents, VoIP telephony, video conferencing, GPS tracking, camera streaming, dispatch, resource management, weather reporting, sensor monitoring and repeater linking as typical uses. It also gives sensible rules. The AREDN team does not support these programs, so choose and test them yourself. Pick applications that use little computing and bandwidth, run them on separate computers connected to the node rather than on the node, and be careful with anything that polls every node frequently, because aggressive polling can degrade the mesh.
The chapter also warns operators to avoid services that use encryption or proprietary compression, since amateur rules in the United States prohibit encoding messages to obscure their meaning. That applies broadly to the hobby, so check the equivalent rule in your own country. A small single-board computer is a good host for a chat or file service, and we describe some options in our article on Raspberry Pi ham radio projects.
Planning Your First Node
- Check your licence and local rules. Confirm that you may operate on the band and channel width you plan to use and that you identify properly.
- Look for an existing mesh. The project’s world map and forum show active networks. Joining one is easier and more useful than starting alone.
- Pick supported hardware. Use the supported device list and the firmware selector, and avoid look-alike devices that are not supported.
- Start indoors. Flash the firmware, complete the first-boot setup and test two nodes on a bench before climbing a tower.
- Plan the path. Check line of sight and Fresnel clearance, choose the band, and mount at a safe height with proper grounding. Our article on station grounding and lightning protection applies to outdoor nodes as well.
- Test and document. Use the built-in tools to check signal and throughput, keep a backup of each node’s configuration and record the settings.
The Bottom Line
An AREDN mesh network is not a replacement for HF, VHF voice or Winlink. It is a different tool for a different job: moving real data quickly across a city or region on microwave links, with equipment that is cheap and easy to set up. It makes the most sense for emergency and community groups that must supply video, voice over IP or shared applications between sites, and for hobbyists who enjoy building networks. Read the official documentation, stay within your national rules, plan the radio path carefully and join an existing mesh if there is one nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does AREDN stand for?
Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network. It is a project that provides firmware to turn commercial wireless routers into nodes of a high-speed amateur data network.
Do I need an amateur radio licence to use AREDN?
Yes. The network uses amateur frequencies, and the documentation says you are responsible for complying with your country’s amateur radio rules on frequencies, channel widths and power.
Is AREDN a way to get internet access?
No. The overview states that it is not intended for connecting people to the internet. It carries internet-style applications within the mesh, and optional tunnels or a supernode can link separate meshes.
Which bands does AREDN use?
The documentation lists 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 3.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz as the bands covered, with currently supported equipment on 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz. Availability and rules depend on your country.
How far can a link reach?
That depends on antennas, height and terrain. The documentation describes backbone links of 10 to more than 30 miles, relay links of 3 to 10 miles or more and endpoint links of up to about 3 miles.
Can I run my own services on the network?
Yes, but run them on separate computers rather than on the nodes, keep traffic modest, avoid encrypted or obscured data, and coordinate with other node owners before running anything that polls the network.