HSMM-MESH

[Geek]

Has anyone here set up a HSMM-MESH router?  I just set one up, knowing that there are a bunch of them in the next county but none here.  I am hoping a few more will go up in the vicinity.

[Rob_ma]

I set up two of them just to test a few weeks ago. Took me about 1/2 an hour to reflash the firmware and configure them. Zero activity in my area unfortunately. I did it more to see how they worked than to put them in operation.

- Rob

[Geek]

Did you keep them up and report at least one as live?  Do you know how far you are from other nodes?

[cockpitbob]

I just read the getting-started page at HSMM-MESH.org.  I have to confess that I'm still not sure what you would actually do with one. 

[KK0G]

I just read the getting-started page at HSMM-MESH.org.  I have to confess that I'm still not sure what you would actually do with one. 

Me too. Sounds interesting but I'm not envisioning it.

[White Tiger]

I just read the getting-started page at HSMM-MESH.org.  I have to confess that I'm still not sure what you would actually do with one.

This is a topic Luck and I discussed a couple weeks ago - due this being the lead article in QST.

Luck sent me the link to the mesh.org website (mentioned above) - this is the stated goal from the website:

"Broadband-Hamnet? (formerly called HSMM-Mesh?)  is a high speed, self discovering, self configuring, fault tolerant, wireless computer network that can run for days from a fully charged car battery, or indefinitely with the addition of a modest solar array or other supplemental power source. The focus is on emergency communications..."

I'm interested in it because you can use it to send email with full video - I'm interested to see if I could use it as a security measure - even if the grid goes down. I'm also interested to see if I could deploy a small, secure, network.

[KK0G]

So what you're saying is, I should probably go back and read my issue of QST and actually pay attention this time. I can take a hint ;D

[RadioRay]

Count me in.  MESH in general, is something which caught my eye when we were using if for self-forming/self-healing  tactical dataclouds for various mil systems ten years ago.

You are right-on about using it for forming an area net in the event of general infrastructure failure, or even before.  There are parallel efforts aimed at writing apps to make smartphone MESH as well.  I am wondering about the ability to basically make a community cloud for a neighborhood watch on steroids, live low lux video/seismic feeds for instant situational awareness and enciphered speech for the group (non-ham MESH).

Thanks for the link.  I'll go take a look, even if it's just to set-up a household MESH for fun.


>de RadioRay ..._ ._

[Rob_ma]

Did you keep them up and report at least one as live?  Do you know how far you are from other nodes?

Closest node I saw when I checked last was about 100 miles away from me. There are near zero hams (or potential node sites) that are line of sight to me anyways. I set them up as I was curious about the technology more than anything else. I'll eventually set them up and keep them live and do more experimentation in the fall. There is a real lack of active local operators in my area and even less who are experimenters unfortunately.

[Geek]

Here the technology seems to have caught on the next county over, but not in my immediate area.  I think there is enough interaction among HAMS in the area to get this going.

[madball13]

"In order to gain benefit from this system you must be fluent in TCP/IP networking or be a highly motivated self-starter who can independently acquire that fluency"

I'm out

[KK0G]

"In order to gain benefit from this system you must be fluent in TCP/IP networking or be a highly motivated self-starter who can independently acquire that fluency"

I'm out

Me too.

[Geek]

"In order to gain benefit from this system you must be fluent in TCP/IP networking or be a highly motivated self-starter who can independently acquire that fluency"

I'm out

I'm not sure why you think that.  While a little knowledge of TCP/IP will make some of the screens less cryptic, the process was no worse than setting up a home router.

[gil]

"In order to gain benefit from this system you must be fluent in TCP/IP networking or be a highly motivated self-starter who can independently acquire that fluency"

I doubt that as well..

600mW is not much though, but with a Yagi-Uda, which would be small for that band, it opens up a lot of possibilities.

Those new 2m digital handhelds give you pretty good privacy too, since almost nobody can afford them!

Gil.

[Rob_ma]

"In order to gain benefit from this system you must be fluent in TCP/IP networking or be a highly motivated self-starter who can independently acquire that fluency"

I think that fluent is an unfortunate choice of words. You need to know a little bit but it is something that could be learned in a few minutes. Don't let that scare you off.

The biggest shortcoming in this project seems to be a lack of real life examples of how it can be used. Here is a post asking for examples and the OP seems frustrated by the lack of response:

http://hsmm-mesh.org/section-blog/39-application-notes/59-how-can-you-use-hsmm-mesh.html

I can foresee a number of applications that would work well with HSMM-MESH if you had a group of local like-minded hams near you. You could create your own private IP network and run RoIP, VoIP, control your neighbors HF rig, remote video for surveillance, etc. I have heard of a lot of people using this technology but no one seems to want to document their application of it.

EDIT: Found a few published applications here: http://www.hsmm-mesh.org/applications-for-the-mesh.html but they really aren't HOW TO's.

- Rob