Mesh networking

type of computer network using multiple links between nodes

Zigbee is an IEEE 802.15.4-based specification for a suite of high-level communication protocols used to create personal area networks with small, low-power digital radios, such as for home automation, medical device data collection, and other low-power, low-bandwidth needs, designed for small-scale projects which need wireless connection. Hence, Zigbee is a standard for low-power, low-data-rate, close-proximity (i.e., personal area) wireless ad hoc networks.

Z-Wave is a wireless communications protocol used primarily for residential and commercial building automation. It is a mesh network using low-energy radio waves to communicate from device to device, allowing for wireless control of smart home devices, such as smart lights, security systems, thermostats, sensors, smart door locks, and garage door openers. Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR) is a sub-GHz wireless communication protocol designed to extend smart home connectivity, offering a range of up to 1.5 miles. It enables direct hub-to-device communication, supports up to 4,000 nodes per network, and

IEEE standard for Shortest Path Bridging

Radio nodes organized in a mesh topology

The Better Approach to Mobile Ad-hoc Networking (B.A.T.M.A.N.) is a routing protocol for multi-hop mobile ad hoc networks which is under development by the German "Freifunk" community and intended to replace the Optimized Link State Routing Protocol (OLSR) as OLSR did not meet the performance requirements of large-scale mesh deployments.

free peer-to-peer instant messenger

Meshtastic is a decentralized wireless off-grid mesh networking LoRa protocol. The main goal of the project is enabling low-power, long-range communication over ISM radio bands. It transmits at power levels which do not require a license to use. It is designed around exchanging text messages and data in off-grid environments, with potential applications in IoT projects where a decentralized communication system is needed without existing infrastructure.

FireChat was a proprietary mobile app, developed by Open Garden, which used wireless mesh networking to enable smartphones to pass messages to each other peer-to-peer via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Apple's Multipeer, without an internet connection.

network protocol

Guifi.net is a free, open and neutral, mostly wireless community network, with over 37,000 active nodes and about 71,000 km of wireless links (as of December 2021). The majority of these nodes are located in Catalonia and the Valencian Community, in Spain, but the network is growing in other parts of the world. The network is self-organized and operated by the users using unlicensed wireless links and open optical fiber links.

Bitchat is a peer-to-peer encrypted messaging app developed by Jack Dorsey, co‑founder of Twitter (now X) and Block, Inc. Announced in July 2025, Bitchat enables users to send messages via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks without requiring internet connections, cellular service, user accounts, or central servers. Bitchat also uses the internet-based Nostr protocol for global reach.

Netsukuku is an experimental peer-to-peer routing system, developed by the FreakNet MediaLab in 2005, created to build up a distributed network, anonymous and censorship-free, fully independent but not necessarily separated from the Internet, without the support of any server, Internet service provider and no central authority.

right|thumb|Antennas for High-speed Amateur-radio Multimedia Network (HamNET) in Europe, part of the wireless mesh network

The Cybiko is a line of personal digital assistants and handheld game consoles first released by Cybiko Inc. in 2000. Cybiko Inc. was a startup company founded by David Yang; the eponymous PDA was first test marketed in New York in April 2000 and rolled out nationwide in May 2000. It was designed for teens, featuring its own two-way radio text messaging system. It has over 430 "official" freeware games and applications. It features a rubber QWERTY keyboard. An MP3 player add-on with a SmartMedia card slot was made for the unit as well. Cybikos can communicate with each other up to a maximum ra

Freifunk (German for: "free radio") is a non-commercial open grassroots initiative to support free computer networks in the German region. Freifunk is part of the international movement for a wireless community network. The initiative counts about 400 local communities with over 41,000 access points. Among them, Münster, Aachen, Munich, Hanover, Stuttgart, and Uelzen are the biggest communities, with more than 1,000 access points each.

open source mesh networking protocol and software

MeshCore is an open-source mesh networking protocol and software platform designed for off-grid, low-power text communication using LoRa (Long Range) radio technology. The system enables decentralized, multi-hop wireless messaging without reliance on cellular networks or internet infrastructure.

routing protocol