Compared to the “normal” internet —
which is based on a few centralized access points or internet service
providers (ISPs) — mesh networks have many benefits, from architectural
to political. Yet they haven’t really taken off, even though they have
been around for some time. I believe it’s time to reconsider their
potential, and make mesh networking a reality. Not just because of its
obvious benefits, but also because it provides an internet-native model for building community and governance.
But first, the basics: An ad hoc network infrastructure that can be
set up by anyone, mesh networks wirelessly connect computers and devices
directly to each other without passing through any central authority or
centralized organization (like a phone company or an ISP). They can
automatically reconfigure themselves according to the availability and
proximity of bandwidth, storage, and so on; this is what makes them
resistant to disaster and other interference. Dynamic connections
between nodes enable packets to use multiple routes to travel through
the network, which makes these networks more robust.
Compared to more centralized network architectures, the only way to
shut down a mesh network is to shut down every single node in the
network.
That’s the vital feature, and what makes it stronger in some ways than the regular internet.
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