There are two important things to keep in mind about AREDN MESH:
- AREDN is an Emergency Data Network. It functions best when used as a amateur radio intranet, which allows amateur radio operators to share resources and connect with each other. If you need to use the internet then use your Part 15 home internet connection, AREDN's capabilities in that area are severely limited, as is the bandwidth.
- There is no encryption on AREDN. It is important to remind our served agencies of that. More importantly, that also means that it is your responsibility as the operator to stay compliant with rules and for USA Part 97 of the FCC. Pretty much any website using transport layer security (TLS) should therefore be considered off-limits and as TLS is becoming the standard for most websites accessing any of them through AREDN might put your amateur radio license at risk. Again, please use your home internet connection to access the internet.
With that in mind, here is a sample beginner's AREDN MESH kit:
Ubiquiti Nanostation NSM5, 5GHz, 802.11a/n Hi-power 20 dBm Minimum, 2x2 MIMO AirMax TDMA PoE Station
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HXT8KJ4/
iCreatin 4-Port POE Power Over Ethernet Injector Adapter for IP Camera, Access Points and More; Use with External Power Supply for Passive or 802.3af Devices [External Power Supply NOT Included]
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SU9DNDY/
with power supply - Price: $27.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W4PJ16S/
GL.iNET GL-MT300N-V2 Wireless Mini Portable Travel Router, Mobile Hotspot in Pocket, WiFi Repeater Bridge, Range Extender, OpenVPN Client, 300Mbps High Performance, 128MB RAM
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073TSK26W/
Powerwerx DC-21ST
DC Cable - 18 Gauge - Anderson PowerPole to 2.1 MM Plug - 6 Feet Long
https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-011068
12V to 5V Step Down Converter 3A:
http://a.co/iC1PL9t
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MEESLZ6/
The NanoStation NSM5 is a solid choice, but many others are available to fit almost any situation. All AREDN compatible nodes are listed on the AREDN release candidate 3.17 site here:
http://downloads.arednmesh.org/firmware/ubnt/html/releasecandidates.html
Also bear in mind that XW devices are 64MB memory devices while XM devices are 32MB.
Moreover, GL.iNet makes a variety of travel routers, some with external antennas. Other manufacturers, like TP Link, also offer travel routers that size.
To learn more about AREDN MESH check out
AREDNMESH.org
AREDNMESH.org
