Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network
AREDN Mesh
A high-speed data network built on amateur radio spectrum — designed to keep working when the internet and cell networks don't. Fayette County's mesh links weather monitoring, cameras, chat, and more, node to node, with no dependency on outside infrastructure.
Spectrum
900 MHz / 2.4 / 5.8 GHz
Network Type
Self-Healing Mesh
Runs On
Battery / Solar Capable
What AREDN actually is
AREDN takes off-the-shelf wireless routers, replaces their firmware, and turns them into high-bandwidth mesh nodes running on amateur radio bands instead of ordinary WiFi channels. Nodes automatically find and route through each other, so a network can grow organically as more people put up hardware — no central server, no ISP, no single point of failure.
Because it runs on ham radio spectrum, operating an AREDN node requires an amateur radio license — this is the key difference from license-free mesh options like Meshtastic or MeshCore. In exchange, AREDN nodes get far more bandwidth: enough for live video, VoIP, file transfer, and full websites, not just short text messages.
Why it matters locally. AREDN is built for exactly the situation where normal infrastructure fails — a storm knocks out cell towers, or internet service drops during severe weather. A mesh that's already running and already tested beforehand is a mesh you can actually rely on when it counts.
What's running on the mesh
Not just a way to move voice around — AREDN carries real network traffic. Here's what's actually reachable over the local mesh:
Collaboration
NextCloud
File sharing and document collaboration, reachable with no internet connection needed.
Voice
IP Phones
A rapidly deployable tactical call center — battery-powered IP phones over AREDN mesh with Starlink backhaul, standing up inbound/outbound (DID) calling in off-grid environments.
Video
IP Cameras
Live camera feeds shared across the mesh for situational awareness at a deployment or event.
Messaging
RAVEN Chat
Decentralized text chat and file sharing running over the mesh to coordinate stations.
Cross-Network
Meshtastic Bridge
Links the AREDN mesh to the
Meshtastic network, connecting AREDN's high-speed backbone with Meshtastic's long-range, low-power messaging.
Weather
Lightning & Storm Alerts
Live GOES satellite lightning detection and NWS alert relay, pushed onto the mesh so warnings reach stations even if other channels are down.
Weather
NOAA Weather Radio Relay
Decoded NOAA Weather Radio SAME alerts relayed onto the network as they're received.
Getting started
- Get licensed. A Technician class amateur radio license is the minimum requirement — W0OEL runs regular licensing classes if you're starting from zero.
- Get AREDN-compatible hardware. Common choices are Ubiquiti or MikroTik routers flashed with AREDN firmware — not every consumer router works, so check the supported hardware list before buying anything.
- Find your nearest node. See the Coverage map below to check what's already up near you, and plan your antenna/link accordingly.
Coverage
Nodes span northeast Iowa, reaching toward Minnesota and Wisconsin. Use the map's find tool to zoom into Fayette County specifically.