[Battlemesh] My thoughts to setup a citywide mesh network

[Thomas Mueller]

Jump to the tl;dr if you are bored by a newbie questions …


Hi all

Most people are probably not ready to flash their homerouter router with a mesh network image. But many people can setup the guest access of their home router with an calculated combination of SSID and password. (bm_xxxx / bm_yyyy)

A few people, many restaurants and others may connect an additional low cost Mesh-Router at the lanports of their regular router. I think about that 8 Dollar OpenWRT Router: 

https://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/unbranded/a5-v11 

The onboard WLAN may connect the the to TOR-Network or to a VPN-Server, and an plugged in USB-WLAN-Dongle may expand the Mesh.

A few people with unlimited mobile internet plan may also share the Internet on their mobile device with an calculated combination of SSID and password. 

A few people owns am USB-SIM-Dongle with unlimited mobile internet and an Accupack. If the USB-SIM-Dongle ist connected to the low cost router, and not to the Laptop the owner will have an always ready internet connection on the walk. At home, the internet connection of the dongle and the homerouter is bonded and failsafe. (Mini-mesh with two internet connections) 

The low-cost Router scan for SSIDs with „bm_“ and connect one by Muli WAN.

Neighbors with different Internet providers may bond all internet connections together. 

A privat car or a Taxi-driver may also be equipped with that low-cost Hardware if the car owners have an advantage of that.

and so on.


My questions:

1) is the Low-Cost Router ok for that Project? A suggestion?

2) Is OLSR OpenWRT the right choice? A suggestion?

3) Is the OpenWRT MultiWAN the right choice? A suggestion?

4) Is there an existing similar OpenSource Project which can use my budget wisely? 

5) Can the right person, to develop this, be found at the coming event? 

The project should start in Zuerich with 450 fixed and 400 mobile routers in Zuerich downtown.

tl;dr
Helping people to bond different internet connections (Home-routers, USB-SIM Dongles, mobile Data plans) may be the way to setup a Mesh in my hometown.

Thomas