AREDN
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SA6ANW 20240104
Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network
AREDN is about building a parallel network infrastructure. AREDN is based on relatively inexpensive equipment originally designed to deliver internet over Wi-Fi to homes and businesses — also known as WISP gear. These “antennas” consist of a computer, radio section, and antenna. By changing the firmware, you suddenly have an amateur radio station for 5 GHz capable of data transmission.
The system works over long distances as long as there’s a clear line of sight between antennas. I’ve personally achieved 19 Mbit over 12 km using very minimal and temporary setups. With better mounting and antenna alignment, even higher speeds are definitely possible.
I use AREDN to provide an internet connection to my DMR hotspot, which is mounted on a grain silo about 300 meters from my QTH on the edge of the village. On the silo, I also have an extra antenna aimed at Missveden, where SK6MA usually holds their field days — this allows linking from a mobile node.
The system was installed in the summer of 2022, so it’s due for an update. At the very least, the firmware should be upgraded, and possibly the antenna on the silo as well.
The current firmware version is 3.22.1.0.
System Overview
\ | /
\|/ Diamond X-50N
|
......:......
: Pi-Star :
SXTsq Lite5 : :...........: :
: | :
/ : \ | / : \
+----|--o : o--|----+ | +----|--o : o--|----+
| \ : / | | | \ : / |
Outdoor | : | | | : | Top of mast
- - - - - - -|- - - - - : | | | : - - - - -|- - - - - - -
Indoor | : | | | : | Ground level
......:...... : ..:...:...:.. : ......:......
:hAP AC Lite: : :NanoSwitch : : : POE :
:...........: : :...........: : :...........:
| : | Top of silo : |
| : - - - - - - -|- - - - - - - : ......:......
___ | ___ : | Ground level : :Cell Phone :
___/ \_/ \___ : ......:...... : :...........:
/ \ / \ : : POE : :
( Internet ) : :...........: :
\___/ _ \___/ : :
\___/ \___/ : :
: :
Home QTH : Silo site : Portable kit
AREDN Setup SA6ANW 20240104
Component Descriptions
- Home QTH
- hAP AC Lite
This small home router from MikroTik is the perfect bridge between AREDN and regular networks. It has five ports plus Wi-Fi. Port 1 is WAN, connected to my firewall/router to give devices on the AREDN network access to the internet. This connection also enables VPN tunnels for other radio amateurs or links between AREDN networks. Ports 2 to 4 are LAN. These can be used to connect clients to the AREDN network or servers to provide services within the mesh. I access the AREDN network myself via Wi-Fi. Port 5 is DtD (Device to Device) and can deliver Passive PoE. My outdoor antenna is connected via this port.
https://mikrotik.com/product/RB952Ui-5ac2nD - SXTsq Lite5
A small, compact, and affordable outdoor unit with an integrated antenna. The antenna has a gain of 16 dBi and the radio section outputs up to 25 dBm. It runs via Passive PoE and consumes a maximum of 6 W.
https://mikrotik.com/product/RBSXTsq5nD
- hAP AC Lite
- Silo Site
- PoE injector
At the base of the silo, I have a PoE injector and a single outdoor-rated Ethernet cable running up to the top. The big advantage here is that I can connect a laptop or similar device at ground level to access the devices on the silo, avoiding the need to climb — something I prefer not to do if I can help it. - NanoSwitch
A 4-port Passive PoE switch from Ubiquiti, designed for outdoor use. It's mounted at the base of the mast on top of the silo. A long cable supplies power from the ground to the switch and all connected devices.
https://store.ui.com/us/en/products/n-sw - 2st SXTsq Lite5
One antenna is aimed at my Home QTH, and the other is currently pointed toward Missveden, just outside Hjo, approximately 110°. The plan is to replace the latter with an omnidirectional antenna to avoid future realignments.
https://mikrotik.com/product/RBSXTsq5nD - Pi-Star
A DMR hotspot. It’s a DIY build enclosed in a weather-protected junction box. The setup includes a Raspberry Pi 3B powered via Passive PoE, and an MMDVM hat for UHF.
https://www.pistar.uk/ - Diamond X50N
The antenna for the Pi-Star. It has a gain of 7.2 dB on the 70 cm band. With this setup, I have DMR coverage across the entire village. I plan to create a coverage map in the future. I should probably replace the coax — it's unnecessarily long and of poor quality, which matters when you’re only putting out 10 mW from an MMDVM hat.
https://www.diamond-ant.co.jp/english/amateur/antenna/ante_2base/ante_base3.html
- PoE injector
- Portable kit
- PoE adapter
A power bank with 12 V DC output, combined with the small adapter included with MikroTik’s integrated antennas, is all that's needed to power the antenna. From there, a short Ethernet cable runs to an SXTsq Lite5.
- Mast
A simple 8-meter fiberglass fishing pole. I don’t use the top section, so the antenna reaches about 6 meters. I’ve 3D-printed a basic mount to attach the antenna securely.
- SXTsq Lite5
Once again, the affordable integrated unit from MikroTik.
https://mikrotik.com/product/RBSXTsq5nD - Cell phone With a USB-C hub that includes an Ethernet jack, I can access the AREDN network directly from my phone. This is perfect for testing coverage boundaries or scouting locations for link nodes.
- PoE adapter
A power bank with 12 V DC output, combined with the small adapter included with MikroTik’s integrated antennas, is all that's needed to power the antenna. From there, a short Ethernet cable runs to an SXTsq Lite5.