For those interested in alternative internet infrastructures, I’ve been assembling a list of projects and initiatives working to build mesh network solutions, as well as communities and resources around this topic. I’ve also posted this on Quora. Please feel free to add any projects I’ve missed. We’re hoping to understand the landscape of this initiative and how these projects & communities can better coordinate their efforts, in preparation for the Contact Conference in NYC this October 20, 2011.

Projects:

– Open Mesh Project – building a mesh network for Egypt
– Open Source Mesh – group looking at how to build a reliable open source meshing software
– B.A.T.M.A.N. – better approach to mobile ad-hoc networking; routing protocol for multi-hop ad-hoc mesh networks
– Roofnet – 802.11b/g mesh network in development at MIT CSAIL
– GNUnet – framework for secure p2p networking that doesn not use any centralized or otherwise trusted services
– Dot-P2P – a free, decentralized, and open DNS system
– SMesh – seamless wireless mesh network being developed at John Hopkins University
– Coova – open source software access controller for captive portal (UAM) and 802.1X access provisioning
– Babel – a loop-free distance-vector routing protocol for IPv6 & IPv4
– SolarMESH – solar powered IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN mesh network  and relaying infrastructure solution
– WING – wireless mesh network for next-generation internet; partially built on Roofnet
– Daihinia – a tool for WiFi; turns a simple ad-hoc network into a multi-hop ad-hoc network
– P2P DNS – building a distributed p2p DNS system
– Digitata.org – develop an inexpensive infrastructure (low bandwidth internet terminals) for basic internet exposure to children in African countries
– Netsukuku – an ad-hoc netowork that uses only WiFi connectivity and a specifically-built adddress system that allows direct communications between machines without resorting to the HTTP protocol
– Tonika – open source organic network project; administration-free platlform for large-scale open-membership (social) networks with robust security, anonymity, resilience and performance guarantees

Communities:

– We Rebuild – cluster of net activists who have joined forces to collaborate on issues concerning access to a free internet without intrusive surveillance
– Freifunk – non-commercial initiative for free wireless networks, in english here
– Athens Wireless Metropolitan Network – grassroots wireless community in Greece
– Wireless community networks by region – list on wikipedia
– wlan ljubljana (in slovenian) – open wireless network in ljubljana
– The Darknet Plan – reddit thread dedicated to organizing anad creating a decentralized VPN as the first stage of the darknet plan
– the connective – Q&A for a citizen-owned internet

Resources:

– Border Gateway Protocol – free and open source implementations of BGP
– XO laptop by OLPC – resource for mesh networking details
– Ad hoc network routing protocols – list on wikipedia
– list of ad-hoc mesh network routing protocols that can be used during an ‘internet kill switch’ – reddit thread

Commercial:

– Meraki – cloud-hosted networking systems bringing enterprise-class networking to organizations
– Open Mesh – creates ultra low-cost zero-config, plug & play wireless mesh network solutions
– firetide – manufacturer of wireless networking equipment & provider of wireless infrastructure mesh for video surveillance

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related:

– How to Remain Connected if your Internet Gets Shut Off

– How to Communicate if the US Government Shuts down the Internet

– How To Set Up An Open Mesh Network in Your Neighborhood

– How Do We Communicate if the Internet Goes Down? (Quora)

– Diaspora-dev on google groups

– What true P2P networking projects exist or are in development, which may spring into action if the Internet is ever unacceptably co-opted or controlled? (Quora)