How It Works

The Inland NW Mesh network is built on proven, open-standard hardware and firmware that anyone can deploy and maintain. Here's how it all comes together.

The Technology

Our network uses LoRa (Long Range) radio technology — a spread-spectrum modulation technique that allows small, low-power devices to communicate over distances of 1 to 15+ miles per node, depending on terrain and antenna setup.

All nodes run MeshCore, an open-source mesh networking firmware designed specifically for LoRa devices. MeshCore handles routing, encryption, and message delivery automatically — no configuration expertise required to use the network once a node is deployed.

Technical Specifications

How Messages Travel

When you send a message on the network, it doesn't go through a central server. Instead, it hops from node to node across the mesh until it reaches its destination. This is called store-and-forward flooding — if a node isn't reachable right now, a nearby node holds the message and forwards it when connectivity is restored.

This means:

• No single node failure can break the network
• Messages can travel far beyond the range of any single radio
• The network heals itself automatically as nodes come and go

Power Independence

Every node on the network can run on USB-C power, battery, or solar panels. This means nodes continue operating during power outages — exactly when you need them most. View our recommended solar node hardware for specific builds.

Security

All communication on the network is encrypted end-to-end using AES-128 or AES-256. Each device has a unique PKI-based identity, so you always know who you're talking to.