View source for What Reticulum is

=== What is Reticulum? ===

When people think of a mesh, they usually think of LoRa mesh networks such as MeshCore or Meshtastic. '''Reticulum is a little different.'''

Reticulum isn't tied to a particular radio technology. Instead, it is a networking system that can use almost anything capable of transporting data to build a network. This could be the traditional Internet, LoRa radio, HaLow, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth/BLE, MeshCore, Meshtastic, or even satellite communications such as Iridium. If we can using it as a Physical Interface

This means a Reticulum network can span across completely different types of connections. A message could travel over LoRa from one node, across a Wi-Fi link, through the Internet, and then back out over radio to reach its destination.

The goal is to make communications '''decentralised, resilient and independent of any single network or provider'''. For Scotland, this means we can build a network that connects communities and radio nodes together using whatever connectivity is available in each location.

In simple terms: '''Reticulum is the glue that allows different types of networks to become one resilient mesh, adding more variety of traffic bearers makes a more resilient mesh.'''

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=== The really interesting bit ===

Reticulum isn't trying to recreate the Internet.

There are no traditional IP addresses that you need to configure. There is no DNS server that needs to know where everyone is. There is no central registration authority handing out addresses.

Instead, Reticulum uses '''cryptographic identities'''.

Your identity is effectively your cryptographic key. From that identity you can create destinations for different applications and services. Other nodes don't need to know your IP address, and you don't need to register your identity with a central server.

That makes the network much more interesting when you start thinking about infrastructure.

A node can disappear.<br />
An Internet connection can go down.<br />
A radio link can disappear.<br />
An entire transport node can be switched off.

'''The network can still function using whatever paths remain available.'''

=== Bearers: Reticulum doesn't care what carries the data ===

This is where Reticulum gets particularly powerful.

The underlying connection is effectively a '''bearer''' for Reticulum traffic.

That bearer could be:

* 📻 LoRa
* 📡 Packet radio
* 📶 Wi-Fi
* 🌐 TCP/IP
* 🛰️ Satellite
* 🔵 Bluetooth/BLE
* 🔐 I2P
* Or another supported interface

From Reticulum's perspective, these are simply different ways of moving data.

[[Category:Getting Started]]