Build an encrypted off-grid chat app that works over LoRa radio without any internet connection or central server
Set up a private mesh network that routes messages across multiple hops with no company or government in the middle
Run the Sideband app on Android or Linux to send messages, files, and make voice calls over Reticulum-connected radio links
Tunnel Reticulum traffic over a regular internet connection to connect to distant Reticulum networks
Requires physical radio hardware such as a LoRa transceiver to use the core off-grid functionality, internet tunneling works without hardware but reduces the main benefit.
Reticulum is a networking stack written in Python. Instead of building on the standard internet protocol stack, it starts from scratch, using cryptographic principles as the foundation. It is designed to let you build your own networks using everyday hardware: LoRa radios, packet radio transceivers, WiFi adapters, serial links, and similar devices. It works even over slow, unreliable connections with very low data rates. The core idea is that anyone should be able to run a network, independent of any company, government, or central authority. Reticulum networks have no kill switch and no built-in surveillance. Multiple independent Reticulum networks can freely connect or disconnect from each other without needing any central coordination. Packets carry no source address, so you can communicate without revealing who you are. Under the hood, Reticulum handles encryption, routing, and addressing automatically. Each device on the network has a cryptographic identity. Routing happens across multiple hops without any central server directing traffic. The encryption uses established standards: X25519 key exchange, AES-256, and Ed25519 signatures. Setting up a secure, verified connection costs just three packets and around 297 bytes of data. The library runs entirely in user space, which means no special operating system privileges or hardware drivers are required. Any system that can run Python 3 can run Reticulum. You can also tunnel Reticulum traffic through a regular internet connection, so it is not limited to radio links. Developers can build applications on top of Reticulum using its API. Several projects already exist: LXMF is a message transfer protocol built on top of it, Nomad Network is a text-based platform for off-grid communication, and Sideband is a graphical app for Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows that supports file transfers, voice calls, and maps. There is also rnsh, a utility for opening remote shell sessions over Reticulum without any central infrastructure.
← markqvist on gitmyhub — every repo by this author, as a profile.
Verify against the repo before relying on details.