What is AREDN?
AREDN (Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network) is open-source firmware for commodity Wi-Fi hardware (Ubiquiti, MikroTik, TP-Link) that turns it into a high-speed, self-healing mesh network operating on amateur radio frequencies.
Unlike Meshtastic (100s of bytes/second) or LoRaWAN (kilobits/second), AREDN can carry megabits per second — enough for VoIP calls, video surveillance feeds, file transfers, and web services during emergencies when commercial infrastructure is down.
The trade-off: you need an Australian amateur radio licence (Foundation, Standard, or Advanced) to operate AREDN nodes, as it uses licensed spectrum under Part 97 equivalent provisions.
Licence required: AREDN operates on amateur radio frequencies in the 2.4 GHz, 3.4 GHz, and 5.8 GHz bands under the Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Licence Conditions (RALI LM 6). You must hold a current Australian amateur licence to operate an AREDN node.
How AREDN differs from ISM mesh
| AREDN | Meshtastic | |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 2.4/3.4/5.8 GHz | 915 MHz |
| Speed | Mbps | kbps |
| Range | 1–50 km | 1–15 km |
| Power | Watts | 100 mW |
| Licence | Required (ham) | None |
| Primary use | EmComm, video, VoIP | Text messaging |
Getting your licence: The Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) runs the Australian amateur licensing exams. Foundation licence is achievable in a weekend. See wia.org.au.
Australian activity
AREDN in Australia
Australian AREDN activity is primarily driven by WICEN (Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network) groups and state emergency services volunteer organisations. Nodes are concentrated around major cities and are activated for public events and emergency activations.
| State | Activity level | Key organisations |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | Active | WICEN Victoria, Melbourne ARC |
| New South Wales | Active | WICEN NSW, Sydney ARC |
| Queensland | Growing | WICEN Queensland, BrisARC |
| Western Australia | Limited | WICEN WA |
| South Australia | Limited | WICEN SA |
| ACT | Growing | Canberra ARC, ACT WICEN |
Find Australian nodes: The AREDN global node map at arednmesh.org shows active nodes worldwide. Filter to Australia to find your nearest neighbours.
Hardware
Supported hardware for AREDN
AREDN runs on a wide range of 802.11n hardware. The project maintains a supported platform matrix — always check this before purchasing.
Ubiquiti Rocket M5
Workhorse of AREDN. 5.8 GHz, high power output. Pair with a sector or dish antenna for point-to-point links.
Ubiquiti NanoStation M5
All-in-one with integrated directional antenna. Good for neighbourhood nodes and short point-to-point links.
MikroTik hAP ac lite
Indoor dual-band unit. Good for indoor portable deployments and testing. AREDN support is solid.
Note on Ubiquiti: AREDN typically requires flashing firmware over the TFTP recovery interface. This is straightforward but different from normal Ubiquiti firmware updates. Follow the AREDN installation guide carefully.
Getting started
Building your first AREDN node
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Get your amateur licence
Foundation licence minimum. Study the WIA Foundation Licence manual, sit the exam at a WIA-affiliated club. Takes a day. See wia.org.au.
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Get supported hardware
Check the AREDN supported platform matrix before buying. Ubiquiti hardware is most common in Australian deployments. Avoid very new hardware — AREDN firmware lags slightly.
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Flash AREDN firmware
Download firmware from arednmesh.org. Flash via TFTP recovery or the device's upgrade interface, depending on the model.
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Configure your node
Set your callsign, choose a channel and bandwidth, set node name to
CALLSIGN-location-band(e.g.VK3XYZ-HOME-5G). Connect to neighbouring nodes and you're on the mesh. -
Join local WICEN / AREDN group
Contact your state WICEN group or a local amateur radio club to coordinate node placement, frequency coordination, and activation exercises.
Emergency communications applications
AREDN's high bandwidth enables services that low-speed mesh networks can't support:
VoIP telephony
Run an Asterisk or FreePBX instance on a Raspberry Pi connected to the mesh. Phones and soft-clients connect via the mesh network — no PSTN needed. Used by WICEN to provide temporary phone systems at sporting events and disaster activations.
Video surveillance & situational awareness
IP cameras on the mesh feed into a central display. Used at major events (Melbourne Marathon, Bathurst 1000) to monitor choke points and provide event management with a real-time operational picture.
File transfer & messaging
Winlink email gateway nodes on AREDN provide store-and-forward email over the mesh. Document transfer, patient tracking forms, and resource lists can move across the network even with no internet.
Connecting to the internet
Mesh nodes can have an optional internet gateway node — traffic tunnels through the internet to connect mesh islands. This provides fallback connectivity and allows remote management of deployed nodes.