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Latest revision as of 22:41, 30 September 2026

44Net is a community of licensed radio amateurs using Public IP addresses to build networks.

Connect a Raspberry Pi, run services for your club, or build a network. 44Net provides free IP address resources for licensed radio amateurs, with several ways to put them to use.

You can connect through an existing network or project, or obtain addresses and arrange your own routing.

Explore ways to connect · Get address resources

Find a way to connect

44Net Connect

Public IP addresses for your devices and networks

Use a WireGuard tunnel over your existing internet connection to get a public 44Net address for your project.

Get started with Connect →

IPIP Mesh

Connect with other participating amateur networks

Run a gateway that exchanges traffic directly with other Mesh gateways through IP-in-IP tunnels over the Internet.

Explore the IPIP Mesh →

Community projects

Find something interesting to join, use, or help build

Explore independently operated networks and projects, including regional radio networks and shared infrastructure.

Browse networks and projects →

Build with 44Net resources

If you’re arranging your own connectivity through an ISP, transit provider, data center, or cloud, start with the resources you need.

Address space

Request an assignment for your amateur radio network or project.

About address assignments →

Routing and BGP

Arrange to announce your assigned addresses directly to the Internet.

Using 44Net with your provider →

DNS

Give your systems names under ampr.org or delegate DNS to your own servers.

DNS options and setup →

See what people are building

Explore remote stations, club services, radio networks, and experiments built by 44Net participants. Find ideas for your own project, learn from other operators’ work, or find out how you can contribute yourself.

Explore participant projects →

Already participating?

Open the Portal to manage your account, assignments, and records.

Setup guides · Troubleshooting and help · Community discussions · Contribute to this Wiki

About 44Net

ARDC administers the 44Net address space and supports amateur networking through infrastructure, services, and project support. Participants operate their own systems and networks, including independent projects with their own teams and ways to get involved.

This Wiki explains the available resources and projects and documents how to use them.

About 44Net and its history → · Eligibility · Terms of use · Earlier documentation

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{DISPLAYTITLE:44Net Main Page}}
-<div class="toclimit-3">
+__NOTOC__
-__TOC__
-</div>
-{{Lead|44Net is a community of licensed amateur radio operators building and connecting real systems and networks using shared public address space.}}
+{{Lead|44Net is a community of licensed radio amateurs using Public IP addresses to build networks.}}
-== 44Net in Brief ==
+{{Deck|Connect a Raspberry Pi, run services for your club, or build a network. 44Net provides free IP address resources for licensed radio amateurs, with several ways to put them to use.
-{{Section|class=mw-section--brief|1=
-{{SectionAside|
-{{SectionFigure|file=Network_map_illustration.png|width=400px|caption=44Net IP addresses are globally routable, enabling direct accessibility from the public Internet.}}
-}}
-'''44Net''' makes publicly reachable networking available for experimentation and learning. Amateur radio operators and groups use it to run systems that can be accessed directly from the Internet using stable public addresses.
-The resource that makes this possible is a block of over 12 million IP addresses. The address block traces its origins to early packet radio networking, a project still known today as “AMPRNet.” That legacy continues, with Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) maintaining the address space in service to the community. See [[About 44Net]] for history and context.
+You can connect through an existing network or project, or obtain addresses and arrange your own routing.}}
-}}
-{{Section|class=mw-section--quickpaths-strip|1=
+'''[[#Find a way to connect|Explore ways to connect]]''' · '''[[#Build with 44Net resources|Get address resources]]'''
-''Quick links:'' [[GetStarted|Get Started]] • [[Ways to Connect|Ways to Connect]] • Run a Project: [[DNS|DNS]], [[Routing|Routing]] • [[Community|Community]]
-}}
-{{Section|
+{{Section|variant=secondary|
-== What People Build ==
+=== Find a way to connect ===
-Operators put 44Net to work in different ways. Some connect a single system; others collaborate on shared projects or build networks of their own. There is no single “right” way to participate.
-[[File:Landscape.png]]
+{{SectionLayout|min=16rem|gap=0.75rem|
-Projects using 44Net vary widely in scale and technical depth. Examples include a club maintaining repeaters over cellular or satellite uplinks, an individual publishing resources from a server in their shack, preparedness teams keeping fixed public IPs on mobile devices, or a regional group linking microwave sites across a city or country.
-{{SectionLayout|min=16rem|class=mw-section__layout--build|
 {{SectionCard|
-=== Individual projects ===
+==== 44Net Connect ====
-Remote station operation, self-hosted services, cloud services with {{Term:|BYOIP}}.
+'''Public IP addresses for your devices and networks'''
-==== Examples: ====
+Use a WireGuard tunnel over your existing internet connection to get a public 44Net address for your project.
-* [https://ni2o.ampr.org NI2O’s bit of Cyberspace]
-* [https://yo2loj.ampr.org YO2LOJ’s map of 44Net]
-{{SectionMoreLink|page=What People Build|label=See more projects →}}
+[[44Net Connect|Get started with Connect →]]
 }}
 {{SectionCard|
-=== Shared infrastructure ===
+==== IPIP Mesh ====
-Club networks, linked repeaters, and services for the wider community.
+'''Connect with other participating amateur networks'''
-==== Examples: ====
+Run a gateway that exchanges traffic directly with other Mesh gateways through IP-in-IP tunnels over the Internet.
-* [https://www.irlp.net The Internet Radio Linking Project]
-* [https://hamgate.ampr.org HamGate Northeast US Networks]
-{{SectionMoreLink|page=What People Build|label=See more projects →}}
+[[IPIP Mesh|Explore the IPIP Mesh →]]
 }}
 {{SectionCard|
-=== Autonomous networks ===
+==== Community projects ====
-Multi-site links, resilient backbones, and
+'''Find something interesting to join, use, or help build'''
-globally-routed independent systems.
-==== Examples: ====
+Explore independently operated networks and projects, including regional radio networks and shared infrastructure.
-* [https://www.darc.de/der-club/distrikte/c/hamnet/ HamNET broadband RF network]
-* [https://www.arednmesh.org AREDN Emergency Data Network]
-{{SectionMoreLink|page=What People Build|label=See more projects →}}
+[[Projects|Browse networks and projects →]]
 }}
 }}
-See [[What People Build|What People Build on 44Net]] for more examples.
 }}
-== How People Participate ==
+{{Section|variant=primary|
-People arrive at 44Net in different ways. Some discover an existing project and join in. Others contribute skills or help operate shared systems. Many eventually begin running projects of their own.
+== Build with 44Net resources ==
+If you’re arranging your own connectivity through an ISP, transit provider, data center, or cloud, start with the resources you need.
-Anyone interested can [https://ardc.groups.io/ join a mailing list], follow the discussion, and ask questions. For some people, seeing what licensed amateurs are actively doing with 44Net is motivation to get licensed themselves.
-{{Section|variant=secondary|
-=== Common paths into 44Net ===
 {{SectionLayout|min=16rem|gap=0.75rem|
 {{SectionCard|
-==== Join a Network ====
+=== Address space ===
-Many participants begin by connecting to an existing network or joining a local effort. Regional RF networks, shared gateways, and other volunteer-run systems provide ways to participate while learning how systems operate in practice.
+Request an assignment for your amateur radio network or project.
-===== Examples: =====
+[[Portal/Request Address Space|About address assignments →]]
-Local packet and microwave networks, regional mesh projects, and shared access systems operated by volunteer groups.
 }}
 {{SectionCard|
-==== Contribute to a Shared Project ====
+=== Routing and BGP ===
-Others participate by contributing to active projects. Technicians, designers, writers, tower climbers, and system administrators volunteer to work together keeping these projects running and helping them grow. Sometimes all it takes is a radio, a Raspberry Pi, and a willingness to contribute.
+Arrange to announce your assigned addresses directly to the Internet.
-===== Examples: =====
+[[BGP|Using 44Net with your provider →]]
-IRLP nodes, shared monitoring or DNS services, research collaborations, repeater linking systems, and community experimentation platforms.
 }}
 {{SectionCard|
-==== Create Something New ====
+=== DNS ===
-Some participants begin by building something new on their own: a reachable host, a local RF deployment, an experimental network, or an open hardware project. Many parts of 44Net running today started as something one person built for themselves.
+Give your systems names under ampr.org or delegate DNS to your own servers.
-===== Examples: =====
+[[DNS|DNS options and setup →]]
-New club networks, independent routing experiments, novel services, or radio-linked systems exploring new technical ideas.
 }}
 }}
 }}
-== How People Connect ==
+{{Section|
-When an operator is ready to run their own system, they choose a connectivity approach that fits their project, request address space, and get building.
+== See what people are building ==
+Explore remote stations, club services, radio networks, and experiments built by 44Net participants. Find ideas for your own project, learn from other operators’ work, or find out how you can contribute yourself.
-{{Section|variant=secondary|
-=== Common ways projects connect ===
-{{SectionLayout|min=16rem|gap=0.75rem|
-{{SectionCard|
-==== 44Net Connect ====
-A WireGuard-based approach that uses secure tunnels over existing Internet links to bring 44Net to common, modern devices. Developed and maintained by volunteers with support from ARDC.
-[[44Net Connect|Learn more about 44Net Connect →]]
+[[What People Build|Explore participant projects →]]
 }}
-{{SectionCard|
+{{Section|variant=secondary|
-==== IPIP Mesh ====
+=== Already participating? ===
-A community-operated overlay network built with IP-in-IP tunnels, allowing independently run systems to interconnect across the Internet. It’s a living descendant of the original AMPRNet packet networks.
+[https://portal.ampr.org/ Open the Portal] to manage your account, assignments, and records.
-[[GetStarted#Get_Started_with_IPIP_Mesh|Get Started with IPIP Mesh →]]
+[[:Category:Device and platform guides|Setup guides]] · [[Get Help|Troubleshooting and help]] · [[Community|Community discussions]] · [[Contributing|Contribute to this Wiki]]
-}}
-{{SectionCard|
-==== BGP-Announced Subnet ====
-Projects integrate directly with the Internet’s global routing system by announcing 44Net subnets via BGP. Groups with ASNs, upstream peers, or datacenter facilities join the core of the Internet this way.
-[[GetStarted#Get_Started_with_BGP-Announced_Subnets|Get Started with BGP-Announced Subnets →]]
-}}
-}}
 }}
-== A Culture of Experimentation ==
+== About 44Net ==
-Net is meant to be used and explored. Experimenting, learning, and occasionally changing direction are normal parts of participation. Many operators start with a small idea just to see what happens. Some of those ideas have grown into long-running projects that still serve the community today.
+[[ARDC|ARDC]] administers the 44Net address space and supports amateur networking through infrastructure, services, and project support. Participants operate their own systems and networks, including independent projects with their own teams and ways to get involved.
-Some projects naturally conclude once operators have explored their ideas. If a project winds down, returning or exchanging a subnet is straightforward, and operators are always welcome to try something new later. You do not need a fully formed plan before you begin. Trying something new is part of participation — just return the space when you are finished so others can try their ideas too.
-== Shared Stewardship ==
-ARDC maintains the address space and the core infrastructure that keeps 44Net available over time. Participants help care for the network by building things, keeping them running, and supporting one another’s work. In keeping with amateur radio tradition, operators have wide freedom to experiment, provided they help protect the resource and use it thoughtfully so others can build and explore as well.
-To learn more about how decisions are made or how to take part, see [[About 44Net]], [[Governance]], [[Policies]], and [[Contributing]].
-== Before Connecting ==
-Net supports non-commercial projects and is maintained as a community service. Participation generally requires an amateur radio operating license, and community expectations are similar to those of other amateur radio activities. To learn more about eligibility, see [[Eligibility|Learn how eligibility works]].
-== Further Reading ==
-'''Ways to keep learning:'''
-* Understand history and stewardship: [[About 44Net|About 44Net]]
-* Explore examples and existing efforts: [[What People Build|What People Build on 44Net]]
-* Learn how connectivity approaches compare: [[Ways to Connect|Ways to Connect]]
-'''More ways to participate:'''
-* Join or contribute to community projects: [[Contributing|Ways to Participate]]
-* Start your own project: [[GetStarted|Getting Started]]
-* Dive deeper into infrastructure topics: [[DNS|DNS and naming]] and [[Routing|Routing and connectivity]]
-== Joining the Discussion ==
-You do not need a project or subnet to participate in 44Net. Many people begin just by listening.
-Participants use mailing lists and discussion spaces to compare notes, test ideas, and watch projects take shape in real time. Joining the conversation is often an easy way to start.
+This Wiki explains the available resources and projects and documents how to use them.
-* Subscribe to community discussions: [[Community|Community and Mailing Lists]]
+[[About 44Net|About 44Net and its history →]] · [[Eligibility|Eligibility]] · [[EULA|Terms of use]] · [[Archive|Earlier documentation]]
-* Introduce yourself, ask questions, or follow ongoing projects.
-* See how others are experimenting and collaborating across the network.
-* Listen, ask questions, and share what you learn.
-Net continues to grow through the projects people build and the knowledge they share. If you are licensed and curious, you can start simply by joining the conversation.
+[[Category:Explanation]]
+[[Category:Getting Started]]