Revision as of 19:13, 19 February 2026

44Net provides publicly routable IP address space for amateur radio operators who want to build, experiment, and operate their own networked systems, from a single reachable host to routed network infrastructure

44Net is a shared pool of Internet address space set aside for experimentation, learning, and community-built infrastructure. It lets individuals and groups run systems that are directly reachable on the Internet using a stable public address, just like traditional Internet hosts and services.

People come to 44Net with a variety of goals. Some want a single system online and reachable; others build shared infrastructure, regional networks, or long‑running technical projects. 44Net participants have a wide range of technical interests and skill levels, from beginners to experienced network operators.

This page focuses on getting connected and finding your way around. For history, governance, and stewardship of the network, see About 44Net.

Three Ways to Connect

44Net is not a single product or service. It is shared infrastructure that people can employ in different ways, depending on their goals. 44Net IP addresses and subnets are accessible in three main ways:

IPIP Mesh

Best for: linking systems through the community tunnel mesh.
Need: basic host and tunnel setup.
Get Started with IPIP Mesh

44Net Connect (WireGuard)

Best for: fastest first setup on your own computer.
Need: WireGuard and a portal-issued config.
Get Started with 44Net Connect

BGP-Announced Subnet

Best for: operators announcing and routing their own subnet.
Need: routing knowledge and network equipment.
Get Started with BGP-Announced Subnets

You do not need routing experience to begin. Most people start with 44Net Connect and move to other approaches only if their projects require it.

Why Use 44Net

44Net removes a few common obstacles that make experimentation harder on today’s Internet:

Your systems can be directly reachable without negotiating NAT or ISP limitations.
Projects can start small and grow naturally into multi‑host or multi‑site networks.
You can work with real routing, naming, and services in an environment intended for learning and experimentation.

Nothing about 44Net requires large infrastructure. Many participants begin with a single machine and expand only if they want to.

What People Build on 44Net

Personal station and home services

Remote access to stations, self-hosted services, and always-reachable endpoints

Club and shared infrastructure

Repeaters, gateways, and group-operated systems with stable public addressing

Routed and experimental networks

Tunnel meshes, inter-site links, and BGP-operated subnets for advanced operators

See What People Build on 44Net for more examples and build paths.

Stewardship and Participation

44Net is operated through a mix of community participation and organizational stewardship. ARDC provides long‑term care of the address space and supporting infrastructure, while participants build and operate their own systems and help one another.

If you are interested in how decisions are made or how to participate more deeply, see About 44Net, Governance, Policies, and Contributing.

Status of this Documentation

This documentation is actively evolving. Some areas are well established, while others are being reorganized or expanded as new tools and participation models develop.

Next Steps

If you are ready to continue, these are common next steps:

Choose your first path and get connected: Getting started
Compare path fit before you configure anything: Ways to Connect
Sign in and manage requests: Portal sign-in
Understand context and stewardship: About 44Net
Explore use cases and examples: What People Build on 44Net
Build and operate your network: DNS and naming and Routing and connectivity
Contributing knowledge, tools, or support: How to get involved

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{DISPLAYTITLE:44Net: Public IP Space for Amateur Radio Operators}}
-{{Lead|44Net gives licensed amateur radio operators access to public, globally routable IP addresses, so they can build and operate real systems on the open Internet.}}
+{{Lead|44Net provides publicly routable IP address space for amateur radio operators who want to build, experiment, and operate their own networked systems, from a single reachable host to routed network infrastructure}}
 [[File:Network_map_illustration.png|thumb|right|400px|class=mw-thumb-card|44Net IP addresses are globally routable, enabling direct connectivity on the public Internet.]]
-'''44Net''' exists so individuals and groups can learn, experiment, and run services using directly reachable IP addresses, free of the constraints of NAT or consumer-grade Internet service.
+'''44Net''' is a shared pool of Internet address space set aside for experimentation, learning, and community-built infrastructure. It lets individuals and groups run systems that are directly reachable on the Internet using a stable public address, just like traditional Internet hosts and services.
-On 44Net, participants work directly with the connective tissue of the Internet as builders, not just users.
+People come to 44Net with a variety of goals. Some want a single system online and reachable; others build shared infrastructure, regional networks, or long‑running technical projects. 44Net participants have a wide range of technical interests and skill levels, from beginners to experienced network operators.
-The network traces its roots to 1981, when Hank Magnuski asked Jon Postel for IP address space to support amateur packet radio networking, at a time when the Internet was still taking shape in text files on university minicomputers. As the Internet has evolved, 44Net has grown through decades of technical and community stewardship into a worldwide federation of community networks.
+This page focuses on getting connected and finding your way around. For history, governance, and stewardship of the network, see [[About 44Net]].
-Today, 44Net continues to be built and operated by its participants, with the support of [https://www.ardc.net Amateur Radio Digital Communicatons (ARDC)].
-For an inside look at how 44Net came to be, see [https://archive.org/details/youtube-MQVyJUjmfZc The 44Net Origin Story], a series of conversations with people who were there.
 {{CardRow|
-  | title = Where to Start
+  | title = Three Ways to Connect
   | 1 =
-{{Card|New to 44Net|[[GetStarted|Getting started]]}}
+Net is not a single product or service. It is shared infrastructure that people can employ in different ways, depending on their goals. 44Net IP addresses and subnets are accessible in three main ways:
+{{Card
+  |IPIP Mesh
+  |Best for: linking systems through the community tunnel mesh.<br>Need: basic host and tunnel setup.<br>[[GetStarted#Get_Started_with_IPIP_Mesh|Get Started with IPIP Mesh]]
+}}
-{{Card|Already signed up|[[DNS|DNS and naming]]<br>[[Routing|Routing and connectivity]]}}
+{{Card
+  |44Net Connect (WireGuard)
+  |Best for: fastest first setup on your own computer.<br>Need: WireGuard and a portal-issued config.<br>[[GetStarted#Get_Started_with_44Net_Connect|Get Started with 44Net Connect]]
+}}
-{{Card|Getting involved|[[Policies]]<br>[[Governance]]<br>[[Contributing]]}}
+{{Card
+  |BGP-Announced Subnet
+  |Best for: operators announcing and routing their own subnet.<br>Need: routing knowledge and network equipment.<br>[[GetStarted#Get_Started_with_BGP-Announced_Subnets|Get Started with BGP-Announced Subnets]]
+}}
 }}
+You do not need routing experience to begin. Most people start with 44Net Connect and move to other approaches only if their projects require it.
+= Why Use 44Net =
+Net removes a few common obstacles that make experimentation harder on today’s Internet:
+* Your systems can be directly reachable without negotiating NAT or ISP limitations.
+* Projects can start small and grow naturally into multi‑host or multi‑site networks.
+* You can work with real routing, naming, and services in an environment intended for learning and experimentation.
+Nothing about 44Net requires large infrastructure. Many participants begin with a single machine and expand only if they want to.
 = What People Build on 44Net =
@@ Line 30: / Line 48: @@
    | 1 =
 {{CardGrid_Card|
-   | heading = Personal and home infrastructure
+   | heading = Personal station and home services
-   | body = Remote access to home stations, self-hosted services, and project sites
+   | body = Remote access to stations, self-hosted services, and always-reachable endpoints
-}}
-{{CardGrid_Card|
-  | heading = Shared radio and emergency systems
-  | body = Networked repeaters, gateways, and public-service communications
-}}
-{{CardGrid_Card|
-  | heading = Community networks
-  | body = Club, makerspace, and local group infrastructure
 }}
 {{CardGrid_Card|
-   | heading = RF and point-to-point links
+   | heading = Club and shared infrastructure
-   | body = VHF, UHF, and microwave links across regions and between sites
+   | body = Repeaters, gateways, and group-operated systems with stable public addressing
 }}
 {{CardGrid_Card|
-   | heading = Overlay and experimental networks
+   | heading = Routed and experimental networks
-   | body = VPNs, tunnels, mesh systems, and testbeds
+   | body = Tunnel meshes, inter-site links, and BGP-operated subnets for advanced operators
 }}
 }}
-For more detailed examples and case studies, see [[What People Build|What People Build on 44Net]].
+See [[What People Build|What People Build on 44Net]] for more examples and build paths.
 = Stewardship and Participation =
-Net is sustained through a combination of volunteer effort, shared norms, and institutional support. Most of the network’s day-to-day work — from maintaining infrastructure to helping new participants — is carried out by members of the community.
+Net is operated through a mix of community participation and organizational stewardship. ARDC provides long‑term care of the address space and supporting infrastructure, while participants build and operate their own systems and help one another.
-ARDC provides resources, legal and fiduciary stewardship, and staff support. Within that framework, participants are responsible for building, operating, and caring for their own systems, and for working cooperatively with others who share the network.
-Policies and guidelines are developed and maintained in the open, drawing on community experience and evolving operational practice. While many reflect long-standing norms, others are still being refined as the network grows and new use cases emerge. ARDC provides continuity and institutional oversight, helping ensure that this process remains fair, consistent, and aligned with the network’s long-term sustainability.
-Participation in 44Net takes many forms: running services, maintaining documentation, mentoring new users, contributing technical expertise, and helping coordinate shared projects. All of these forms of work are valued and necessary to the health of the network.
+If you are interested in how decisions are made or how to participate more deeply, see [[About 44Net]], [[Governance]], [[Policies]], and [[Contributing]].
 = Status of this Documentation =
-This wiki is under active reconstruction as part of an ongoing effort to improve clarity, organization, and coverage. Some pages are incomplete, outdated, or in transition as this work progresses.
+This documentation is actively evolving. Some areas are well established, while others are being reorganized or expanded as new tools and participation models develop.
-Foundational guides, portal documentation, and operational references are being developed in stages. For now, this page serves as a pointer to current, maintained resources.
 = Next Steps =
-If this page has helped you orient yourself, these are good ways to continue:
+If you are ready to continue, these are common next steps:
-* Getting connected and claiming address space: [[GetStarted|Getting started]] and [https://portal.ampr.org/ Portal sign-in]
+* Choose your first path and get connected: [[GetStarted|Getting started]]
-* Building and operating your network: [[DNS|DNS and naming]] and [[Routing|Routing and connectivity]]
+* Compare path fit before you configure anything: [[Ways to Connect|Ways to Connect]]
-* Exploring current documentation and resources: [[Home|Wiki index]]
+* Sign in and manage requests: [https://portal.ampr.org/ Portal sign-in]
+* Understand context and stewardship: [[About 44Net|About 44Net]]
+* Explore use cases and examples: [[What People Build|What People Build on 44Net]]
+* Build and operate your network: [[DNS|DNS and naming]] and [[Routing|Routing and connectivity]]
 * Contributing knowledge, tools, or support: [[Contributing|How to get involved]]