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44Net supports non-commercial projects and is maintained as a community service Participation generally requires an amateur radio operating license. | 44Net supports non-commercial projects and is maintained as a community service. Participation generally requires an amateur radio operating license. | ||
[[Eligibility|Learn how eligibility works →]] | [[Eligibility|Learn how eligibility works →]] | ||
Revision as of 17:42, 20 February 2026
44Net is a community of licensed amateur radio operators connecting systems and operating networks using shared, publicly routable IPv4 address space.
44Net in Brief
44Net provides publicly routable IPv4 address space for experimentation and education. Amateur radio operators and groups use it to build systems that are directly reachable on the Internet using stable public addresses.
Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) maintains the address space, while operators and groups shape the network by building systems on it.
The address block traces its origins to the early days of the Internet, when space was set aside for an emerging packet radio network known as "AMPRNet." That legacy continues today; see About 44Net for history and context.
What People Build
Operators put 44Net space to work in different ways. Some connect a single system; others collaborate through shared projects or build networks of their own. There is no single "right" way to participate.
Projects vary widely in scale and technical depth. Participants shape the network by building and sharing, regardless of scope or skillset.
Personal station and home services
Many participants begin by making a single system reachable: a home station operable remotely, a server in the shack or home lab, or a service hosted with a cloud provider that offers bring-your-own-IP.
In Practice:
YO2LOJ maintains a site sharing resources, tools, and information for 44Net users and amateur radio operators.Groups use 44Net to operate shared systems: repeaters, gateways, and services maintained collaboratively and relied on by many operators.
In Practice:
The Internet Radio Linking Project connects repeaters and stations worldwide using publicly reachable systems built on 44Net addresses.Routed and experimental networks
Some participants take on larger projects: site-to-site links, resilient backbones, or independent emergency‑communications networks. Many projects use modern equipment, though plenty use older or repurposed gear.
In Practice:
The CAIDA measurement infrastructure at UC San Diego receives a passive optical feed of global Internet traffic directed to 44Net address space, supporting large‑scale research on Internet traffic patterns and network behavior.See What People Build on 44Net for more examples and build paths.
How People Participate
People engage with 44Net in different ways. A club might use 44Net space to make a repeater controller reachable for remote maintenance. An individual operator might publish a station status page from a home server. A regional group might link microwave sites across a city. Much like repeaters, packet networks, or club infrastructure, projects grow through shared experimentation and volunteer effort.
Many operators discover 44Net while helping with someone else’s project and gradually find themselves running one.
Many participants begin by connecting to an existing network or local effort. Regional RF networks, shared gateways, and other volunteer-run systems provide immediate ways to participate while learning how systems operate in practice.
Examples:
Local packet and microwave networks, regional mesh projects, and shared access systems operated by volunteer groups.Others participate by helping operate systems used by the wider community. These systems depend on volunteers who keep them running and make them better.
Examples:
IRLP nodes, shared monitoring or DNS services, research collaborations, repeater linking systems, and community experimentation platforms.Some participants begin by building something entirely new: a reachable host, a local RF deployment, an experimental network, or a research project. Many long-running parts of 44Net started as one operator trying something out.
Examples:
New club networks, independent routing experiments, novel services, or radio-linked systems exploring new technical ideas.When you’re ready to run your own system, request address space and choose the connectivity approach that fits your project.
A WireGuard-based approach that makes it easy to experiment with publicly reachable services using existing Internet connectivity.
A community-operated mesh built with IP-in-IP tunnels, allowing independently run systems to interconnect across the Internet for experimentation and collaboration.
Projects that operate their own routing infrastructure may announce 44Net address space using BGP, integrating directly with global Internet routing. This is the path for groups already running their own ASN or upstream connections.
A Culture of Experimentation
44Net address space exists to be used. 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.
Some projects naturally conclude once operators have explored the idea. 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 things out is encouraged.
ARDC maintains the address space and the core infrastructure that keeps 44Net available over time. Participants create the network by building and operating their own systems.
Participants practice stewardship by building things, keeping them running, and contributing to healthy dialogue. In keeping with amateur radio tradition, operators have wide freedom to experiment while using the shared space 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 You Connect
44Net supports non-commercial projects and is maintained as a community service. Participation generally requires an amateur radio operating license.
Further Reading
Ways to keep learning:
- Understand history and stewardship: About 44Net
- Explore examples and existing efforts: What People Build on 44Net
- Learn how connectivity approaches compare: Ways to Connect
More ways to participate:
- Join or contribute to community projects: Ways to Participate
- Start your own project: Getting Started
- Dive deeper into infrastructure topics: DNS and naming and Routing and connectivity
Joining the Discussion
You do not need a project or subnet to participate in 44Net. Many people begin by simply listening and asking questions.
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 the easiest way to start.
- Subscribe to community discussions: Community and Mailing Lists
- Introduce yourself, ask questions, or follow ongoing projects
- Learn how others are experimenting and collaborating across the network
You are welcome to listen, ask questions, and share what you’ve learned.
People continue to evolve 44Net through the projects they build and the knowledge they share. If you’re licensed, curious, and ready to try something, there is a place for you here.