44Net Main Page
44Net is a community of licensed amateur radio operators building and connecting real networks using shared public address space.
44Net in brief
44Net makes publicly reachable networking available for experimentation and learning. Amateur radio operators and groups use it to run systems that are directly accessible from the Internet using stable public IP addresses.
The resource that makes this possible is a block of over 12 million IP addresses tracing its origins to early packet radio. Today, Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) maintains the address space in service to the community. See About 44Net for background and history.
What people build
People use 44Net in many ways. Some run a single system; others collaborate on shared projects or build independent networks. There is no single “right” way to participate.
Projects vary in scale and technical depth, from individual servers and stations to regional networks and volunteer-run independent systems.
Individual projects
Remote station operation, self-hosted services, cloud services with BYOIP .
Examples:
Club networks, linked repeaters, and services for the wider community.
Examples:
Autonomous networks
Multi-site links, resilient backbones, and globally-routed independent systems.
Examples:
See What People Build on 44Net for more examples.
How people participate
People arrive at 44Net by joining an existing project, contributing to a shared effort, or creating something new of their own.
Anyone interested can join one of the mailing lists to follow what people are actively doing with 44Net.
Common paths into 44Net
Join a network
Many participants begin by joining an existing project. Regional RF networks, overlay networks, and other volunteer-run systems offer ways to learn and practice.
Examples:
Local packet and microwave networks, regional mesh projects, and shared access systems operated by volunteer groups.
Others participate by contributing to an active project. Technicians, designers, tower climbers, and system administrators — time and skills are always in demand.
Examples:
IRLP nodes, shared monitoring or DNS services, research collaborations, repeater linking systems, and community experimentation platforms.
Create something new
Some participants begin by building systems or tools of their own. Many parts of 44Net running today started as something one person built that others found useful.
Examples:
New club networks, independent routing experiments, novel services, or radio-linked systems exploring new technical ideas.
How people connect
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.
Common ways projects connect
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.
IPIP Mesh
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.
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.
A culture of experimentation
44Net is meant to be explored. Many operators begin with a small experiment and discover new ideas along the way. Projects may grow, change direction, or conclude entirely. Returning address space when a project ends keeps the resource available for others to try something new.
ARDC maintains the address space and supporting infrastructure, while participants steward the network by building systems, maintaining projects, and supporting one another. As with amateur radio, wide freedom to experiment comes with shared responsibility to care for the resource and keep it useful for future builders.
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 starting
44Net is maintained as a community service for non-commercial projects and generally requires an amateur radio operating license. Community expectations follow amateur radio traditions. To learn more about eligibility, see Learn how eligibility works.
Further reading
- About 44Net: Understand history and stewardship
- What People Build on 44Net: Project examples
- Ways to Provision 44Net: Get 44Net on your device or network.
Joining the discussion
You do not need a project or subnet to start. Many people begin just by listening.
- Community and Mailing Lists: Subscribe to community discussions
- Introduce yourself or follow ongoing projects.
- See what others are building, and share ideas of your own.