Reticulum (networking)
Comment: I'm pretty skeptical if the article is notable (XDA is now a Valnet site), but at the very least it unquestionably fails WP:INDISCRIMINATE. ᴢxᴄᴠʙɴᴍ (ᴛ) 10:15, 7 August 2026 (UTC)
| Protocol stack | |
| Purpose | Create decentralized networks |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Mark Qvist |
| Introduction | 2016 |
| Website | reticulum |
Reticulum is a networking protocol that allows for the creation of networks without any centralized authority. It is designed to be more resilient than TCP/IP, with a focus on privacy and encryption.[1] Instead of IP addresses, Reticulum uses cryptographic keys to identify devices on a network.[2][3]
In this context, Reticulum may also refer to the Reticulum Network Stack (RNS), which is the reference implementation of the Reticulum protocol. This implementation is written in Python.[2]
Interfaces
Reticulum can operate over a variety of different interfaces, including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, LoRa, and serial.[2] It can also operate over existing TCP/IP and I2P networks.[4] Packet radio is another supported interface.[5]
For communication over LoRa, an RNode can be used. An RNode is a radio transceiver running the RNode software, allowing it to act as a network adapter for other devices.[6] Because of its ability to make use of LoRa for communication, Reticulum is often compared to Meshtastic.[4]
Notable Characteristics
While Reticulum solves the same problem that any network stack does, namely to get data reliably from one point to another over a number of intermediaries, it does so in a way that is very different from other networking technologies.
- Reticulum does not use source addresses. No packets transmitted include information about the address, place, machine or person they originated from.
- There is no central control over the address space in Reticulum. Anyone can allocate as many addresses as they need, when they need them.
- Reticulum ensures end-to-end connectivity. Newly generated addresses become globally reachable in a matter of seconds to a few minutes.
- Addresses are self-sovereign and portable. Once an address has been created, it can be moved physically to another place in the network, and continue to be reachable.
- All communication is secured with strong, modern encryption by default.
- All encryption keys are ephemeral, and communication offers forward secrecy by default.
- It is not possible to establish unencrypted links in Reticulum networks.
- It is not possible to send unencrypted packets to any destinations in the network.
- Destinations receiving unencrypted packets will drop them as invalid.
See also
- Meshtastic
- MeshCore
References
- ↑ Gault, Matthew; Bode, Karl (2022-03-31). "This Prepper Is Building a Post-Apocalyptic Internet". Vice. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Rice-Jones, Joe (2025-10-15). "I found an off-grid open source VPN, and it's amazing". XDA. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ Horsey, Julian (2026-02-23). "Internet, Reinvented: Reticulum Networking Bridges Radios, Wi-Fi & Ethernet". Geeky Gadgets. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Budington, Bill (2025-07-16). "Radio Hobbyists, Rejoice! Good News for LoRa & Mesh". Electronic Frontier Foundation. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ "'Reticulum Network Stack' is an encryption-complete system that builds a unique network using any wireless device, including packet radio and WiFi". Gigazine. 2026-01-20. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
- ↑ Rowntree, Dave (2024-03-18). "RNODE: A Portable Unrestricted Digital Radio". Hackaday. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
External links
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