Haven MANET IP Mesh Radio
Build decentralized, long-range mesh networks with Haven — a complete open-source solution for creating self-healing IP networks that share internet access across kilometers without any central infrastructure.
What is Haven?
Haven is a mesh networking platform that combines:
- HaLow radios (802.11ah) operating in sub-1GHz spectrum for multi-kilometer range
- BATMAN-adv for automatic Layer 2 mesh routing
- OpenWrt-based firmware for reliable embedded networking: OpenMANET on Haven 1 / Pi 4, and the Pi 5 OpenWrt/Morse image on Haven 2
- USB sidecar support for LoRa radios, RTL-SDR, and other peripherals
- Optional ADS-B to CoT for aircraft tracking in TAK
- Optional Reticulum for encrypted overlay communications
- Optional ATAK/CivTAK integration for situational awareness
Why Haven?
| Feature |
Benefit |
| Decentralized |
No central server, no single point of failure |
| Long Range |
1-10+ km node-to-node with HaLow radios |
| Self-Healing |
Automatic route discovery and failover |
| Internet Sharing |
One uplink serves the entire mesh |
| Fully Open Source |
No proprietary lock-in, audit everything |
| Multi-hop |
Traffic routes through intermediate nodes |
| Low Power |
Sub-1GHz radios are power efficient |
| Expandable |
USB peripherals: LoRa sidecars, SDR, cellular |
Hardware
Haven runs on two platforms. Both use the same mesh protocol and interoperate fully.
Haven 1 (Raspberry Pi 4 / CM4) — Recommended
The current recommended platform. Proven stable in the field.
- SBC: Raspberry Pi 4 Model B or Compute Module 4
- HaLow Radio: Morse Micro MM601X (SPI HAT)
- 2.4GHz WiFi: RT5370 USB adapter (Panda Wireless or similar)
- Platform details: Pi 4 notes
Haven 2 (Raspberry Pi 5) — Experimental
USB-attached HaLow radio with a flexible USB peripheral bus. Still being validated — not yet recommended for production deployments.
- SBC: Raspberry Pi 5 (4GB or 8GB)
- HaLow Radio: Morse Micro MM8108 (USB)
- 2.4GHz WiFi: RT5370 USB adapter (Panda Wireless or similar)
- USB Hub: Recommended for additional peripherals
- Firmware: Requires the Pi 5-specific OpenWrt/Morse image, not the Haven 1 / Pi 4 OpenMANET image. Build it from
buildwithparallel/openwrt-morse-rpi5, or download the prebuilt v0.3.0-alpha release.
- Platform details: Pi 5 notes
Haven Nodes
Haven nodes are compact, rugged units built for field deployment. Each node includes HaLow (sub-1GHz) and WiFi radios, USB and power ports, and versatile mounting (GoPro-style bracket and bolt holes).
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 |
 |
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| Handheld |
Vehicle deployment |
Ports and mounting |
Enclosures
The official Haven case for Raspberry Pi-based MANET on Printables is 100% free — public domain: no cost to download, and you may print, modify, and share without restriction. Enclosure design: MOROSX.
Network Architecture
flowchart TB
Internet((Internet / WAN)) -->|uplink| G["Haven GATE — eth0, HaLow mesh, WiFi APs, br-ahwlan, DHCP"]
G ---|"802.11ah sub-1 GHz (typ. 1-10+ km)"| P["Haven POINT — HaLow mesh, WiFi APs, br-ahwlan 10.41.x.x/16"]
P --> C((Phones, laptops, ATAK))
P -.-|"USB sidecar (optional)"| L((LoRa / Reticulum))
G -.-|"RTL-SDR (optional)"| A((ADS-B aircraft tracking))
Quick Start
All Haven setup scripts assume each node is flashed with fresh firmware for its hardware. Haven 1 / Raspberry Pi 4 or CM4 nodes use OpenMANET. Haven 2 / Raspberry Pi 5 nodes require the Pi 5-specific OpenWrt/Morse firmware built from buildwithparallel/openwrt-morse-rpi5, or downloaded from the v0.3.0-alpha release. Do not flash the Haven 1 / Pi 4 OpenMANET image onto a Haven 2 / Pi 5 node.
Flash the image onto a microSD card using Raspberry Pi Imager, insert it into the node, and power on. If the card still looks like it has old data after flashing, use Raspberry Pi Imager’s Erase (or SD format/erase utility) on the card first, then write the image.
| Step |
What |
How |
| 1 |
Set up the Gate node |
Flash platform firmware → run first-boot / mesh wizard → plug into router → SSH in → run setup script → Setup Guide |
| 2 |
Add Point nodes |
Plug into laptop, paste setup script → Setup Guide |
| 3 |
ADS-B to CoT (optional) |
Aircraft tracking in TAK via RTL-SDR → ADS-B |
| 4 |
Reticulum (optional) |
Apps on your phone/laptop (Sideband, MeshChat) on Haven WiFi → Reticulum |
| 5 |
ATAK Bridge (optional) |
Situational awareness → ATAK |
| 6 |
LoRa sidecar (optional) |
USB LoRa MCU for Reticulum → Tested devices |
After any step, use LuCI’s web interface to change passwords, WiFi SSIDs, and other settings. See Finding & Accessing Nodes to reach each node.
The defaults below are for first boot only. Change the root password and WiFi credentials in LuCI before you rely on this in the field.
Default root credentials and WiFi (first boot)
| Node |
Password |
WiFi SSID |
WiFi Password |
| Gate (green) |
havengreen |
green |
greengreen |
| Point (blue) |
havenblue |
blue |
blueblue |
Documentation
| Document |
What it covers |
| Docs home (sitemap) |
Where everything lives: getting started, reference, runbooks, advanced |
| Setup Guide |
Step-by-step: gate setup, point nodes, Reticulum, ATAK |
| Finding & Accessing Nodes |
How to find node IPs and reach LuCI |
| Pi 5 Notes |
Haven 2 platform specifics, known issues, fixes |
| Pi 4 Notes |
Haven 1 platform specifics |
| Tested USB Devices |
LoRa boards, WiFi adapters, SDR — tested and working |
| OpenWrt Build Packages |
Recommended packages for custom firmware builds |
| HaLow Reference |
Radio specs, channel widths, MCS tables, software versions |
| Troubleshooting |
Mental model, diagnostics, fix checklists |
| Range Optimization |
Antenna selection, TX power, channel width tuning |
| Reticulum |
Encrypted overlay communications |
| ATAK Bridge |
ATAK/CivTAK situational awareness over Reticulum |
| ADS-B to CoT |
Aircraft tracking in TAK via RTL-SDR |
| Scripts |
Script reference and Reticulum demo tools |
| AI Agents |
Context for AI agents (Claude, Cursor, etc.) to diagnose and fix your mesh |
Use Cases
- Disaster Response: Deploy mesh networks where infrastructure is damaged
- Remote Operations: Connect sites across kilometers without internet
- Events: Temporary networks for large gatherings
- Maritime: Ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications
- Agriculture: Connect sensors and equipment across large properties
- Community Networks: Neighborhood internet sharing
Security
| Layer |
Protection |
| HaLow Mesh |
WPA3 SAE (CCMP) - strongest WiFi encryption |
| Reticulum |
Curve25519 + AES-128 end-to-end encryption |
| ATAK |
Optional additional encryption |
- Haven Guide - Complete build guide with videos
- Discord - Join the community (link in Haven Guide)
- Direct Support - Available through Parallel
Contributing
Contributions welcome. Examples:
License
MIT License - See LICENSE file.
Acknowledgments
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