OpenMANET Project
OpenMANET is a Raspberry Pi–based MANET (Mobile Ad-Hoc Network) radio built on Wi-Fi HaLow (802.11ah).
It’s designed around Raspberry Pi HATs and currently built specifically for the Seeed HaLow board, with plans to add support for other devices later.
Description
This project aims to provide a flexible HaLow mesh radio using Raspberry Pi hardware and HaLow HATs. A number of optional components are supported; current testing includes the WaveShare 1850 UPS for power and the Panda Wireless PAU06 USB Wi-Fi adapter (additional drivers are included but not yet fully tested).
Note: On most Raspberry Pi models, the onboard Wi-Fi shares the SDIO address with HaLow modules and cannot be used for client networking in this setup. Use a USB Wi-Fi adapter or the Ethernet port on the Raspberry Pi 4 to bridge connectivity.
Roadmap
- Enclosure design
- Investigate USB OTG/Ethernet Gadget mode to allow EUDs to connect without USB-to-Ethernet adapters
- Test batman-adv mesh networking
In Progress
- GPS-based range-testing script using GPSD, logging GPS location, RSSI, and SNR for analysis
- PTT (Push-to-Talk) application so the radio is functional without an EUD
- Support for Seeed HaLow HATs now; other boards will be added later
- Raspberry Pi 3B+ and 2W support
- Testing the GPS module included on the Seeed 40-pin board
Advantages vs. the Seeed image
- Custom BCF configuration increases TX power (≈21 dBm → 27 dBm)
- Newer build than the Seeed image
- Includes 802.11s and batman-adv support
📡 Range Testing
Want to see how OpenMANET performs in the field?
Check out the dedicated Wi-Fi HaLow Range Testing page for detailed results, images, and notes from real-world testing.