Offline and mesh networking terms
Plain-language definitions and standards explainers for how devices communicate without the internet: mesh transports, encryption, identity, and the standards they are measured against. 35 terms, in five groups.
Core concepts8
Offline mesh networkingDevices communicating directly over local radios with no internet, cell tower, or router.→Offline-first architectureBuilding software that treats no connectivity as the normal case and syncs opportunistically.→Local-first softwareKeeping the primary copy of data on the device, working offline, and syncing when possible.→Peer-to-peer networkDevices connecting directly as equals, with no central server mediating traffic.→Multi-hop relayReaching destinations beyond radio range by forwarding through intermediate devices.→Store-and-forwardHolding a message until a path to the destination appears, then forwarding it.→Service discoveryFinding and invoking devices’ services on a network, with no central registry.→Mesh topologyA network layout with redundant paths that reroutes around failures.→
Transports and radios10
Bluetooth LE meshConnecting low-power BLE devices into a relaying network.→WiFi DirectConnecting two devices over WiFi directly, with no access point or router.→WiFi AwareNeighbor Awareness Networking: nearby devices discovering and exchanging data directly.→MultipeerConnectivityApple’s deprecated framework for connecting nearby Apple devices over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.→LoRaLong-range, low-power radio for small data, and how it differs from a phone mesh.→ZigbeeA low-power 802.15.4 mesh for home automation, and how it compares to a phone mesh.→NFCNear Field Communication: very short-range tap-to-exchange, contrasted with mesh transports.→ESP-NOWEspressif’s connectionless protocol for short frames between ESP32 chips with no access point.→ReticulumA cryptography-based networking stack that runs over LoRa, packet radio, serial, and IP.→NostrAn open protocol for publishing key-signed events to relays over WebSockets.→
Related concepts8
CRDTA data structure that lets devices edit shared data offline and merge without conflicts.→Delay-tolerant networkingStoring, carrying, and forwarding data across intermittent links with no continuous path.→Opportunistic networkingRouting that exploits intermittent contacts between mobile devices to deliver data.→GPS spoofingFeeding a receiver false satellite signals, and why topology-based routing helps.→Signal jammingBlocking a frequency with radio noise, and how multi-transport failover adds resilience.→Proof of locationEvidence from parties other than a device that it was at a place and time.→mDNS and DNS-SDFinding devices and services on one local network with no DNS server.→MQTTPublish and subscribe messaging through a broker, with three delivery guarantees.→
Security and identity6
MLS protocol (RFC 9420)The IETF standard for end-to-end encrypted group messaging.→Ed25519A fast, compact public-key signature scheme for offline, server-free verification.→Self-sovereign identityAn identity the holder owns as a device keypair, verified locally with no server.→Trust-on-first-usePinning a peer’s key on first contact and flagging any later change.→AGPL-3.0A copyleft license whose network clause shares source with users of a modified version.→Monthly active user (MAU)A unique user active at least once in a calendar month, and how it is counted for billing.→
