The CityMesh Testbed #
This testbed consists of a network of wireless access points deployed across multiple locations on the MIT campus. These nodes are configured to communicate exclusively with each other, forming an isolated wireless mesh network. Their primary purpose is to evaluate packet loss rates and assess communication reliability indoors over a wide area.
Overview #
- The access points do not collect any information on Wi-Fi traffic or usage.
- The access points work together to form a private, isolated Wi-Fi network and only communicate with each other over this network.
- We are experimenting with routing algorithms for mesh networks. These experiments will last through the end of 2025.
Data Collection #
Devices transmit and receive small packets on a private mesh network. We measure the performance of the mesh by detecting when each access point receives and transmits the packets of our experimental routing protocols. There is no logging of packets beyond this private mesh network.
Devices #
We are deploying the Hak5 Wi-Fi Pineapple as the access points in our network. These APs are running a custom version of OpenWRT. This hardware is ideal as it contains multiple 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi radios that are independently configurable with open source driver support.
Although marketed as a penetration testing tool, our Pineapples have had all of these tools stripped out of their firmware and only run code necessary to measure the performance of our wireless mesh network.
Contact Us #
For any questions or concerns regarding the testbed deployment, please reach out to: citymesh@csail.mit.edu.