Here's another Australian group working on mesh networking for smartphones:

http://www.servalproject.org/

The open source software turns smartphones into HTs -- with routers serving as repeaters.  The WiFi transceivers in smartphones are the weak link since they are presently designed only for short-range WiFi.  If the next generation of those radios can be upgraded to long-range WiFi, it is possible the node to node mesh range can be extended to match the performance of the cell radios in the same phones (miles instead of hundreds of feet).

...Dan K6DPY

Well, it's already on Android Market, and installed on my Pantech Breakout; the truly interesting thing is that it's already set up with OLSR as an option for mesh routing.

in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlDwVhx7miQ the gentleman says he installed the daemon onto the palm and its part of the mesh.

there should be an allstar app

What is the name of the Android app?

Sorry I found it.  Very cool SW!  I need to try it out with the wifes phone.

I have not found an android app For Ham-mesh. Is there such a beast that I could download. I did find The serval app but i am wondering if there is a ham-mesh app that would make your cell phone into a node.

thanks in Advance.

Bill

There's no HSMM-MESH app for android.  It's unlikely there will be an HSMM-MESH program for anything other than stand alone routers any time soon.

There are a number of other mesh projects.   This thread was about the Serval project.  Check the first post.  Serval is not related to or compatible with HSMM-MESH

The free opinions of what's legal here are pretty worthless.  Off the cuff, I can't tell you any particular reason why it would be illegal. 

From a technical standpoint:

1) It's not going to connect wirelessly to the HSMM-MESH system.

2) If you somehow got a Serval mesh connected to a wired Ethernet plug, and connected that plug to one of the ports on a HSMM WRT54, you might be able to configure some useful connections, but it would probably take a lot of tinkering. 

If you got it connected, you would probably not have the two networks "meshed" meshed together.  You might be able to use Serval to provide an internet link to the HSMM side or vice versa.  The most likely scenario would be something like a home router setup with something like a one way NAT connection.

I know almost nothing about Serval, but I have some idea of the limitations on what HSMM can do. 

Well, you can debate "related," but they're not compatible in the sense that they won't connect to each other wirelessly. 

The only device an HSMM mesh node will connect to wirelessly is another HSMM mesh nodes.

Some of this is by deliberate design.  Some of this is simply that two networks have to do a LOT of configuration to mesh together.  Even if two different networks both use OLSR, there's still a lot of configuration necessary to make all the computers on the network capable of working with each other.

The biggest value add of HSMM-MESH is the configuration that goes on top of OLSR to make things work seamlessly. 

The wired ethernet ports will connect to non-HSMM devices, but it's not designed to "mesh" with other networks over these ports.

~

GEEZ, I hate the GUI editor this board uses.  After fighting it for a while, it ate my post. 

The best way to learn is by doing.   Have you set up a network?  Get some WRT54GLs (Check the compatible hardware list)  and put the non-HSMM OLSR on them. Set up a network and use it.

Set up your Serval network and use it.  Then connect the two. 

Then do the same with HSMM.  There's nothing sacred about HSMM.  It's probably the closet you'll get right now to "follow the instructions and you'll have a network."

The WNDW book is probably the best "Mesh for Beginners" reference right now, although it's not about HSMM in particular.

BTW, I'm not one of the developers, just a user.