Relay Hosts are the “Mesh” in Further Reach’s network.
Further Reach is a community-based network with a social mission to provide fast, highly reliable, and rock-solid Internet service to rural Mendocino County. Our network is tailored to local conditions and focused on community development, filling gaps left by larger, profit-driven ISPs.
Relay Hosts allow us to locate equipment that makes it possible to provide service to their neighbors. We install relay equipment on high points such as trees, hilltops, and tall roofs to provide the necessary line-of-sight connection between the relay antennas and the subscribers in the area. This avoids the conventional approach of cutting large clearings and erecting unsightly communication towers.
We have approximately 150 relay sites hosted by local community members (Relay Hosts). These relay sites are interconnected (meshed) with other relay sites, providing unmatched redundancy and reliability. Relay equipment is typically mounted high in trees, painted, and visually discreet. We follow procedures approved by a licensed arborist and strict safety procedures to ensure that no harm is done to the tree, your property, or our staff.
As a community-based network, our ability to provide service to the many hard-to-reach places in our service area would not be possible without the partnership of relay hosts.
We offer all relay hosts discounted service, a very high level of redundancy, and expedited support. Our equipment uses very little power, about the same as an incandescent light bulb, and has virtually undetectable levels of electromagnetic radiation. We are happy to reimburse for power usage and provide a certificate of insurance to those who request it.
We are looking forward to serving your neighborhood!
TL/DR – For those interested in more detailed information:
In a mesh network, each network node connects directly to multiple other nodes, forming a web-like structure. This creates a network with no central point of failure, where data can be transmitted from and to multiple paths. If one node fails, the network automatically re-routes the data through other nodes. While managing the additional complexity of dynamic routing is challenging, doing so provides a great deal of redundancy, making it quite resilient to failures and disruptions.