{
  "id": 15231745,
  "title": "I found an off-grid open source VPN, and it's amazing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/i-found-an-off-grid-open-source-vpn-and-its-amazing",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-17T16:15:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "XDA Developers",
    "slug": "xda-developers",
    "url": "https://www.xda-developers.com/i-found-an-off-grid-open-source-vpn-and-its-amazing/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An off-grid, open-source VPN has been discovered, and it's quite impressive. The traditional internet operates on a set of networking stacks, but there are alternative ways to communicate digitally. One such method is Reticulum, an open-source, cryptography-based network stack. It can work with various transmission mediums, including LoRa radios, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, serial lines, or any other technology that can reliably transmit data.\n\nUnlike traditional networks that use IP addresses for device identification, Reticulum uses destinations defined by cryptographic keys. It doesn't need centralized infrastructure, and communication is secured through end-to-end encryption. Since cryptographic keys identify network nodes, no other identifying information is transmitted across the network, ensuring privacy.\n\nReticulum requires minimal setup, with a simple pip package manager command to install. Once installed, users can access various applications like Nomad Network and Reticulum MeshChat, which enable encrypted communications and messaging, respectively. These apps don't require an internet connection or existing network infrastructure, working independently.\n\nA P2P VPN built on top of the Reticulum mesh network, known as rns-vpn, further enhances security by adding an extra layer of encryption. This VPN allows users to assign static IP addresses to each node in the mesh, preserving Reticulum's privacy-by-design while enabling communication with existing IP-based tools. The configuration file for the VPN contains a list of cryptographic LXMF addresses and assigned IP addresses for the VPN. LXMF addresses, similar to hashes, ensure each node has a unique identifier, even if multiple devices share the same app or device name.\n\nReticulum's simplicity, versatility, and focus on privacy make it a promising solution for various use cases, including disaster recovery, underserved communities, and secure messaging.",
  "summary": "What if setting up your software was the hardest part of networking?",
  "key_points": [
    "Reticulum is an open-source, cryptography-based VPN network stack.",
    "It uses cryptographic keys for device identification, not IP addresses.",
    "rns-vpn, a P2P VPN built on Reticulum, enhances security with extra encryption."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}