Getting Started

The easiest way to get started is to get a Microtik hAP ac³ (for about $175) or a Microtik hAP AC Lite (for about $90). The ac³ is better, but it's bigger and more expensive.

Once flashed with the AREDN firmware, the hAP will use the 5.8 GHz band as regular wifi for your computer to connect to, and the 2.4 GHz band can optionally be used to mesh with other hAPs nearby. Realistically, the hAP is not useful to make long distance links since it would require an external antenna. But it is useful to tunnel to others on the network via the internet to get started with the system. By default, the five Ethernet ports are configured like so:

Port 1	WAN	Connects into your home router to feed internet to the hAP
Ports 2 – 4	LAN	Connect computers, IP phones, etc to the hAP
Port 5	dtdlink	Connect an AREDN dish, or multiple AREDN devices via a switch

For example, see:

Flashing the hAP

Follow the instructions from the AREDN documentation.

Initial Setup

Read about Encryption before connecting your node to others.

Tunneling

How to tunnel to other nodes

Updating

Every few months, a new stable firmware version comes out. Updating devices is pretty easy, but there are a few steps to follow.