skylarmt
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This is version 2.0 of my off-grid computer/radio/network in a box. Many of the core components are the same, but in a bigger box and with a few additions and upgrades, such as standalone AC charging and Meshtastic. For more details about the software and such, see this post: https://imgur.com/gallery/off-grid-computer-radio-wifi-network-box-when-internet-goes-dark-eMErdxf
It's got a full Linux desktop PC (Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny) in a waterproof luggage-size hard case (Harbor Freight Apache 5800). The wireless keyboard is attached with Velcro strips and can be easily moved for better ergonomics.
Powered by a 14 volt 20Ah LiFePO4 battery pack.
Also includes:
* 15.6 inch 1080p touchscreen display
* GPS antenna (top left)
* Industrial LTE/WiFi router (GL-X300B "Collie" from GL.iNet) (antenna array behind the monitor, router under right side of keyboard)
* Gigabit Ethernet switch (under the right hinge)
* Meshtastic node with GPS tracker, independent 18650 battery, and quick-disconnect mount (right of the screen)
* DC to DC battery charger (next to the Ethernet switch)
* AC to DC converter (under the router)
* RTL-SDR radio receiver and telescoping antenna (under left hinge)
The plastic panels are 5mm (0.2in) inch PETG sheets. It's like Plexiglass/acrylic except much easier to work with and almost impossible to crack. They're held on with stainless steel machine screws, which screw into brass threaded holes embedded in 3D printed plastic, which I epoxied into the sides of the box.
Unlike v1 of this build, v2 has no holes in the actual hard case. All ports and screws are completely inside the box, so there's no possible compromise of the watertight seals and no gaskets to worry about.
The fully-offline, no-internet-needed software includes a fully offline map of the planet; Wikipedia, iFixit, and several StackExchange websites; Meshtastic client (modified to use locally-hosted map data instead of the cloud), SDR radio receiver, and the entire Debian Linux package archive, so software can be added and removed as needed without Internet. While the Internet still exists, the package archive is automatically updated nightly. Check out build version 1.0 for more details on the software: https://imgur.com/gallery/off-grid-computer-radio-wifi-network-box-when-internet-goes-dark-eMErdxf
Battery cutoff switch at top. Right behind and below it is the fuse/power distribution box. Only three fuses are used; the other three slots are occupied with spare fuses.
DC power output: 2x USB-A, 2x USB-C (1x 65 watts, 1x 30 watts), car accessory socket, and 2x Anderson PowerPoles.
Power input: 1x Anderson PowerPole (DC), 1x male NEMA 15 plug (120v AC).
Can accept AC power directly from the wall, or charge via DC (from a car, solar panel, etc) with a PowerPole cable. Battery charges in about 2 hours.
Plugged in and charging from the wall with an extension cord.
VinnyVeritas
That's pretty cool... would you be willing to share your approximate cost to put this together?
mrpink83
Ok, so when you die, where can I find this?
CoreCollective
ePrepper
UnitConversionBot
15.6 inch ≈ 39.62 centimetres
DeathLemons
No cup holder?
JimFromMarketing
So I think about this pretty much monthly since you first posted v1,
I do have a question
One of the most likely causes of a scenario where this would be needed, is a solar flare, just wiping everything out.
Does this protect against that?
TheJurc
The danger from a flare comes from current being induced in the power lines and spiking anything connected to them. If this isn't plugged in at the time, it can't be affected, and if it is then hopefully the fuses will blow and protect the goods. And that is not the most likely scenario where this would be needed, that would be any regular flood/tornado/hurricane/earthquake/fire aftermath.
skylarmt
Yeah, if the box gets hit with a power surge, it's not super likely to damage anything past the AC power supply. And if you are in an EMP zone you won't be needing that particular component for a while!
TheSmellOfWineAndCheapPerfume
I wish I was smart enough to do this
mairusupawa
Oh my, I really need to jump back on completing my Meshtastic project as well.
fireguy1811
Freaking cool! What about EMPs?
hehe3301
CQ CQ CQ
quietwalker
I've always wanted to have/make one of these, but I've never had the time and energy. :(
It's so very cool.
quietwalker
Waiting for someone to respond "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up," or something similar.
Sensiblyinteresting
@op how many memes do ya got saved on that thing?
Shortliv3dGaming
question, why not use a smartphone or tablet for the hardware? I feel like it could be a much smaller foot print ? Just thinking outside the box..
skylarmt
Because then it wouldn't have a full desktop PC processor. A phone would have trouble running the software radio decoding at the same time as the Wikipedia server and the map server and the phone server, etc.
Shortliv3dGaming
right, that would prolly need a lot of horse power. cool.
Shortliv3dGaming
and then just hook it up to all the other extras for connectivity *
ThatHurts
Because it has unserviceable and integrated components from start to finish.
Shortliv3dGaming
ah very true . good point
pipatron
Whoa. Awesome idea, I'm definitely going to make one of these. As a "prepper" (hoarder) I probably have everything necessary already...
pipatron
Actually, maybe I should use my Commodore SX64 case, it's rugged enough!
Eyeetsass
You. Are. Not. Off. Grid. With. A. Computer. And. WiFi.
You are the fucking grid.
IslaNublar
You're gonna want an additional antenna for the RTL-SDR dongle. A basic telescoping antenna is little more than a toy. All the RTL-SDR kits come with one, and I always want to laugh at the fact. If you want some advice from a ham, search eBay for "Roll-up J pole antenna." You'll likely come across a fellow ham selling his DIY ones for around $35. Disclaimer: I have NO connections to him other than having bought at least three of them over the years. They're extremely good quality, and he's...
skylarmt
Yeah, I have a ham license too, this is just the convenient antenna. I have another box with a real ham radio and a CB radio, including a very long wire dipole I made that hangs between two trees or whatever. Fun fact, I can power the radio box from the computer box if I need to!
IslaNublar
Cool, just wanted to make sure. If it's a SHTF box you'd definitely want more than a tiny collapsible antenna for that, heh.
IslaNublar
been selling them for over a decade at this point, tens of thousands of them, and whenever people ask for advice on portable antennas his name almost always comes up. You can fit the antenna rolled up in your case and when you want to deploy it, you connect a weight to some paracord and toss a pull line up over a branch or something, then hoist the antenna. Afterward you can disconnect and pull the paracord back down. This is, of course, assuming you're going with VHF/UHF reception, because...
IslaNublar
you're not getting anything HF or lower on an RTL-SDR dongle without some pricey adaptors and massive antennas to match the frequencies.
CyberHexx
r/Cyberdeck.
skylarmt
Already posted it there hours ago :)
Pishposhbingbong
"This, Jen, is the internet"... but for real. Nice work.
djangojazz
Doomsday Preppers, Pro edition. As a developer that knows hardware a little bit that is badass! Especially the parts on multiple ways to regenerate power. Of course it's Linux because who wants to have Apple or Windows force updates on them in the end times.
EricAirheart
This is beyond my comprehension of technology.
Aspernari
It's not particularly remarkable. They put a computer in a suitcase instead of a laptop in a suitcase. They then added a bunch of Prepper Shit. I agree with all the critiques posted about this.
A Toughbook in a waterproof case with a LTE card and GPS would be far better suited to this particular task. And much more.
But hey, the guy had an idea and decided to run with it.
viva93
dude built a computer with a lot of software downloaded that is available when needed that is updated while connected so in the event the Internet is not available almost concurrent up to date information is available at finger tips.
ParryLost
Indistinguishable from magic.
skylarmt
Nah, it's "just" a computer and a bunch of other things connected together and bolted into a waterproof box.
DrElihuWhipple
oldguyexlurker
Yeah. I actually use a GLi wifi router and the same netgear gigabit switch that are in that case at my desk daily. I use a 2nd of the Gli and switch to travel with a pi I sometimes have to use int he field, and that is on a portable 15.6in screen with portable keyboard and mouse. His box is a neat build. No intricate tech. I actually LIKE that about it.
skylarmt
One of the better features is it's all field-accessible for repair and reconfiguration. Everything is held in with screws, and all the internal power wiring connections are using PowerPoles, there's a not-visible power bar of them that everything plugs into. So if you only need the WiFi hotspot you can connect the battery directly to the router and have everything else 100% off.
admiralawesome4213
But can it run Doom?
Tiggums
Very interesting hardware. How much protection would one need to add to shield against an EMP? I imagine it would add considerable heft/cost?
Not that its the immediate purpose for this, but interested in the idea anyway.
jrntn
Well, building a faraday cage into the container would protect against EMP but of course also render all the connectivity features inert. So I guess a compromise solution could be storing the thing in a separate faraday cage ahead of the apocalypse whenever it's not being updated?
skylarmt
The smaller a device is, the less likely an EMP is to damage it. The real concern with EMP is the power grid, because all those long wires act as antennas to receive the EMP.
xizar
If the 'Net goes down, isn't wifi just going to be additional power drain?
Drenathar
Wifi =/= internet. It's just a wireless networking protocol. In this case, it could be enabled to facilitate data transfers between other devices or provide access to software, map data, media, etc.
Vebrandsson
I'm pretty sure this thing is broadcasting wifi out for others so they can do things like access the maps and Wikipedia info.
ZedArkadia
Most likely the wifi can be disabled if needed. Even without internet, there are use cases for having a local wireless network.
skylarmt
Yeah, remember that this box has a copy of Wikipedia, maps of the entire planet, and (not mentioned in this post, but in the v1 post) a PBX server which can route VoIP calls over WiFi. Basically, any cell phone that can connect to the WiFi from this box can be configured to make and receive telephone calls over the WiFi. In a real long-term disaster, household WiFi routers could be reprogrammed as repeater nodes, extending the range over a larger area.
VeryStableGenius
There's nothing like being alone on a network.
RooGryphon
theres no place like 127.0.0.1
VeryStableGenius
I think I've seen that on a door mat. Maybe I just imagined it, it's getting hard to tell the difference.
vosuraekira
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81+dEvWGszL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
huellbabineaux911
Lol. Well .. I suppose it depends on what you're doing. Distributed computing, maybe.
skylarmt
This is designed to work as the core of an off-grid network. It has mesh communication which covers an entire city, as well as being a WiFi hotspot.
VeryStableGenius
It's a joke, son. Like hiking up into the woods to be all by yourself, on your own network. Get it? Not the brightest, I say, not the brightest knife in the drawer, are ya.
SinStar87
so anyone around would be able connect to it get access to software with like a phone or laptop of their own?
GeofrontTmP
Oh look an EMP blast
skylarmt
EMPs are great at nuking the power grid, but if you had one strong enough to kill a small unplugged computer like this, you're probably also dead. EMPs are dangerous to the grid because power lines are very long and the EM will travel down the wires, getting boosted by more EM as it goes, until it ends up somewhere important (which will probably explode a little bit).
RooGryphon
so lightning or at the very least the effects of a nearby lightning strike? if you are indoors your equipment should be fine same as if it were in a car as well
thisismyumpteenthaccount
How many monies does this cost? It looks expensive
TheMostModestMouse
yes. (joking aside i have no idea and hope OP chimes in)
skylarmt
Around $600 probably, thanks to Aliexpress and eBay and the case being on sale.
skylarmt
Around $600 probably, thanks to Aliexpress and eBay and the case being on sale.
thisismyumpteenthaccount
Thanks!!
TheobromineAddict
Is this useful if nobody else nearby has mesh capability?
Drenathar
It's still a repository of tons of useful information plus a wide band radio transceiver and a machine that could act as the central node of an ad-hoc Wi-Fi or Ethernet network. Meshtastic is really just for tiny data transfers like texts or GPS coordinates, so it's not the backbone of a system like this. Meshtastic nodes are also small and cheap to build, so you could have a handful of them in a system like this and deploy them to friends/family as needed.
gstuttgart
Did you know, you can download all of Wikipedia for an offline version/access?
skylarmt
Important note, because "ad-hoc WiFi" has a certain meaning: there's no ad-hoc about this. It has an industrial wireless router in the box. It's a real WiFi network.
NorrinxRadd
I have a question, "when the internet goes dark" what exactly does that mean? And are you still able to access it?
sesnut
honestly this is just prepper nonsense. If the actual internet goes out, you have bigger problems
Amomani
Not necessarily. After a hurricane hit here the area I live in was without power and internet so I through up an ad hoc wifi access point running off our generator and pulling net access of a cell phone. I also set up a charging station so people could charge up their own phones. All the neighbors appreciated it.
This would be useful in a similar situation with a localized loss of power/connectivity scenario as well as in a "internet out" situation.
executivedisfunction
And, ignoring deliberate sabotage of local and regional power, and internet. Someone knowledgeable can do considerable harm, and political activism knows no boundaries. Island residents are particularly vulnerable. I might have to learn to use Linux. My Mac stuff doesn't seem compatible with the hacks required.
Neywiny
My recommendations as somebody near this space professionally: 1. Make sure your OS is read-only by default 2. Keep some kind of non-corruptable backup around 3. Wireless keyboard seems like a waste of battery 4. rtl-sdr is good but tx too is better 5. Gigabit switch seems like a waste of power 6. x86 also seems like a waste of power 7. No satcom modem? 8. Get a highly directional antenna as well as 9. In general it seems too big and bulky for what it does. Can't easily lug up a mountain
IslaNublar
Specifically you want a Yagi-style antenna for directional stuff.
skylarmt
All the antennas (PC WiFi, router WiFi, router LTE, Meshtastic, and SDR) are removable so a suitable directional antenna could be swapped in very easily in the field for any of them.
Neywiny
Specifically you don't, you'd want a log-periodic. Yagi is narrowband, not as good at finding signs of life imo
GenesisMachines
My set-up uses 10MB/s pocket sized switches that are powered by usb.
Switching from USB3 solid state storage to USB2 saves a lot of power and massivly extends lifetime. The BTRFS fileszstem is designed to keep memoery sticks alive for longer.
Aspernari
None of what you said makes any sense.
On the networking side... Why use 100mbps switches? At that point use passive "ethernet splitters" (they used to be called hubs). USB3 vs USB2 doesn't determine power consumption, and your duty cycle on USB3 for performance vs USB2 may result in greater power savings. But it depends on the device you're using, and what power demands it makes in the first place.
Load your shit into a RAMdisk, turn off USB entirely. And btrfs is definitely a poor choice.
Santorrr
Damn dude went ballistic. I think you're thinking of two different solutions
Neywiny
Plausible but whatever the situation, saving power and increasing comms ability should be relevant. What situation has no Internet but cell?
TypicallyVigo
On the keyboard thing; I have no idea how helpful it would really be. This is entirely conjecture. But, a lot of wireless keyboards have sleep modes built in for inactive periods versus wired keyboards, which Im assuming have a constant very low level power drain on what they are hooked up to. My thought was, would the separate keyboard help with long-term wear and tear on the computers main battery? Or would the difference be so tiny as to be worthless to care about?
Neywiny
Well my thought is either it's rechargeable and thus drains the battery anyway, or is not and you need to find infinite batteries for it?
intashu
I own two of these keyboards. They last months on a pair of batteries and semi regular use. Hardly an inconvenience to swap them out as needed. And this isn't a Completly off grid setup. It has limited power for its use. So if imagine getting replacement batteries for the keyboard ain't an issue either. Logitech did a good job with this keyboard. Thus why I own two. Lol (one for steamdeck, the other for backup, travel, troubleshooting)
Filanwizard
you probably wont even find anything less than gigabit switch today. I have not seen a 10/100 for a long time in a Bestbuy or Staples.
Aspernari
Until 6-12 months ago, a 10/100mbps TP-Link switch was the best selling switch on Amazon. It may occasionally bubble up to #1 still. Not that 10/100 inherently saves power; I wouldn't be surprised if gigabit has better efficiency (and definitely has better power-per-megabit-switched).
But the biggest savings would be switching to eInk displays, low power SoCs, or even just repurposing a phone. A full whole-assed PC is the first place to look to cut power demands.
Neywiny
I suppose you can always tell the systems to only negotiate 100mb max, but I still don't get its role
Aspernari
Why do people want the network to be 100mbps? Doing things faster for a shorter period of time can be more energy-efficient than going slower. The NICs need to be active 10x longer, the client needs to be active 10x longer, storage needs to be active 10x longer if the data is being persisted to storage, etc.
You're keeping a whole lot of circuitry from going into a sleep state 10x longer than necessary, possibly tens of watts burned to save some peak power draw by the switch, if any benefit.
BishlamekGurpgork
I get the sense that this isn't supposed to so much be something you'll be dragging into the backwoods as something that'll serve as the hub of its' own local network.
BishlamekGurpgork
(Not LAN local but you know what I'm trying to say.)
Neywiny
So it should be at least efficient on power (to be always on) and setup somewhere it can be seen easily (like on a mountain), no?
BishlamekGurpgork
I think the idea isn't a total collapse. If you lose electricity, a local network isn't going to be useful. Seems like this is too keep a small community wired into the information that saves their lives, not to broadcast to everything you can see from the mountaintop.
Probably more like a village hotspot than a "I'm gonna reboot the world!" network.
eepsheep
There's civilian solar setups now as well as plentiful supply of gas generators (depending which is more available). Power is easier to find / make than most firms of network or compact knowledge hubs to help in dire situations. While there's always upgrades that can be made, OP is at least thinking beyond 'I got a basement warehouse stocked full of beans'. Kudos to them.
Neywiny
Only OP knows but at that point why make it portable and such a power hub? If the community has power, use that and stay there
BishlamekGurpgork
Portable because if the world gets upended, you don't know where it'll be safe/needed to deploy it. I assume the adapters for power output are just convenience. The same reason my power strip has USB ports - it's not like I don't have a USB block and cable.
I don't expect you're supposed to lug it around at all times, something like this would be more useful to set up as a hub while you take advantage of it from a cell phone or any other handy device.
JustSomePersonThere
I like the cut of your jib.
mattcl3v3land
What’s a jib?
JustSomePersonThere
Lmao loved that scene
HappyBanjoGuy
Have you considered Ollama or another open source tool for working with an open LLM like Mistral?
skylarmt
AI is probably going to be the reason I need to use the box, so no :)
HappyBanjoGuy
I appreciate that. I have more faith in the open source community.
WhatNumberPlease
Why do you call it an off grid computer if it connects to the grid?
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
It's more clear to say that a network doesn't have to be connected to the Internet. You can provide files, computation services and communications (like text chat or digitized radio broadcasts) from any device in the network.
OP is probably a bit of a prepper.
davesaint01930
So, my laptop will do the same thing...gotnit
algoritham
The same way I can call my jeep an off-road vehicle even when its on the road.
What a weird question.
The701
It's not a grid, it's a series of tubes.
SpellcheckingYourAss
It's not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck.
WhatNumberPlease
Mines a fiber. If you look at the end of it you can see cat memes.
jrntn
Why call it an outdoors tent if you can take it indoors?
skylarmt
Because it doesn't need the grid, but if you have the grid it will use it.
SilverFoxChaser
They don't understand how it works man. You're just wasting your time. Maybe try telling them that this is a mini backup internet in case the big papa internet turns off.
datphone777365
Keep going, explain it more.
WhatNumberPlease
So just a regular computer?
skylarmt
A regular computer doesn't have city-spanning off-grid mesh communications, an archive of Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap, or the ability to tune in to any radio broadcast (including government frequencies, walkie-talkies, etc)
WhatNumberPlease
There's an app for that.
skylarmt
Find an app that allows you to listen to, for example, your local airport's tower frequency. The app must function without internet access. Good luck!
ourari
ELI5: If the internet goes down, this computer becomes the new city-wide internet for people to connect to and through.
Goldmarble
No. There really isn't.
WhatNumberPlease
But why? My car doesn't fly but I don't need it to.
ThatHurts
You might wish it did if the roads stopped existing.
OmnipotentBeing
I think I could do all of that with an inexpensive used Ebay laptop?
jrntn
I mean obviously YOU can, but the rest of us are mortal
astrangehop
You could, but I want to see you take it on a 100 mile trek through the woods. Can you cue up the wikipedia page for gangrene with no internet?