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Sub-GHz field networking — synthesis

Purpose: One file that maps everything this wiki treats as sub-GHz field networking—LoRa PHY stacks, LoRaWAN, Meshtastic mesh, IEEE 802.11ah / Wi‑Fi HaLow—and routes readers to canonical analyses, comparisons, entities, and source clusters. It does not replace detailed pages; it indexes them.

Integration: New RF captures should activate per AGENTS.md: cluster source-notes get Evidence summaries; doctrine pages absorb claims that change architecture or stop rules. Start from Off-grid power and field networking hub or the source index below—not this page alone.

Scope — what “sub-GHz” means here

In scope Notes
LoRa physical layer Chirp spread spectrum; shared by LoRaWAN and Meshtastic.
LoRaWAN Star / gateway → network server → application; sparse telemetry, LPWAN.
Meshtastic LoRa mesh (multi-hop), local survivability, bridges to IP/MQTT at gateways.
Wi‑Fi HaLow (802.11ah) Sub-GHz IP-class links; different ops model than LPWAN.
MQTT / app bridges How sensor traffic reaches brokers and consumers—not a radio layer, but wired throughout.
Adjacent / contrasted Notes
WAN (Starlink, LTE, fiber) Not a field sensor radio; see WAN vs field RF below.
Conventional 2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz Wi‑Fi Compared in four-way analyses; not “sub-GHz” but part of the same field networking decisions.
NB‑IoT / cellular LPWAN Mentioned in Field network IoT comparisons (HaLow, LoRa, NB-IoT); not a primary East Tennessee stack in this vault.

Executive summary

  • Field sub-GHz in this repo is organized around sparse telemetry (LoRaWAN or Meshtastic) vs IP throughput where needed (HaLow segments), always on an off-grid-aware power and local-first survivability story—especially for SITE_FARM (Demory).
  • LoRaWAN fits star coverage to one or more gateways; terrain and gateway placement dominate range claims—treat vendor numbers as hypotheses.
  • Meshtastic adds mesh relay and community/off-grid voice; density and partitions matter as much as “range.”
  • Wi‑Fi HaLow trades 802.11-style ops (segmentation, patching, AP/CPE power) for longer-range IP than indoor Wi‑Fi—not automatic farm-wide mesh.
  • Starlink / LTE / fiber are WAN backhaul roles; they must not be confused with field sensor links (canonical rule across sensor architecture pages).

WAN vs field RF (non-negotiable)

Starlink, cellular, and terrestrial broadband answer “how does the farm reach the internet or site-to-site VPN?” Sub-GHz field stacks answer “how do sensors and field nodes reach a gateway / broker when Wi‑Fi or Ethernet is impractical?”

Authoritative articulation: Farm sensor architecture — Demory farm site (Starlink = WAN only). WAN strategy: Connectivity strategy — Claxton home base and Demory farm site. WAN roles as entities: WAN edge and backhaul roles vs RF telemetry gateway roles.

Three stacks — mental model

Stack Shape Best mental picture
LoRaWAN Star to GW + NS Sparse uplinks, excellent sleep; gateway concentration risk.
Meshtastic Mesh Multi-hop fill-in; map ≠ RF; bridge at G to IP/MQTT.
Wi‑Fi HaLow 802.11ah segment IP-native where deployed; plan AP/CPE power and security like Wi‑Fi.

Deeper criteria (coverage, power, survivability, IP vs sparse): LoRaWAN vs Wi‑Fi HaLow vs Meshtastic — Demory farm sensor layer.

Start here — by reader goal

Goal Open
Router — power + WAN + field RF together Off-grid power and field networking hub
Demory off-grid doctrine (power, G/R/S/H/W, DR rules) Off-grid systems doctrine package — Demory farm site
~120 ac sensor architecture (reference / pilot / degraded) Farm sensor architecture — Demory farm site
Checklist matrix (use case × protocol × power) Sensor checklist matrix — Demory farm
Mesh vs HaLow vs Wi‑Fi layering Mesh and field networking strategy — off-grid Demory farm
Two-site telemetry (broker, SoR, both sites) Field telemetry network — two-site, Field telemetry reference architecture — homestead + 120-acre farm
LPWAN / HaLow / NB-IoT article index Field network IoT comparisons (HaLow, LoRa, NB-IoT)
MQTT, bridges, DIY gateways LoRa, MQTT, and gateway bridges
Provenance hub (NREL, Victron, Meshtastic, HaLow, Starlink captures) Off-grid power, field RF, and optional WAN — source index (Demory planning)
Sensor vendor / spec cluster Demory farm sensor layer — official and operator-grade source cluster

Comparisons (wiki)

Concepts

Analyses — architecture, gateway patterns, degraded modes

Page Role
Gateway and controller patterns — Demory (~120 acres) NS, mesh bridge, HaLow segment, controller placement.
Gateway naming and role assignment standard RF telemetry vs WAN CPE naming.
Field node classes and communication roles — Demory farm Roles aligned to G/R/S/H/W.
Sensor degraded modes and failure rules — Demory farm site Stale MQTT vs welfare truth.
Sensor power and duty-cycle assumptions — Demory farm site Placeholder cadence—validate before scale.
Sub-GHz Wi‑Fi (HaLow) — farm sensors deployment guide Operator checklist / outline.
Off-grid implications — backup and networking choices Power/WAN vs backup windows.
Connectivity dependency map — farm systems (Demory) What depends on what.
Source gap audit — backup/DR vs sub-GHz Wi‑Fi (2026-04-18) Evidence map for HaLow vs homelab/farm backup topics.
Two-site smart farm — network topology and WAN/edge reference Mermaid WAN + telemetry plane.
Smart technology and telemetry strategy — control center on 5 acres AA/AF/PA/SO controls; stop rules.
Telemetry system of record — boundaries and authority Records vs telemetry vs dashboards.

Standards (naming and boundaries)

Source clusters and notable batches

Kind Page
Demory planning index Off-grid power, field RF, and optional WAN — source index
Sensor layer cluster Demory farm sensor layer — official and operator-grade source cluster
Tennessee batch (LoRaWAN, ChirpStack, Meshtastic, Decentlab, HaLow) Inbox batch — 2026-04-18
Electrical / Starlink batch Electrical, networking, and Starlink — inbox batch (2026-04-23)

Illustrative Meshtastic / solar node sources (operator-grade mixed authority): Building solar-powered Meshtastic community network, How to build a solar Meshtastic node the easy way, Meshtastic nodes basics and deployment (Seeed), Solar Meshtastic GPS ESP32 outdoor.

Runbooks touching field / backhaul

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