Tools that work #Offline with #NoInternet (or limited Internet), a thread.

Start with @syncthing #Syncthing Share files among your devices or with your friends. Syncs across multiple hops, over local wifi, with or without Internet. https://syncthing.net/ 1/

Tools that work #Offline with #NoInternet.

Next, @briar . #Briar is instant messaging with a twist: it can use a mesh of Bluetooth devices. Or #Tor. Or, heck, SD cards to carry your IMs. When Internet is available, it uses #Tor. 2/

Tools that work #Offline with #NoInternet

Few people know about ad-hoc wifi mode. Ad-hoc #wifi lets devices in range talk to each other without an access point. You just all set your devices to the same network name and password and there you go. Sometimes DHCP and such can be a challenge; more on that in the next item. 3/

Tools that work #Offline with #NoInternet

#Yggdrasil is a self-healing, fully end-to-end #encrypted #mesh network. It can work among local devices or on the global Internet. It has network services that can egress onto things like Tor, I2P, and public Internet. Makes a perfect companion to ad-hoc wifi as it has auto peer discovery on the local network. https://yggdrasil-network.github.io/ 4/

Tools that work #Offline with #NoInternet

Moving now to more advanced tools, #NNCP is lets you assemble a network of peers that can communicate asynchronously using #sneakernet, #USB drives, radios, CD-Rs, Internet, #Tor, #Yggdrasil, #Syncthing, #Dropbox, #S3, you name it. Supports multi-hop file transfer and remote execution. Fully end-to-end encrypted. It's the offline version of #ssh. https://nncp.mirrors.quux.org/ 5/

Tools that work #Offline with #NoInternet

Finally among Open Source tools, #Meshtastic uses #LoRa radios to build a long-distance, low-power, encrypted IM system. It requires specialized hardware, about $30, but also assembles a mesh network.

https://meshtastic.org/ and https://meshtastic.letstalkthis.com/ 6/

Tools that work #Offline with #NoInternet

You can get portable satellite communicators that can send SMS from anywhere on earth with a clear view of the sky. #Garmin #InReach and #Zoleo are two credible options. These have subscriptions ranging from about $10 to $40/mo depending on how heavily they're used, and also have SOS features. 7/

Tools that work #Offline with #NoInternet

I have written about most of these on my blog, https://changelog.complete.org/ and my website, https://www.complete.org/ . Search there, or ask me here, for more.

What others would you recommend?

8/

Tools that work #Offline with #NoInternet

I was thinking of #Ukraine when I started this thread as communications infrastructure has been targeted there. But these ideas apply to anyone, anywhere.

One final parting comment: FRS/GMRS radios are cheap and effective for short-range voice communications. Don't forget simple things!

All the best to our Ukrainian friends. May there be days of peace and joy in your future.

/end

An addendum - if you have a phone line and #modem, #UUCP can get through just about anything. #ZModem too. These older protocols lack modern security themselves, but will deal with slow and noisy #serial links well. #XBee SX radios provide a serial link they can use.