Mesh network

A mesh network is a network architecture in which nodes connect directly to multiple peers rather than through a central hub. Each node acts as both endpoint and relay, creating multiple redundant paths between any two points. This is the architecture of the internet's original vision, of resilient systems, and of any organization that treats failure as inevitable rather than exceptional.

The defining property of a mesh is not its density but its redundancy: the network survives the loss of any single node because information can route around damage. This makes mesh networks the preferred architecture for military communications, disaster recovery, and any context where trust in central infrastructure cannot be assumed. The cost is coordination overhead: without a hub to arbitrate conflicts, the nodes must agree on routing protocols through distributed consensus.