Is it possible and does it make sense to link 2 nodes through TCP/IP? My mindset is that of comparing Meshtastic and reticulum and how it may make sense to link nodes over IP as the lora net is built out for wider propagation?
If I understand what you’re asking, this is already built in. Take a look at MQTT under the Module Configuration section. It allows you to link nodes through the internet. You just need a radio with WiFi, which means one with an ESP32 processor board.
Yep MQTT works really well.
It could make sense, but what would be gained? A geographically-broader mesh sounds nice, until you realize that it means messages will go across the IP link and continue propagating on the other end, tying up the RF spectrum, even for traffic that didn’t need to cross the IP link.
It also detracts from what a fair number of people use the mesh for: comms without reliance on fallible singular links. Single points of failure are not ideal in a mesh, and an IP link would be adding exactly that.
Note that Reticulum has a much more developed routing structure, so that flood messages do not propagate everywhere uselessly. In that regard, Reticulum has learned what Ethernet and 802.11 WiFi have known for decades, while Meshtastic finds itself playing catch-up.
A managed flood is still a flood, so introducing a trunk link will increase the “broadcast domain”, to use Ethernet parlance. For two quiet, small meshes, a link between them might be alright. But for two busy, small meshes, the extra floods are just noise and drown out traffic.
