blog

Lifeline bench-testing update: 123 metres node-to-node with new antennas

office@connectivv.nz (Matt Hampton) — Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:07:46 GMT

Same nodes, better antennas

Last time we reported our Lifeline nodes holding a mesh link at around 50 metres, and said higher-gain antennas were next. We’ve now tested them.

With omnidirectional puck antennas, our nodes held a link at 123 metres, at a signal strength of -88 dBm.

That’s more than double the previous range with no change to the nodes themselves.

How we tested

We want to be clear about what this number is and isn’t:

The link ran through the front wall of a house (timber weatherboard)
Both antennas were at roughly 1 metre above the ground
2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, channel 6, 20 MHz wide, 802.11n with 2x2 MIMO, in ad-hoc (IBSS) mode
Antennas mounted vertically

A wall and a low antenna are both about the worst conditions for 2.4 GHz, so we see this as a conservative result rather than a best case. A signal of -88 dBm is also close to the edge of what the link can sustain, so we’re not calling it a reliable working range yet.

What we learned

Antenna choice matters more than we expected. The step from stick antennas to pucks gave us a bigger range gain than anything else we’ve tried so far. It also tells us that a lot of range may be waiting in how we mount the nodes, not just in the hardware inside them.

What’s next

Outdoor line-of-sight testing with both nodes raised to 2 to 3 metres, which is closer to how a Lifeline node would be mounted on a pole or rooftop
Multi-hop tests to see how traffic holds up across more than one link
Mesh routing work to make the network more robust than basic ad-hoc mode as we approach field pilots
The CM4-based compute platform we mentioned last time

As before, we’ll share what we find, including the results that don’t go to plan.

If you work in emergency management, run a community group, or want to see Lifeline in your area, get in touch.

Lifeline bench-testing update: 50 metres node-to-node, and what’s next

office@connectivv.nz (Matt Hampton) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:06:11 GMT

Small steps, real numbers

When we introduced Connectivv, we promised to be open about where we are. Here’s our first update from the workbench.

Our Lifeline nodes are now holding a node-to-node mesh connection at around 50 metres.

That’s not yet the range a rural community needs, and we’re not claiming it is. But it’s a solid base, and it tells us the core approach works: small, low-power nodes finding each other and passing traffic along without any internet connection.

Why range matters

In a real emergency, nodes might sit on rooftops, farm sheds, community halls or fence posts. The further each node can reach, the fewer we need, and the easier it is for a community to cover its area without a big investment.

What we’re working on next

Higher-gain antennas. Our next round of testing will use higher-gain (dBi) antennas to push the range well beyond 50 metres.
A more robust compute platform. We believe a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4) based unit will give us stronger and more reliable connectivity than our current setup, and we’ll be testing that.
Connecting more than phones. We’re also exploring a small local server that could let other connected devices, such as sensors, join the network.

We’ll share results as we get them, including the ones that don’t go to plan.

Follow along

If you work in emergency management, run a community group, or want to see Lifeline in your area, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

Why we’re building Connectivv: communities that stay connected when everything else goes down

office@connectivv.nz (Matt Hampton) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 05:56:36 GMT

When the network goes down, the community still has to work

When a flood, earthquake or storm hits, the first thing to fail is usually the thing we rely on most: communication. Cell towers lose power, internet links drop, and neighbours who want to help can’t tell who needs it.

In those first hours, before outside help arrives, communities look after themselves. They check on the elderly couple down the road, find out which road is flooded, work out who has a generator, a chainsaw or first aid training. The problem is that they have to do it blind.

That’s the gap Connectivv exists to close.

What we’re building

Connectivv Lifeline is a solar- and wind-powered communication node. It’s a self-contained piece of hardware that creates a local mesh network, so people can connect with their phones even when there is no internet and no cell coverage. Nodes link to each other, so the network grows with the community and has no single point of failure.

On top of Lifeline runs NeighbourUp, our disaster coordination app. It works completely offline and lets people:

report incidents and hazards on a shared map
let others know they’re OK, or ask for help
find open shelters and nearby resources
coordinate with volunteer responders and Civil Defence
see a local directory of skills, services and supplies

In everyday life, the same system works as a community noticeboard, so the network is already familiar and trusted before an emergency, not something people have to learn on the worst day.

Why a social enterprise

Resilience shouldn’t depend on which community can afford it. We’re becoming a Social Enterprise because we want our purpose, helping communities prepare for and recover from disasters, to sit at the centre of how we operate, not alongside it.

Our work aligns with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which puts local communities at the heart of reducing disaster risk and improving early warning, response and recovery. We think good technology should make that easier, not harder.

Where we’re at

We believe in being open about where we are. Right now, Lifeline is in bench testing. We’re working through the engineering that matters most: node-to-node range, mesh networking and power performance. We haven’t run community pilots yet, and we won’t pretend otherwise.

Our path is simple:

Engineer a robust, production-ready node
Pilot with a real community
Prove it works under real conditions
Scale so more communities can have one

Follow along

This blog is where we’ll share the journey: what works, what doesn’t, what we’re learning from the field, and how we’re working with communities and emergency managers.

If you work in emergency management, run a community group, or simply think your town should be ready for the next big event, we’d love to hear from you.