AREDN metrics, gathered at the beginning of each month.

Total Nodes: 2828, up from 2807 last month.

XM nodes (devices with only 32MB of RAM, and thus not capable of running the Babel routing protocol):  74, down from 75 last month

Babel-capable nodes: 2754

Babel-enabled nodes (running code that's later than 2/18/2025): 1951 (70% - up from 58% last month)  

Babel-only nodes: 118 - up from 107 (4.2% - up from 4%)

OLSR-only nodes:  878 (31.8%), down from 1107 last month

Tunnels: 1717

Legacy tunnels remaining:  Approximately 95

Longest uptime: VE7URC-oldPO-VE7BCE: 901 days (running 3.20.3.0 code)

Oldest hardware:  WRT54GS v2 & WRT54G3G (running 3.1.0/JPB_2.2, Broadband Hamnet code, modified by John M0XZL, just for fun :-) )

Nodes running the oldest AREDN software: 

GM0RAY-2 - Ubiquiti AirRouterHP running 3.18.9.0

K7DMK-N13
KG7AHP-M9-01
KL7AA-YENTNA-PBM5300XW-122
VA2HQL-FN08TI-RM9
VA2HQL-FN08TJ-RM9
VE6CV-hAP-YQL
VE6TL-ARHP-AP
VE7URC-OldPO-North
W4NMH-U1, all running 3.19.3.0

Number of 802.11ac devices: 665, up from 598 last month  (23.5%)

Mikrotik hAPs (ac lite, ac2 & ac3): 1175

• ac Lite: 734, down from 837 last month
  
• ac2: 173, up from 166 last month
  
• ac3: 180, up from 172 last month
  

Notes:

• If you're running a nightly build on your node(s), make sure it's as current as possible; there have been a number of fixes and some enhancements since the last production release.
• If you're tempted to run a Babel release, bear in mind that it's Babel only; it won't talk to OLSR-only nodes.   And if you do go to a Babel-only release, make sure you get a backup first; reverting to a previous build isn't guaranteed to be done safely.  It may require a fresh installation of code, then restoring from backup.
• If you have a node that's running code prior to 3.25.5.1, try to get it current so it can speak both Babel and OLSR; this will ease the transition to Babel.
• If you're still using legacy tunnels, bear in mind that Babel won't support them.  So work towards migrating them to Wireguard tunnels.  They're better anyway.

Special Notes:

• Look for a production release sometime in July.  The release will only be for the Babel+OLSR version; the Babel-only codebase will remain in nightly build for the foreseeable future.  
• The Babel code in each version is identical.   If all the critical nodes in your area are stable running Babel+OLSR, you can consider moving to Babel-only on a regional or local basis.  The only noticeable effects at that point:
• A reduction in network traffic due to removal of OLSR routing broadcast traffic (which is low, but continuous).    
• OLSR-only nodes will no longer be visible on your network.
  

Enjoy!

73

Orv W6BI

AREDN Project Manager

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