I have installed a Rocket.Chat server on a Raspberry Pi which can be accessed both via the MESH and via the external Internet. I see this as a potential communications bridge between non-hams and hams. Of course there are other solutions (TeamTalk, Mumble, etc.). I like this one because it requires no client apps to run - it works in the web browser. And it is far better than MESHCHAT in many ways. If you've never heard of Rocket.Chat, you can read about it here: https://rocket.chat/ (and note: ignore all the stuff about privacy - that doesn't apply how I set this up).
The internet address is:
http://chat.km6zpo.com:3000/
The mesh address is:
http://km6zpo-pi.local.mesh:3000/
If you're on the mesh in the So Cal area, try pinging the server before connecting via the mesh. You should get the following IP address:
10.95.79.42
Known issues:
* Slow initial load - Rocket.Chat was designed to run on a more powerful server. I have noticed that only the inital loading is slow while normal chats and sharing of files works without lag.
* IOS app does not work - this is because I'm running the server in normal mode (no SSL). That was done intentionally so that I wouldn't violate any ham band encryption rules. The iOS app will not connect to a non-secure server. The work around is to just open up Safari (or any browser for that matter) and access the server that way. The down-side is you won't get any push notifications.
* Verification link points to MESH URL - Whether your register for an account from the MESH URL or the Internet URL, the verification email provides a verification link to the MESH URL. The workaround for this is to just forward that email to me (mark@km6zpo.com) and I'll manually verify your account. Verification is not necessary.
* Welcome email points to Internet address. - Whether your register via the Internet URL or the MESH URL, the welcome email has a link to the Internet URL. The work around is to just go to whichever URL you can access.
* Welcome emails not deliverable on the MESH. This is because my SMTP server (Gmail) cannot deliver emails to servers that don't exist on the Internet. At this time I'm not aware of any way to route email messages from the Internet to a server on the MESH.
* Files cannot be uploaded via the internet side at this time (chat.km6zpo.com) - looking into a solution for that.
Thanks in advance!
Mark, KM6ZPO