# Local communication?



## ThaiTaffy (Feb 20, 2022)

So I'm not sure if this should be here or networking.
 I'm wondering if there's some alternative to VoIP over a local network so I me and my wife can call each other when our internet is down.
We just had a small storm and the ftth was cut it seems, we use our phones all over the farm to ask eachother for help and I dread something happening and we can't contact each other especially during wild weather here. 

The mesh is omada and all powered via a Poe switch which in turn has a ups so even if we had a power cut I'd hope we could still contact each other.

Any suggestions I could try even a text based system with some form of notifications would be ok.


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## csgabe (Feb 20, 2022)

You could use Rocket.Chat. You have to install the server first:





						Install
					






					rocket.chat


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## R-T-B (Feb 20, 2022)

Never heard of rocket chat.  Have you considered something like Mumble?


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## ThaiTaffy (Feb 20, 2022)

R-T-B said:


> Never heard of rocket chat.  Have you considered something like Mumble?


Haven't used mumble in decades does that work completely locally? 
Maybe there's some retro gamers about that use something for Lan parties,maybe they use mumble.....


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## R-T-B (Feb 20, 2022)

ThaiTaffy said:


> Haven't used mumble in decades does that work completely locally?


It's fully open source and yeah you can just run it on a lan, no need for murmur (the server) to have internet.

I use it for gaming with my brother in the other end of the house when discord throws up.


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## ThaiTaffy (Feb 20, 2022)

R-T-B said:


> It's fully open source and yeah you can just run it on a lan, no need for murmur (the server) to have internet.
> 
> I use it for gaming with my brother in the other end of the house when discord throws up.


Thanks


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## cvaldes (Feb 20, 2022)

There have been walkie talkie apps on both Android and iOS for a decade. Some have come and gone, others are probably still functional. I do know that some of these operate on a local network, don't require to connect to an outside server and don't require a local network server: just old school point-to-point communications.

Sadly you don't say what operating system your phones are running so it's more difficult for anyone to give specific recommendations.

Just head to your phone's app store and search for "walkie talkie local network" and look for the highest rated apps.

Like I said, this is a feature that has been around for a long time and you are bound to find free or extremely inexpensive apps in the store.

Setting up a server to host two person radio communications sounds like overkill to me. Plus it introduces another point of failure and more system administration load (and I especially loathe the latter).

However I realize that many people at TPU are gung ho for extra system administration (*cough* Linux *cough*) and complication. 

Anyhow best of luck.


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## FreedomEclipse (Feb 20, 2022)

Dont know if this will work for you but i came across this video very recently....

It sounds like exactly what you need as it can also run on Lithium-Ion batteries


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## ThaiTaffy (Feb 21, 2022)

FreedomEclipse said:


> Dont know if this will work for you but i came across this video very recently....
> 
> It sounds like exactly what you need as it can also run on Lithium-Ion batteries


I have loRa esp units across the farm already for various sensors but I'm more looking for something I can just do with our phones as I have a large mesh network and giving my wife a jank DIY walkie talkie I made I doubt would fly.


cvaldes said:


> There have been walkie talkie apps on both Android and iOS for a decade. Some have come and gone, others are probably still functional. I do know that some of these operate on a local network, don't require to connect to an outside server and don't require a local network server: just old school point-to-point communications.
> 
> Sadly you don't say what operating system your phones are running so it's more difficult for anyone to give specific recommendations.
> 
> ...


Sorry we're just on Android phones should have said I'll take a look cheers.


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## FreedomEclipse (Feb 21, 2022)

Then either get a walkie talkie or you put in more effort and build the LoRa into small plastic pencil case with a small external battery pack and just plug everything in when you need to communicate with each other.

Its not something thats going to be needed 24/7 so i dont see the problem with her needing to open it up to hook the battery up every so often?

Otherwise walkie talkies is the way to go.


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## xrobwx71 (Feb 21, 2022)

FreedomEclipse said:


> Dont know if this will work for you but i came across this video very recently....
> 
> It sounds like exactly what you need as it can also run on Lithium-Ion batteries


This would have been great during *Hurricane Michael* here in Panama City Beach. We were without power or cell service for a month.


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## Mussels (Feb 21, 2022)

Teamspeak? it has local servers, and phone apps

no internet required, we use it for offline LAN parties


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## 1freedude (Apr 1, 2022)

Did you ever get it going?  I stumbled on WebCall that uses WebRTC.  I first noticed it in F-Droid, then did a bit of looking around...

If ran on http only, it can be used locally.  Otherwise, a https cert is necessary.



			https://timur.mobi/webcall/install/


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## ThaiTaffy (Apr 3, 2022)

1freedude said:


> Did you ever get it going?  I stumbled on WebCall that uses WebRTC.  I first noticed it in F-Droid, then did a bit of looking around...
> 
> If ran on http only, it can be used locally.  Otherwise, a https cert is necessary.
> 
> ...


Id kinda settled on https://matrix.org/ but haven't set up or tried anything yet too much going on to have time.


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