Hi everyone,
I’m building a decentralized, nonprofit ISP project in Northern California called PonyXPS_ISP. The goal is to deliver low-cost, community-owned internet access to local nonprofits and underserved neighborhoods — built around open-source tools, privacy, and resilience.
ZeroTier has been central to making this vision work. We’re using it to:
- Connect isolated admin nodes (some remote, some solar-powered)
- Allow off-site access for staff to local Grav-based dashboards
- Bridge multiple salvaged PCs acting as local servers and backups
- Build fallback paths in case primary WAN goes down
Other tools in the stack include:
- 🛜 OpenWRT routers for node access and mesh extensions
Grav CMS as a flat-file admin tool (runs great on older machines)
Systems designed to work even during outages or limited connectivity
We’re aiming to make this model clonable for other community nonprofits. I’m still learning the ropes with ZeroTier and would love input on:
- Best practices for managing multi-node, multi-user networks
- Handling access controls among trusted but distinct nonprofits
- ZeroTier’s behavior with dynamic IPs or network changes
- Examples of ZeroTier use in local, community, or rural ISPs
Appreciate any guidance, references, or tools you’ve found helpful!
Thanks,
— PonyXPS@proton.me
https://PonyXPS.com