[DisasterRadio] Using ESP32 WiFi mesh as local 'backbone' of preference?

[samuk at disroot.org]

So thinking about the limitations of mesh networks in general, and wondering how your LoRa network would scale.

I'm guessing that in common with WiFi mesh reducing the traffic would help, particularly if you ended up with a fairly high node density and a well-used & congested network.

So I was wondering if it would be possible to pass off local traffic to a WiFi mesh? (Run on the same hardware) So if I want to communicate with my neighbour two streets away it goes over WiFi, if it's someone on the other side of town it would go over LoRa?

In this implementation: https://gitlab.com/BlackEdder/painlessMesh/wikis/home
"painlessMesh does not create a TCP/IP network of nodes. Rather each of the nodes is uniquely identified by its 32bit chipId which is retrieved from the esp8266/esp32 using the system_get_chip_id() call in the SDK.  Every node will have a unique number.  Messages can either be broadcast to all of the nodes on the mesh, or sent specifically to an individual node which is identified by its `nodeId."

So could the node could look in its list of connections: https://gitlab.com/BlackEdder/painlessMesh/wikis/home

If it has a route over WiFi then send the packet that way, if there is no route over WiFi (Or it's more than X hops away) then broadcast it over the LoRa interface instead.

I'm guessing this long range mode is incompatible with the 'Painless mesh' but it could be interesting to look at that too.
https://blog.honzamrazek.cz/2017/08/testing-the-wifi-range-of-esp32/


I guess using wifi & LoRa would have power implications? 

Thanks

Sam