THE NODES
THAT NEVER
GO DARK
Three purpose-built devices form the backbone of every Neighbour Up deployment — a community hub, a solar mesh backbone, and a local edge server — working in concert to create a resilient, self-healing network that operates entirely off-grid.
The ZimaBoard 2 sits at the heart of every Neighbour Up community deployment — a palm-sized, fanless x86 server that runs 24/7 without noise or maintenance. Powered by the Intel N150 quad-core processor with up to 16GB DDR5 RAM, it delivers three times the performance of its predecessor while drawing minimal power. Its full aluminium enclosure doubles as a passive heatsink, making it ideal for installation in community halls, marae, fire stations, and schools where it can operate silently and indefinitely.
- Intel N150 quad-core up to 3.6GHz — x86 architecture
- 8GB or 16GB LPDDR5X DDR5 RAM
- Dual 2.5GbE Ethernet — ideal for mesh-to-LAN routing
- PCIe 3.0 ×4 slot — expandable with 10GbE NIC or NVMe
- Dual SATA III ports for direct HDD/SSD storage
- Fanless aluminium chassis — silent 24/7 operation
- ZimaOS pre-installed with Docker and 370+ apps
- Runs Proxmox, TrueNAS, Debian, pfSense and more
The ZimaBoard 2 is the central community hub — the highest-capacity node in each deployment, running the full Neighbour Up application stack via Docker, managing CouchDB replication across the mesh, and bridging the S618 outdoor mesh to the local community network. Its dual 2.5GbE ports handle simultaneous mesh and LAN traffic, while the PCIe slot allows future expansion as community needs grow.
The S618 is a ruggedised, solar-powered mesh Wi-Fi node built for deployment in locations without mains power. Engineered for outdoor durability, it creates a self-extending wireless mesh across kilometres — no power lines, no towers, no telco required. Each node autonomously discovers its neighbours and routes around failures, making the network genuinely resilient by design.
- Solar-harvested power — fully off-grid capable
- Connectorised antenna ports for directional gain
- Non-cellular — operates entirely on local spectrum
- Self-healing mesh topology with automatic re-routing
- Weatherproof for NZ and Pacific outdoor conditions
- PoE and standalone deployment options
S618 nodes form the outdoor backbone of the mesh — deployed on rooftops, fence posts, and community facilities to blanket an entire suburb or rural area with connectivity, bridging buildings and enabling communication between SafetyNet hubs up to several kilometres apart.
The Raspberry Pi 4B serves as the intelligent edge node within each deployment — a compact, low-power single-board computer running the full Neighbour Up software stack. Each Pi operates as an autonomous local server: storing community data, serving web applications to connected devices, and synchronising content with other nodes whenever the mesh allows. Powered by USB-C and running 24/7 on minimal draw, it is the community's always-on digital hub.
- Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Cortex-A72 @ 1.8GHz
- 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM configurations
- Gigabit Ethernet + dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi
- Runs CasaOS + Docker for modular app deployment
- CouchDB offline-first replication across the mesh
- Tailscale for secure overlay networking
Each Pi 4B acts as the local community server — hosting SafetyNet, NeighbourLink and Community Knowledge for everyone connected to that node. When mesh connectivity is available, CouchDB silently replicates data between nodes, ensuring every hub holds a complete, up-to-date copy of community information with no single point of failure.