Multipurpose Radio Server (MRS)
By: Zakary Timson
Date: September 2026
Version: 1.0
Offline-first radio and connectivity hub for service-denied or isolated environments. Designed for disaster response, long-range tracking, reconnaissance, and resilient communications.
Architecture Overview
MRS is now structured around three modular layers:
- MRS (Core Layer): Hardware-focused connectivity and reconnaissance
- OpenCast (Media/Control Layer): Screen casting, control panel, remote desktop
- AI-harness (Interface Layer): Unified access to AI, knowledge base, and file services
Core Services
Connectivity
- 900 MHz / 2.4/5 GHz Mesh WiFi via B.A.T.M.A.N. routing (1 km+)
- LoRa Radio communication (Meshtastic node, 1-100s of km)
- HaLow integration for long-range WiFi mesh connectivity
Hardware Interface
- TV/Display connection via OpenCast for live data visualization
- Meshtastic LoRa node for field operations and tracking
- Radio frequency tools (SDRAngel for spectrum analysis)
Reconnaissance & Security
- WiFi & Bluetooth reconnaissance (Bettercap, nmap, masscan)
- Red team operations (aircrack, nikto, Metasploit)
- Radio frequency recon (SDRAngel)
- ADS-B plane tracking (tar1090)
Networking
- Captive portal with QR code connection
- Hostapd + dnsmasq integration
- Local state feed at
localhost:8088/status - MCP server for LLM integration
Layered Architecture
MRS Core Layer
MRS runs as the foundational service layer, handling all hardware connectivity and reconnaissance tools. It provides:
- Mesh WiFi and LoRa backbone
- Reconnaissance tool orchestration
- Hardware telemetry and status
- Local API endpoint for layer communication
OpenCast Layer
OpenCast serves as the control surface and media orchestrator:
- Screen casting to display hardware
- Control panel for system navigation
- Built-in VNC remote desktop access
- Puppeteer management via API endpoints
- Runs on port 3000
AI-harness Layer
The harness provides a unified interface to knowledge and intelligence services:
- Offline AI assistant (Liter + Gemma4-e2b)
- ZIM archive access (Kiwix)
- File hosting and management
- Notes and data management
- Replaces legacy Ollama/OpenWebUI and FileBrowser
Services
Screen & Display
- OpenCast TV: Connects display hardware to MRS data streams
- Blur/Sticky UI: Persistent blur effect over idle data feeds
- Notification overlay: System alerts and event notifications
Media & Casting
- Puppeteer casting: Web page "casting" to display
- Image gallery: Fallback to random images or local photo selection
- Remote desktop: VNC integration via OpenCast backend
Intelligence & Tools
- AI Assistant: Gemma4-e2b-powered offline AI
- ZIM Archive: Kiwix offline knowledge base
- Recon Suite: Network, radio, and hardware scanning tools
- File Management: Harness-integrated file hosting and editing
Quick Start
# Clone and install
git clone https://git.zakscode.com/ztimson/mrs
cd mrs
# Install base dependencies
npm ci
# Start services
# - MRS core: defaults to port 8088
# - OpenCast: defaults to port 3000
# - AI-harness: defaults to port 3001
Documentation
- Setup Guide
- Mesh Network
- Maps & Geolocation
- API Documentation - Coming soon
Todo
- Finalize service separation across layers
- Publish API contracts between MRS, OpenCast, and harness
- Add telemetry endpoint for remote monitoring
- Implement automated OTA update mechanism
- Add more recon tools to the core suite
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License.