While SOPA (The Stop Online Piracy Act) continues to threaten free-speech online in America, the hivemind over at Reddit have decided to build their own wireless mesh network. Dubbed the Darknet Plan, this ad hoc network would skirt around government regulations like SOPA, keeping online free speech alive.

Sounds great, but I have one question: Can a reliable wireless mesh network be built using off-the-shelf hardware? Shaddi has posted a technical critique of the effort, outlining five reasons why “wireless mesh networks aren’t actually a good way to build a real network.” If you have ever wondered what issues plague wireless mesh networks, this is a great place to start.