Modern RF sensing applications increasingly demand widearea coverage with high spatial resolution, driving the adoption
of distributed sensor networks over traditional monolithic
systems [1]. However, distributed RF arrays face fundamental
challenges: ensuring reliable inter-node communication across
variable network conditions and maintaining the phase coherence necessary for constructive beamforming [2].
Contemporary approaches typically rely on dedicated pointto-point links or complex network overlays requiring specialized infrastructure [3]. These solutions often exhibit brittleness under node failures and struggle with dynamic network
topologies common in mobile or temporary deployments.
We propose leveraging Tailscale’s WireGuard-based mesh
networking to address these challenges. Tailscale provides automatic mesh formation, NAT traversal, and encrypted tunneling without requiring infrastructure changes [4]. This enables
RF nodes to maintain persistent connectivity regardless of
underlying network topology while providing the reliable, lowlatency communication essential for real-time beamforming
coordination.
Our contributions include:
Demonstration of up to 6 dB beamforming gains with
graceful degradation properties
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows: Section II reviews related work, Section III presents our meshbased architecture, Section IV provides theoretical analysis,
Section V presents simulation results, and Section VII concludes.
Architecture for distributed cooperative beamforming
over Tailscale mesh overlay
Analysis of SNR gains versus phase coherence quality
for practical synchronization scenarios
Characterization of failover latency and mesh resilience
under node failures