A method for communicating over a mesh network established between a plurality of devices is disclosed. Each device has a
wireless radio and the method involves launching a mesh service on each device, the mesh service being operable to cause a processor circuit of the device to provide functionality for controlling the
wireless radio for communication between devices over the mesh network. Each device has at least one application running on the device, the at least one application being associated with a mesh port, the mesh port being used to designate data transmissions as being associated with instances of a specific application running on at least some of the devices in the plurality of devices, the at least one application and the mesh service on each device being in data communication. The method also involves, in response to a specific application running on a device requesting the mesh service to provide access to the mesh network for communication via a specific mesh port, causing the mesh service to determine whether the specific application is authorized for communications on the specific mesh port, and if the specific application is authorized,
processing requests from the application to communicate on the specific mesh port over the mesh network and forwarding data transmissions associated with the specific mesh port to the specific application, and if the specific application is not authorized, declining requests from the application to communicate on the specific mesh port over the mesh network and preventing access by the specific application to data transmissions associated with the specific mesh port.