Various embodiments are directed to localizing and identifying a mobile computing device using a short-range mesh network. A user of the mobile computing device may be authenticated. When the mobile computing device connects to the mesh network, the location of the mobile computing device may be determined by determining which mesh network nodes the mobile computing device is connected to, triangulating the position of the mobile computing device based on signal direction via directional antennas arranged on the mesh network nodes, and/or measuring signal strength of the mobile computing device at the mesh network nodes.