Access over I2P: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 15:49, 11 September 2026

The ScotMesh node can be reached over I2P as well as over ordinary TCP. I2P is an anonymising network in which every participant relays for the others, and, more usefully here, in which no port has to be open at either end. That makes it the way in for anyone behind CGNAT (most mobile connections and some home broadband), a hotel or campus network, or a firewall they do not control.

	Value
I2P address	`a3pswrtvpuro62ijhb7lwdt2n6aqgajglof27ynbonynmolzlz7q.b32.i2p`

Try the ordinary TCP route first. Most restricted networks still allow outbound connections, and TCP is faster. Come here when rns.scotmesh.net:4242 will not connect.

1. Install an I2P router

Whichever route below you take, Reticulum does not speak I2P itself; it talks to a local I2P router through the router's SAM interface. On Debian or Ubuntu:

sudo apt install i2pd
sudo systemctl enable --now i2pd

SAM is on by default in i2pd. On Windows and macOS, install i2pd or the Java I2P router from its site, and make sure the SAM bridge is enabled on port 7656. On Android, use the TCP route or a mobile-data connection instead; running an I2P router beside a Reticulum app on a phone is possible but not something we recommend to start with.

2. Out of the box: MeshChatX

Open the Interfaces page and add an interface.
Type: I2PInterface.
Peers: the I2P address above.
Save and restart the app when asked.

2. Full installation: the config file

In ~/.reticulum/config, under [interfaces], alongside anything already there:

  [[ScotMesh I2P]]
    type = I2PInterface
    enabled = yes
    peers = a3pswrtvpuro62ijhb7lwdt2n6aqgajglof27ynbonynmolzlz7q.b32.i2p

Restart rnsd.

3. Wait

I2P has to build tunnels before it can carry anything. On a fresh install that takes five to ten minutes, sometimes longer, and during that time the interface shows as Down (in rnstatus, or on MeshChatX's interfaces page). That is normal, not a fault. Once it comes Up it stays up, and later starts are quicker because the router has learned the network.

The trade-off

I2P gives you reachability from anywhere and hides where you are connecting from. In exchange it is slower than TCP: expect round trips of a second or more, and slower page and file transfers. For messaging and chat it is fine. If you have both routes available, keep both interfaces enabled; Reticulum uses whichever is up.

If i2pd keeps crashing

Some i2pd releases crash every few minutes when Reticulum uses SAM, and the interface then reports Connect call failed ('127.0.0.1', 7656). The cause and the fix are in Known bugs and workarounds.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-''Outline — the shape of the page, not the page. Expand or replace freely.''
+The ScotMesh node can be reached over '''I2P''' as well as over ordinary TCP. I2P is an anonymising network in which every participant relays for the others, and, more usefully here, in which '''no port has to be open at either end'''. That makes it the way in for anyone behind CGNAT (most mobile connections and some home broadband), a hotel or campus network, or a firewall they do not control.
-The route in for anyone behind CGNAT or a firewall they do not control.
+{| class="wikitable"
+! !! Value
+|-
+| I2P address || <code>a3pswrtvpuro62ijhb7lwdt2n6aqgajglof27ynbonynmolzlz7q.b32.i2p</code>
+|}
-== To cover ==
+Try the ordinary [[Connecting to ScotMesh|TCP route]] first. Most restricted networks still allow outbound connections, and TCP is faster. Come here when <code>rns.scotmesh.net:4242</code> will not connect.
-* Our I2P address
+== 1. Install an I2P router ==
-* Installing i2pd and enabling the SAM bridge
-* The interface block
+Whichever route below you take, Reticulum does not speak I2P itself; it talks to a local I2P router through the router's '''SAM''' interface. On Debian or Ubuntu:
-* Expect several minutes for tunnels to build — Down then Up is normal
-* The trade-off: reachability and anonymity in exchange for latency
+<syntaxhighlight lang="text">sudo apt install i2pd
+sudo systemctl enable --now i2pd</syntaxhighlight>
+SAM is on by default in i2pd. On Windows and macOS, install [https://i2pd.website i2pd] or the Java I2P router from its site, and make sure the SAM bridge is enabled on port 7656. On Android, use the TCP route or a mobile-data connection instead; running an I2P router beside a Reticulum app on a phone is possible but not something we recommend to start with.
+== 2. Out of the box: MeshChatX ==
+# Open the '''Interfaces''' page and add an interface.
+# Type: '''I2PInterface'''.
+# Peers: the I2P address above.
+# Save and restart the app when asked.
+== 2. Full installation: the config file ==
+In <code>~/.reticulum/config</code>, under <code>[interfaces]</code>, alongside anything already there:
+<syntaxhighlight lang="text">  [[ScotMesh I2P]]
+    type = I2PInterface
+    enabled = yes
+    peers = a3pswrtvpuro62ijhb7lwdt2n6aqgajglof27ynbonynmolzlz7q.b32.i2p</syntaxhighlight>
+Restart <code>rnsd</code>.
+== 3. Wait ==
+I2P has to build tunnels before it can carry anything. On a fresh install that takes '''five to ten minutes''', sometimes longer, and during that time the interface shows as Down (in <code>rnstatus</code>, or on MeshChatX's interfaces page). That is normal, not a fault. Once it comes Up it stays up, and later starts are quicker because the router has learned the network.
+== The trade-off ==
+I2P gives you reachability from anywhere and hides where you are connecting from. In exchange it is slower than TCP: expect round trips of a second or more, and slower page and file transfers. For messaging and chat it is fine. If you have both routes available, keep both interfaces enabled; Reticulum uses whichever is up.
+== If i2pd keeps crashing ==
+Some i2pd releases crash every few minutes when Reticulum uses SAM, and the interface then reports <code>Connect call failed ('127.0.0.1', 7656)</code>. The cause and the fix are in [[Known bugs and workarounds]].
 [[Category:The ScotMesh Backbone]]