Mystery of I2P Networks!!!

Hey folks! In my previous blog, we saw the onion — oohh, Onion routing and Onion Share . By now, you must have got an idea about what anonymity, TOR and Onion share is. Today, let’s learn about I2P network. Let’s call it “Garlic” routing. In garlic routing, multiple messages are bundled together, messages undergo several layers of encryption using the public keys of selected nodes within the network, making it more challenging for attackers to analyze network traffic.

Unlike onion routing, an encrypted packet in garlic routing can contain multiple packets (referred to as “garlic cloves”) with different destinations. Here, the sender need not specify a return path for the message. Therefor it is unidirectional. For those aren’t the fans of onion and garlic — accept them; maybe just in the online world?

I2P (Invisible Internet Project) is an open-source and free software that enables users to communicate anonymously on the internet. It is a decentralized peer-to-peer network that routes internet traffic through a series of randomly selected servers, similar to Tor, in order to conceal the user’s IP address and location.

As we connect to I2P network, the internet traffic gets encrypted and routes through several randomly selected nodes, called “routers.” Each router decrypts only one layer of encryption, which disclose only the information to route the traffic to the next node. When traffic reaches its destination, it has been through multiple layers of encryption and routing, which makes it very difficult to trace the original source of the traffic.

Okay, honestly tell me how many of you, knew about I2P and its working?? I guess a few. But how many of you knew about TOR? Many of you guys, right? I2P is less popular than TOR and it is used by smaller community but the major advantage of this is, it has a native support for eepsites (like onion sites in TOR, but with different working and addressing system)

Eepsites are secure and anonymous websites accessible exclusively through I2P network. These sites prioritize user privacy and gives a space for various activities while keeping the user's identity confidential.

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INSTALLATION:

1)???? Download the I2P from its official site Download - I2P ( geti2p.net ) . You can use this on any OS either Windows, Linux, Arc, Debian and even android I2P - Apps on Google Play .

2)???? To use I2P comfortably, you have to share some of your internet bandwidth. You can keep your settings default if your network is good. Otherwise, it will suggest you some setting.

3)???? You need to install java to make I2P run on your device.

4)???? Then your I2P network is UP!

5)???? Then, visit?https://localhost:7657 ?with your web browser. You will be greeted by the I2P router console, and you can modify bandwidth configurations. You can adjust the configurations according to your preferences. You can check your internet speed from here .

6)???? Now, you have to change your default proxy settings for running I2P service. If you are using Firefox, go to settings -> General -> Network Settings -> Proxy connections. Add loopback Ip 127.0.0.1 and Port 4444. If you are using edge, open settings -> proxy settings -> Ip = 127.0.0.1 and port = 4444.

7)???? Once you click “save”, your other websites will stop working. Only eepsites will work.

8)??? You can get many eep sites from the darknet but at first, you will not have any eepsites in your router’s address book. So, you will need to click on “jump” service. The reasons for this are somewhat technical and if you are really reading this blog on a serious note then do some research and post in comment section, I will be really glad. Right now, all you need to do is click on one of the jump service links. If one doesn’t work, try another (I had better luck using the second link).

9)???? So, now you must be connected to an eepsite and start to explore I2P darknet. Good place to find eepsites is “eepsite.com ” search engine.

10) For starting the anonymous web browser check these options and explore all the options turn by turn. ?

11)?? Follow the steps and make a setup.

Advantages Of I2P:

1. Distributed Anonymity: I2P’s distributed peer-to-peer model enhances anonymity by avoiding a centralized directory, making it more resistant against breaches.

2. Transparent Load Balancing among peers: Ensures efficient message distribution and reduce the risk of congestion.

3. Enhanced Security with Unique API: The use of its own API in communication adds an extra layer of security to I2P, distinguishing it from Tor and potentially minimizing certain security risks associated with standard protocols.

Disadvantages of I2P:

1. Steeper Learning Curve: complex to setup, configure and use.
2. Slow Speed in compared to other networks.
3. Limited Content Accessibility.

Difference between TOR and I2P:

So, open your laptop and dive deeper into the rabbit hole of anonymity. Share your new findings and questions in the comments below!