Here’s a detailed explanation of I2P — what it is, how it works, and its real-world use cases:

---

🛡️ What is I2P?

I2P stands for the Invisible Internet Project. It is an anonymous, decentralized overlay network built to protect users’ privacy and identity by encrypting and routing traffic within a private network layer.

🔐 Unlike Tor, which focuses on accessing the public internet anonymously, I2P is a network within itself — for anonymous peer-to-peer communication, file sharing, web hosting, and email.

---

🧠 How I2P Works

• I2P encrypts your traffic in layers and routes it through volunteer-run nodes within the I2P network.
• It uses garlic routing (an enhanced form of onion routing), where multiple messages are bundled together into one encrypted packet.
• I2P addresses end in “.i2p” and are only accessible inside the I2P network.

📡 I2P does not use DNS — it uses a distributed address book to resolve .i2p sites.

---

🔄 I2P vs Tor (Quick Comparison)

Feature	I2P	Tor
Focus	Anonymous internal services	Anonymous access to the public web
Routing	Garlic Routing (multiple messages)	Onion Routing (single path)
Website Type	.i2p (eepsites)	.onion
Peer-to-Peer Support	✅ Native	❌ Not built-in
Access Surface Web	⚠️ Experimental (via outproxy)	✅ Easily supported
Latency/Speed	Faster for internal apps	Better for browsing static sites

---

💡 Use Cases of I2P

✅ 1. Anonymous Web Hosting (Eepsites)

• Host .i2p websites that cannot be accessed from the public web
• No DNS, no IP exposure

✅ 2. P2P File Sharing

• Works with apps like I2PSnark (BitTorrent over I2P)
• Ideal for decentralized content distribution

✅ 3. Anonymous Email

• Use I2P-Bote, an end-to-end encrypted and anonymous email system

✅ 4. IRC / Chat Services

• Run secure, metadata-free chat systems (e.g., Irc2P)

✅ 5. Darknet App Development

• Build secure, censorship-resistant apps without central authority

---

🧰 Installing and Using I2P

1. Download the I2P software:
   https://geti2p.net
2. Run the router console (usually hosted at 127.0.0.1:7657)
   • This is your control panel for accessing I2P services
3. Configure your browser:
   • Set HTTP/SOCKS proxy to route traffic via I2P (localhost:4444)
4. Access .i2p sites:
   • Examples:
     • http://stats.i2p
     • http://zzz.i2p (community forum)

---

🌐 Popular Apps Inside I2P

App/Service	Function
I2PSnark	Anonymous BitTorrent client
I2P-Bote	Anonymous email system
SusiMail	Built-in mail client
Irc2P	Anonymous IRC-like chat
Eepsites	Host and browse anonymous websites

---

🛡️ Privacy Strengths of I2P

• End-to-end encryption for all communication
• Distributed architecture (no central servers)
• Garlic routing protects against metadata analysis
• Peer selection optimized for network speed and anonymity

---

⚠️ Limitations of I2P

• Harder to use than Tor (steeper learning curve)
• Not suitable for accessing regular websites
• Limited public adoption compared to Tor
• Manual setup needed for browser and apps

---

📌 Summary

Attribute	Value
Project Name	I2P (Invisible Internet Project)
Purpose	Anonymous internal network
Routing Method	Garlic routing
Extension Type	.i2p
Primary Use Cases	Anonymous hosting, chat, file sharing
Access to Clear Web	Limited (via Outproxy)
Website	https://geti2p.net

---