- Network Integration
- If you have just installed and started an I2P router, the number of Active Peers indicated under the Peers section in the side panel on the left will increase over the next few minutes. When an I2P router starts up, and during its regular operation, the tunnel build readiness indicator in the side panel may indicate that it is "Rejecting Tunnels." This is a normal behavior.
- Once the router has joined the network, a Local Tunnel named Shared Clients will appear. If not, see the troubleshooting section below. Local Tunnels provide connections to the I2P network, enabling bittorrent, email, web proxy and other services. The Network Database indicates all known peers on the network. Additionally, you can monitor existing Peer Connections, and view existing Tunnels and their status. More information is available on the help page. Once green circles are indicated next to your Local Tunnels, you can access the I2P network.

### Applications And Services

- I2P Browsing Functions
  A properly configured browser is needed for accessing content on the I2P network (I2P sites and services) and accessing clearnet content using the outproxy service specified in the Hidden Services Manager of the I2P router. Configure your browser to use the HTTP proxy at `127.0.0.1 port 4444`. If you wish to disable or change outproxy access, remove or modify the outproxy entry for `exit.stormycloud.i2p` in the Outproxies option in the I2P HTTP Proxy Tunnel Editor.
  There are semi-official and unofficial efforts to build browsing tools for I2P, including a preconfigured Firefox Browser profile, an easy-to-install WebExtension, or via automatic launchers in privacy-focused Linux distributions like Whonix. The easiest way to check if I2P network access is functioning properly is to visit /home of the I2P router console and click on the I2P website link in the Community section. If an I2P site address is not in your router address book, you will be prompted to use a jump service and given the option in the process.
- Email
  Postman's I2P-based mail (SusiMail) service can be accessed either via I2P's built-in mail client or with any external mail client. It is primarily intended for use with Postman’s email servers inside of the I2P network. It is designed to avoid leaking information about email use to other networks. SusiMail is bridged so it can send and receive email from the internet as well. Occasionally you may see some services like Gmail classifying it as spam, which you can correct in your Internet email service providers settings. For an account, visit hq.postman.i2p.
- I2PSnark BitTorrent Client
  I2PSnark Snark is an I2P network only BitTorrent client. It never makes a connection to a peer over any other network.
- IRC/Chat
  Start your IRC client (e.g. HexChat) and connect to the server at `127.0.0.1 port 6668`. You do not need to configure a proxy in your IRC client; I2P provides you with a local IRC tunnel (configured in your IRC client as an IRC server or remote host). Your local I2P IRC tunnel on `localhost:6668` will direct you to one of two IRC servers hosted on I2P by Postman and echelon, but neither you nor they know where the other is, and your communications are encrypted in transit by I2P to prevent interception. Once you're there, `#i2p-chat` and `#i2p-dev` are just a few of the available channels you may wish to join. You may run your own servers over I2P, such an other IRC servers, Jabber servers, website-based chat and more. If you are a developer, you can create your own I2P applications. Both UDP and TCP protocols are supported.
- The AddressBook
  This is a locally-defined list of human-readable addresses (e.g. i2p-projekt.i2p) and corresponding I2P addresses (udhdrtrcetjm5sxzskjyr5ztpeszydbh4dpl3pl4utgqqw2v4jna.b32.i2p). It integrates with other applications to allow you to use those human-readable addresses in place of those I2P addresses. It is more similar to a hosts file or a contact list than a network database or a DNS service. There is no recognized global namespace, you decide what any given .i2p domain maps to in the end.
- The QR Code Generator
  Besides the Address Book, I2P addresses can be shared by converting them into QR codes and scanning them with a camera. This is especially useful for Android devices.
- I2P Hidden Services Manager
  This is a general-purpose adapter for forwarding services ( ie SSH ) into I2P and proxying client requests to and from I2P. It provides a variety of “Tunnel Types” which are able to do advance filtering of traffic before it reaches I2P.
- Plugins for I2P
  Browse plugins and related information at wiki.i2p-projekt.i2p. If you're a developer, a complete framework for writing your own plugins is provided with documentation.

### Self-Host An I2P Site

- Built-in Web-Server
  I2P comes with a built-in web server for hosting your own hidden service website ("eepsite") on the I2P network: a Jetty instance listening on http://127.0.0.1:7658/. To host your own content, simply place your files in the `eepsite/docroot/` directory (or place any standard JSP/Servlet .war files under `eepsite/webapps`, or standard CGI scripts under `eepsite/cgi-bin`) and they'll show up. You can also run any alternative web server platform over I2P and replace the built-in server, or run it on another tunnel.
- Start Your Tunnel
  After starting up, your pre-configured I2P Webserver Tunnel, your website will be visible (but not discoverable) to others. Detailed instructions for starting your website, registering an .i2p domain and promoting your site to others are accessible via your own I2P webserver on http://127.0.0.1:7658/help/.
- Forums and Blogging
  Most blogging, forum and CMS software are compatible with the I2P network, It is advised to take extra precautions with security when setting up and to keep all associated software (e.g. Php, MySql, Python, Apache) up to date.

### I2P Community Resources

- Invisible Internet Project (I2P) Official Website
  i2p-projekt.i2p: Secure and anonymous connections to geti2p.net. If you want to know more about how I2P works or how you can participate, this is the first place to visit!
- I2P Forum
  i2pforum.i2p: A forum where I2P topics are discussed.
- I2P Planet
  planet.i2p: An RSS aggregator site that takes news and events from around the I2P network and publishes them all in one place. A good site to visit to see the community at work.
- I2P Bug Tracker - GitLab
  git.idk.i2p: I2P's issue reporting and bug-tracking system. Please visit if you have an issue to report, also available at https://i2pgit.org/

## Troubleshooting and Further Assistance

- Network Integration
  Your I2P router may be slow to integrate into network the first time you run it as it bootstraps into the network and finds peers. The longer your I2P router is running, the better it will perform, so try and keep your router on as long as you can, 24/7 if possible. If, after 30 minutes, your Active: [connected/recent] count still has less than 10 peers, or your total number of Integrated peers is less than 5, there are several things you can do to check for problems:
- Check Your Configuration and Bandwidth Allocation
  I2P functions best when you can accurately reflect the speed of your network connection in the bandwidth configuration section. By default I2P is configured with some fairly conservative values that will not suit many use cases, so please take time to review these settings and correct where necessary. The more bandwidth you allocate, specifically upstream bandwidth, the more you will benefit from the network.
- Firewalls, Modems and Routers
  Where possible, please ensure I2P/Java is allowed un-firewalled access from the internet by configuring your modem/router/pc firewall accordingly. If you're behind a prohibitive firewall but have unrestricted outbound access, I2P can still function; you can turn off inbound access and rely on SSU IP Address Detection (firewall hole punching) to connect you to the network, and your network status in the side panel will indicate "Network: Firewalled". For optimal performance, please ensure I2P's external port is visible from the internet. See below for more information.
- Check Your Proxy Settings
  If you cannot see any websites at all (not even i2p-projekt.i2p), make sure your browser's proxy is set to access http traffic (not https, not socks) via `127.0.0.1 port 4444`. If you need some help, there's a guide to configuring your browser for I2P use.
- Check Your Logs
  Logs may be helpful to resolve a problem. You may wish to paste excerpts in our forum for help, or perhaps paste it instead and reference the link on IRC for help.
- Verify Java is Up to Date
  Ensure your Java is up to date. Check your Java version at the top of the logs page.
- Problems running on Legacy Hardware
  [Linux/BSD] If you can't start the router with `i2p/i2prouter start` try the `runplain.sh` script in the same directory. Root privileges are never required to run I2P.
- Enable Universal Plug and Play (UPnP)
  Your modem or router probably supports UPnP for automatic port forwarding. Ensure UPnP support is enabled on your modem or router. Now try restarting the I2P router. If successful, I2P should report "Network: OK" in the side panel once the I2P router completes initial connectivity tests.
- Port Forwarding
  Open I2P's port on your modem, router and/or firewall(s) for better connectivity (ideally both UDP and TCP). More information on how to go about port forwarding can be easily found through a web search. Should you have any difficulties, you may request assistance in our forums and IRC channels listed below. Note that I2P does not support connecting to the internet via an http or socks proxy [patches welcome!], though you can connect to proxies via I2P itself once connected to the network.
- Getting Support Online
  You may also want to review the information on the I2P website, post messages to the I2P discussion forum or swing by #i2p or #i2p-chat on I2P's internal IRC network - Irc2P. These channels are also available outside of I2P's encrypted, anonymous network via Freenode IRC.
- Reporting Bugs
  To report a bug, please file a ticket on git.idk.i2p or, over clearnet, https://i2pgit.org/. For developer-related discussions, please visit zzz's developer forums or come and visit the developer channel on I2P's IRC network. Developers can browse source at git.idk.i2p.
- Get Involved!
  For information about how you can help the network or participate in I2P core development, visit the volunteers page on the website.

[Return to Top]