NAT traversal

[mxinden]

This GitHub issue tracks the status of NAT traversal capabilities for rust-libp2p. For an overview across libp2p implementations see libp2p/specs#312.

Please comment below to suggest additions or corrections.

Contributions of any form are welcome. Before you start working on something, please comment below to make sure no work is duplicated.

---

Transport protocols

• TCP + port-reuse
• QUIC
  • transports/quic: Add implementation based on quinn-proto #2289
  • Quic attempt 4 #2801
• Websockets (for signaling with browsers)
• WebRTC
  • Native implementation of WebRTC #1066
  • feat: Add WebRTC transport #2622

TURN-like protocols

• circuit relay v1
• circuit relay v2
  • Add spec fo circuit relay v2 protocol specs#314
  • protocols/relay: Implement circuit relay v2 protocol  #2059

Signaling protocols

• Direct connection upgrade through relay
  • relay/DCUtR: Add Direct Connection Upgrade through Relay protocol specs#173
  • protocols: Implement Direct Connection Upgrade through Relay (dcutr) #2076
  • Blocked on:
    • core/: Concurrent connection attempts - aka. happy eyeball #1896
    • swarm/: Enable dialing a specific fixed set of addresses for a single peer #2249
    • {swarm,core}/: Allow specifying the role of a connection in NetworkBehaviourAction::Dial #2250

STUN-like protocols

• STUN
• AutoNAT
  • Add spec for AutoNAT specs#180
  • protocols/: Add basic AutoNAT implementation #2262

Other protocols

• multistream-select v1 simultaneous open
  • multistream-select 1.0: simultaneous open protocol extension specs#196
  • misc/multistream-select: Implement simultaneous open extension #2066
• UPnP
  • feat: automate port-forwarding e.g. via UPnP #3903

Misc

• Parallel connection attempts to increase hole punch success rate
  • core/: Concurrent connection attempts - aka. happy eyeball #1896
  • core/: Concurrent connection attempts #2248
• Enable dialing a specific fixed set of addresses for a single peer
  • swarm/: Enable dialing a specific fixed set of addresses for a single peer #2249
• Allow specifying the role of a connection in NetworkBehaviourAction::Dial
  • {swarm,core}/: Allow specifying the role of a connection in NetworkBehaviourAction::Dial #2250
  • core/src/transport: Add Transport::dial_as_listener #2363

[mxinden]

Changelog

• Referenced protocols/relay: Implement circuit relay v2 protocol  #2059 as the rust-libp2p circuit relay v2 implementation.

[mxinden]

Changelog

• Referenced Autonat #1672 for AutoNAT implementation (thanks @dvc94ch).

[mxinden]

Changelog

• Reference misc/multistream-select: Implement simultaneous open extension #2066 - an multistream-select 1.0 simultaneous open extension implementation.

[mxinden]

Changelog

• Reference protocols: Implement Direct Connection Upgrade through Relay (dcutr) #2076 - a Direct Connection Upgrade through Relay implementation for rust-libp2p.

[mxinden]

Changelog

• Reference core/: Concurrent connection attempts - aka. happy eyeball #1896 to increase hole punch success rate.

[mxinden]

Changelog

• Reference draft pull request core/: Concurrent connection attempts #2248 fixing core/: Concurrent connection attempts - aka. happy eyeball #1896.

[mxinden]

Changelog

• Reference swarm/: Enable dialing a specific fixed set of addresses for a single peer #2249 and {swarm,core}/: Allow specifying the role of a connection in NetworkBehaviourAction::Dial #2250
• Document blockers for protocols: Implement Direct Connection Upgrade through Relay (dcutr) #2076

[mxinden]

Changelog

• With core/: Concurrent connection attempts #2248 merged, mark Parallel connection attempts to increase hole punch success rate as done.

[mxinden]

Changelog

• swarm/: Enable dialing a specific fixed set of addresses for a single peer #2249 is fixed and released.
• Remaining work to enable basic hole punching in rust-libp2p
  • misc/multistream-select: Implement simultaneous open extension #2066
  • protocols/relay: Implement circuit relay v2 protocol  #2059
  • protocols: Implement Direct Connection Upgrade through Relay (dcutr) #2076

[mxinden]

Great news! I have been able to punch through both NATs and Firewalls using #2066 #2059 and #2076.

The "only" thing missing for basic hole punching in rust-libp2p are code-reviews for the pull requests above.

Do folks have some time to spare? I know it is a large amount of code. Reviews of subsets are just fine. Maybe @thomaseizinger, @elenaf9. @wngr, @divagant-martian or @MarcoPolo? 😇

Also happy to post a write-up on how folks can punch some holes themselves in case there is interest.

[mxinden]

Changelog

• Track draft implementation for {swarm,core}/: Allow specifying the role of a connection in NetworkBehaviourAction::Dial #2250 namely core/src/transport: Add Transport::dial_as_listener #2363
• Track protocols/: Add basic AutoNAT implementation #2262 instead of Autonat #1672

[mxinden]

Changelog

• AutoNAT implementation merged via protocols/: Add basic AutoNAT implementation #2262.
• Circuit Relay implementation merged via protocols/relay: Implement circuit relay v2 protocol  #2059.

[mxinden]

Changelog

• core/src/transport: Add Transport::dial_as_listener #2363 is merged and released.
• protocols/: Implement Direct Connection Upgrade through Relay (DCUtR) #2438 is merged.

Thus all protocols for basic hole punching are in master now 🎉 If you want to punch holes yourself, check out #2460.