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Introduction

Welcome to Bethrou, a simple peer-to-peer proxy network built on libp2p.

What is Bethrou?​

Bethrou is a peer-to-peer proxy network that allows you to route your internet traffic through trusted exit nodes using a private network. It's an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) designed to demonstrate decentralized proxy functionality.

Key Features​

  • Private Networks: Uses pre-shared keys (PSK) for network isolation
  • P2P Architecture: Built on libp2p for robust peer-to-peer communication
  • SOCKS5 Proxy: Local SOCKS5 server for easy browser/application integration
  • NAT Traversal: Support for relay nodes to handle NAT and firewall issues
  • Node Discovery: Redis-based pub/sub for dynamic node discovery
  • Load Balancing: Multiple routing strategies (random, round-robin, fastest)

How It Works​

  1. Client starts and loads exit node addresses (static or via discovery)
  2. Client creates a SOCKS5 proxy server on localhost:1080
  3. Applications connect to the SOCKS5 proxy
  4. Client establishes libp2p connections to exit nodes
  5. Proxy requests are forwarded through libp2p streams to exit nodes
  6. Exit nodes make actual TCP connections to destination addresses
  7. Traffic flows: App → SOCKS5 → libp2p → Exit Node → Internet

Use Cases​

  • Privacy: Route traffic through trusted nodes you control
  • Testing: Test applications from different network locations
  • Development: Create isolated network environments for testing
  • Learning: Understand P2P networking and libp2p architecture

Project Status​

🚧 This is an MVP - a minimum viable product for demonstration and learning purposes.

What works:

  • ✅ Private P2P networks with PSK

  • ✅ SOCKS5 proxy interface

  • ✅ NAT traversal via relay nodes

  • ✅ Redis-based node discovery

  • ✅ Multiple routing strategies

  • ✅ Connection pooling and health checks

Limitations:

  • No authentication/authorization system

  • Limited error handling in some areas

  • No persistent configuration management

  • Discovery mechanism is basic

  • No built-in encryption beyond libp2p transport

Tech Stack​

  • Language: Go 1.24.7
  • Networking: libp2p for P2P communication
  • Discovery: Redis with pub/sub
  • Proxy: SOCKS5 protocol
  • Transport: Multiple libp2p transports (TCP, QUIC, WebRTC)

Next Steps​

Ready to get started? Head over to the Installation guide to set up Bethrou.