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Configuration Guide

Comprehensive guide to configuring Bethrou for different use cases.

Configuration Overview​

Bethrou has two components with different configuration approaches:

  • Client: Configured via YAML file (client.yaml)
  • Node: Configured via command-line flags

Network Key Setup​

Generate and distribute the network key:

# Generate once
echo "/key/swarm/psk/1.0.0/" > network.key
echo "/base16/" >> network.key
openssl rand -hex 32 >> network.key

# Secure permissions
chmod 600 network.key

# Copy to all machines
scp network.key user@client-host:~/
scp network.key user@node-host:~/

Basic Configuration​

Minimal Client​

key: "network.key"

server:
  listen: "127.0.0.1:1080"
  auth: false

routing:
  strategy: random
  health: 30s
  timeout: 10s

nodes:
  - id: 12D3KooW...
    addrs:
      - /ip4/192.168.1.100/tcp/4000/p2p/12D3KooW...

discovery:
  enabled: false

log:
  level: info
  format: text

Minimal Node​

bethrou-node start --listen /ip4/0.0.0.0/tcp/4000

Common Scenarios​

Single Exit Node​

Use case: Simple setup with one trusted exit node.

Client configuration:

key: "network.key"

server:
  listen: "127.0.0.1:1080"
  auth: false

routing:
  strategy: random
  health: 30s
  timeout: 10s

nodes:
  - id: 12D3KooWExample...
    addrs:
      - /ip4/203.0.113.50/tcp/4000/p2p/12D3KooWExample...

discovery:
  enabled: false

log:
  level: info
  format: text

Multiple Exit Nodes​

Use case: Redundancy and load balancing.

Client configuration:

key: "network.key"

server:
  listen: "127.0.0.1:1080"
  auth: false

routing:
  strategy: round-robin
  health: 30s
  timeout: 15s

nodes:
  - id: 12D3KooWNode1...
    addrs:
      - /ip4/203.0.113.10/tcp/4000/p2p/12D3KooWNode1...
  - id: 12D3KooWNode2...
    addrs:
      - /ip4/203.0.113.20/tcp/4000/p2p/12D3KooWNode2...
  - id: 12D3KooWNode3...
    addrs:
      - /ip4/203.0.113.30/tcp/4000/p2p/12D3KooWNode3...

discovery:
  enabled: false

log:
  level: info
  format: text

Dynamic Discovery​

Use case: Automatically discover available exit nodes.

Node:

bethrou-node start \
  --listen /ip4/0.0.0.0/tcp/4000 \
  --discover \
  --discover-address redis://redis.example.com:6379 \
  --discover-topic bethrou-prod

Client:

key: "network.key"

server:
  listen: "127.0.0.1:1080"
  auth: false

routing:
  strategy: fastest
  health: 30s
  timeout: 10s

nodes: []

discovery:
  enabled: true
  address: "redis://redis.example.com:6379"
  topic: "bethrou-prod"
  timeout: "10s"

log:
  level: info
  format: text

NAT Traversal​

Use case: Clients or nodes behind NAT/firewall.

Public relay node:

bethrou-node start \
  --listen /ip4/0.0.0.0/tcp/4000 \
  --relay-mode \

Client behind NAT:

key: "network.key"

server:
  listen: "127.0.0.1:1080"
  auth: false

routing:
  strategy: random
  health: 30s
  timeout: 10s

nodes:
  - id: 12D3KooWNode...
    relay: /ip4/203.0.113.100/tcp/4000/p2p/12D3KooWRelay...

discovery:
  enabled: false

log:
  level: info
  format: text

Routing Strategies​

Random​

Best for: Load distribution

routing:
  strategy: random

Round-Robin​

Best for: Fair distribution

routing:
  strategy: round-robin

Fastest​

Best for: Performance

routing:
  strategy: fastest
  health: 30s  # Check latency every 30s

Troubleshooting Configuration​

Client can't connect to nodes​

  1. Verify node is running
  2. Check peer ID matches
  3. Verify network.key is identical
  4. Test connectivity: nc -zv node-ip 4000

Discovery not working​

  1. Test Redis: redis-cli -h redis-host ping
  2. Check topic names match
  3. Verify authentication credentials
  4. Enable debug logging

Performance issues​

  1. Use fastest routing strategy
  2. Increase health check interval
  3. Add more exit nodes
  4. Check network latency

Best Practices​

  1. Use HTTPS: Always use HTTPS for sensitive traffic
  2. Secure keys: Set network.key permissions to 600
  3. Monitor logs: Regularly review logs for issues
  4. Multiple nodes: Use at least 2-3 exit nodes for redundancy
  5. Remote DNS: Enable "Proxy DNS" in browser
  6. Regular rotation: Rotate network keys periodically

Next Steps​