I2PTunnel

I2PTunnel is a software component of the Invisible Internet Project (I2P) that provides local TCP tunnels between a user’s computer and destinations within the I2P network. It enables applications to access I2P services or to expose local services to the I2P network by creating port-forwarding tunnels from the local machine to an I2P destination, or from I2P to the local host.

The program typically runs as part of the I2P router package and offers both a graphical user interface and a command-line interface. Users configure tunnels by specifying a local port, the target I2P destination (identified by an I2P address), and the tunnel type (inbound or outbound). The router then establishes the necessary tunnels so that traffic is routed through I2P using its internal inbound and outbound tunnel architecture.

Common use cases include making a local service available to the I2P network by mapping a local port to an I2P destination, or accessing I2P-hosted resources such as eepsites from a local application. I2PTunnel can also be used for testing and development, providing a simple way to bridge conventional software with I2P without requiring changes to the application code.

Implementation and availability: I2PTunnel is Java-based and cross-platform, typically bundled with the I2P software suite for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It is open-source and maintained as part of the I2P project, emphasizing ease of use for configuring and managing I2P tunnels. See also I2P, eepsites, and related routing components.