In the meantime a new website, and most importantly, the development of the Peernet Browser, is underway!

Check out the other official Peernet Channels

Website:
https://peernet.org/

Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/peernetofficial/

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/PeernetOfficial

Dev Forum:
https://talk.peernet.org/

Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/PeerNet/

The Peernet Browser allows users to search for and view public files on the Peernet network.

Three main features:
- Home tab: search for specific content
- Explore tab: browse recently shared files in the network and view content
- Upload button: share your own files

Peernet is completely decentralized. There is no central server that would censor or restrict content. The user shares and consumes what they choose.

Here's a screenshot of the mockup Browser!

Our tech is coming along.
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 80%

We are currently finalizing the API spec which is used by the Peernet Browser:
https://github.com/PeernetOfficial/core/tree/master/webapi

Testing Peernet on Windows 11 for the first time (using the Cmd client) - it works fine!

The screenshot shows that the client is connected to other peers, both via internet and the local network.

#Windows11 #P2P #decentralized

The Peernet protocol was designed to work fine even with crappy internet connectivity. This was just a live test on an international train 🚄 with Wifi and high packet loss.

The magic:
☑️ UDP only
☑️ 1 packet = establishes connection (can't be more efficient than that!)
☑️ Small cryptographic signature (thanks to secp256k1) establishes trust
☑️ Packet header includes blockchain height and version, supported features
☑️ Full IPv4/IPv6 dual-stack support
☑️ Local peer discovery via IPv6 Multicast and IPv4 Broadcast

Another special feature:
📶 Even with no internet connection, it connects to other peers on the same train (in the same Wifi network)!

➡️ As soon as 3 peers are connected, it's considered an established Peernet network.

All these features have actual purpose and translate directly into improved user experience (compared to other protocols/P2P networks).

Progress of the backend code: ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░ 84%

In the last 2 weeks the API (used by the Browser) was finalized. Sorting and filtering options were added for the file search.
Next on is live exchange of blockchains and files, and the decentralized search engine.

The core library code is published here: https://github.com/PeernetOfficial/core

We added authentication to the internal API that is used between frontend and backend. It secures against attacks like these (malicious website using DNS rebinding):

https://blog.ret2.io/2019/08/28/sia-coin-dns-rebinding/

Both the API key and the port number of the API are randomized.
(if the port number was fixed, an attacker could try to figure out whether Peernet is running or not by using port scanners)

There are even experimental port scanners in JavaScript that could be hosted on any website - potentially leaking sensitive info:

https://incolumitas.com/2021/01/10/browser-based-port-scanning/

We've made a small but important change to the Peernet protocol to improve connectivity: A flag for peers to indicate if they are likely behind a firewall.
In practice this is especially important for the Windows Firewall and non-admin accounts (in which case by default it will block unsolicited incoming packets).

The count of peers that self-report to be behind a firewall is a new KPI tracked here: https://1.peernet.network/

We are currently preparing to launch our new website. As part of that, we moved it into our datacenter. We are our own ISP and hosting provider.

(You can verify this by checking the IPv4 and IPv6 of peernet.org and looking it up in a whois database)

While we don't anticipate that our legacy internet website faces the risk of takedown like in the following linked article, it is a good reminder of the general risks of using 3rd parties such as Amazon:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/03/03/parler-sues-amazon-again-in-wake-of-deplatforming/

We have received our EV code signing certificate!
Official releases of our Peernet Browser are digitally signed.

This means our signed executables are tamper proof (any modification will result in invalidating the signature). Since we are using an extended validation (EV) certificate, it means that the Windows SmartScreen will not yell ("... prevented an unrecognized app") when downloading the browser for the first time.

We are feature complete for the MVP! Launch: Tomorrow! 🎉
The last (and most important) missing feature was the search for files.

▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 100%

We just launched the MVP! 🎉🥳
➡️ https://peernet.org

Download our new Peernet Browser which has these basic features:
1️⃣ Search Files 🔍
2️⃣ Explore
3️⃣ Share content with the world 🌍

100% decentral. No intermediaries.

Our vision is to add social features next year, and a payment network later on. We want to support independent content creators - you!

With Peernet you are in control. Your metadata is shared via your own blockchain.

The Peernet protocol is specified in the whitepaper https://peernet.org/dl/Peernet%20Whitepaper.pdf

Looking for the code? Here's the core library: https://github.com/PeernetOfficial/core

The current installer does not support installing the .NET framework ☹️, so we are exploring a different one which will ask to download the right .NET framework as appropriate.
To do it manually for now download '.NET Desktop Runtime 5.0.13' x64 from: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/5.0

We just released Peernet Alpha 6! 🎉🥳
Download here: https://peernet.org

It is a bugfix release that fixes problems from our last MVP release.

Changelog:
---- Alpha 6 Fixes ----
Release date: 31.12.2021

Fixes:
* Setup: .NET was not installed
* Setup: Missing option 'Pin to taskbar'
* Browser: Crashes when sharing large (2 GB+) files
* Browser: Unexpected status from backend resulted in crash. Now it shows an error notification that is expandable.
* Browser: Icon badly visible on dark status bar -> switched to light blue icon.
* Browser: Handle file extension on upload as separate field resulting in less confusion.
* Browser: Theme option is not remembered.
* Browser: Better exception handling.
* Backend: Detect if firewall exception was not set during setup and auto-set firewall flag.

New:
* KPIs "Files Shared" and "Bytes of Content" via 1.peernet.network
* Browser: New frontend log file storing error messages.

Internal:
* Initial mobile client proof-of-concept (Android).