6 min read

I2P macOS Guide

I2P macOS Guide

This guide will walk you through downloading and installing the I2P router software, connecting to the I2P network, and checking your I2P network and clearnet browsing functions.

Ingredients

  1. Easy Install I2P Java Software for macOS (https://geti2p.net/en/)
  2. Firefox Browser (https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/)
  3. StormyCloud configured Outproxy https://geti2p.net/en/blog/post/2022/08/04/Enable-StormyCloud
  4. I2P in Private Browsing Mode add-on https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/i2p-in-private-browsing/

Just like your home router connects you to the internet, you will need a connection gateway to the the I2P network.  Let's get your router.

Start by downloading the I2P software for your Mac. Why do the instructions say that you do not need Java? It is because previous installers required that people install Java separately. The I2P software required it so that it could work. Times have changed thankfully! Hit that download button!

The I2P software and code is free to use, and this pop up is a reminder. Since free open source software (FOSS) is a wonderful thing that allows people to verify what they are using, and participate in building it, we are going to agree.

Drag this icon into your application folder.

Firefox Browser

I2P requires a browser, and will open in your default browser. Since Firefox includes many features that make browsing safe and secure, we suggest using it with I2P. Also, as we will discover in the next step, there is an add-on that will make accessing the I2P network seamless that works with the Firefox browser.

If you do not have Firefox installed, go get it. Make it the browser that I2P opens in.

I2P in Private Browsing Mode

You will be interacting with two browsing functions that your I2P installation provides through an outproxy service.  This is access to the I2P network, and to content on the internet, or clearnet as we in the privacy network community call it.

Now, we have a browser, but we need to configure it to handle these different browsing functions. This is why we will add I2P in Private Browsing Mode to our Firefox browser.

For the people who enjoy I2P history, here is an interlude.

Back in 2019 three people decided to work on an I2P browser. An I2P browser has always been in demand, and that year was the year. We all have ideas, and no grander idea existed than this. Some may say that we failed. I would say that we learned more than we failed. Bundling an I2P router in an application is no longer a mystery, and this add-on was forged from the fire that was set to our I2P browser dream.

What this add-on will do is seamlessly create the connection between the outproxy service and allow for our two browsing functions. It has added benefits, like using containers to help isolate our I2P traffic and other workflows. The add-on allows quick access to the router console to access email, the I2P BitTorrent client, and the Hidden Service manager too.

Add that to your Firefox Browser, and let's go start the I2P router.

Start Your Router, We Are Going To The I2P Network

Click this dock icon to start your I2P router. Note: I use the older version of the I2P router and this icon lives in the I2P folder in my applications folder. Since testing the easy install process I cannot remember if this icon automatically populates your dock or not. Either way, you can keep in the dock for the future.

You will be guided through a set up wizard that will allow you to test your bandwidth speeds and set how much you want to share. Peer-to-peer network routers share tasks, so your router needs to know how much of your bandwidth it can rely on for your participation in the network. The software sets good bandwidth sharing defaults, and you can also adjust this setting anytime.

I2P history interlude:

Back in 2016, connecting to the network was much slower. I think that we used even suggest making some coffee while you were waiting for the router to make its first connections. The development team has fixed that, and now connection times are much faster.

The other issue was trying to made bandwidth sharing and the need for resource sharing to actually help the network function more visible. This set up wizard was the solution to two things: create a buffer between starting the router and getting to the console so that people did not feel like the wait was so long to connect, and to include a way to introduce the need for bandwidth sharing and create a way to test your speed that so people could make that decision.

After going through the set up wizard, you will arrive at the router console. It will be open in your Firefox browser at 127.0.0.1. (/home).

This is an old screenshot - I keep my router updated! But this is a good example of what you will probably see.  Network firewalled? No problem - many home routers are. This means that your router will have a different relationship with the network than a non-firewalled router.  You will still be sharing tasks and able to participate in the network.

If you click the I2P logo in the corner, you will see a page called /console. Just click the logo to switch back and forth. The /console page will include news about the latest release ( and evidence that I am running the latest version as of this writing), and more detailed information about your network connection in the sidebar.

As long as you can see a green light for shared clients and some initial connections, your router is connected to the I2P network.

Let's Browse!

Your router is preconfigured with an outproxy service provider called StormyCloud. Here is where you can check that.
Open your Hidden Service Manager, which is in the Applications section of the router console. As we can see in this screenshot, StormyCloud is listed.

Next we are going to open I2P In Private Browsing Mode. The browsing function panel can be accessed by clicking on the add-on's icon.

The proxy ready light is green, so we know that it is communicating with the router.
The add-on uses a search engine for the I2P network called Legwork. This search area is for I2P network requests.

The I2P network has cats.

Sometimes the the Legwork service is unreliable, so there is another way to test your I2P network connection, and that is to go to the dev forum, or check the project website. Both links are included in the I2P Community Sites section of the router console (/home). If you can access these sites, then you know that your I2P network browsing function is working.

To test the outproxy, go back to the i2P in Private Browsing Mode icon and open the browsing functions window again.

In the Control section, click on New I2P Browser Tab. This will open a dark purple container. This function works for both I2P sites and for accessing clearnet sites. Want to check if this tab is using the outproxy for sure? Visit BGP Tools (https://bgp.tools/) and check out the IP information.

Enter a search for a site on the clearnet. It will take a bit longer to load. Here is an example using a site that has all lots of images and Instagram links.

Congratulations

You have successfully joined the I2P network and made sure that your browsing functions are working!

Please support StormyCloud. They provide stable and secure outproxy service for the I2P network. It takes time and resources to do that properly, and donations help them keep helping both the I2P and Tor network as well: https://stormycloud.org/.

Please help developers create more tools and applications. Idk has many WiP's for really helpful applications that will help more people share content to the network.