I2P — A Self-Contained Anonymity Network
#

I2P (the Invisible Internet Project) is an anonymity network with a different design philosophy than Tor. Where Tor is built primarily to let you access the regular internet anonymously, I2P is a self-contained network — a “darknet” where services and communication live entirely inside the network itself.

How I2P Differs From Tor
#

	Tor	I2P
Primary purpose	Access the regular internet anonymously	Run services and communicate within I2P
Routing method	Onion routing (layered encryption, 3 hops)	Garlic routing (bundles multiple messages together)
Exit to regular internet	Yes (via exit nodes)	Limited (via “outproxies”)
Hidden services	.onion sites	Eepsites (.i2p addresses)
Contributes to network	Optional	Default — your node routes others’ traffic
Setup complexity	Easy (Tor Browser)	Moderate

The key difference: I2P routes other people’s traffic through your node by default, which strengthens the network for everyone. You are not just a consumer of the anonymity network — you are part of it. This is more aligned with the Collective’s values around community-owned infrastructure.

What I2P Is Good For
#

Peer-to-peer file sharing — I2P includes i2psnark, a built-in BitTorrent client. Transfers happen entirely inside the network, with no IP addresses exposed to external trackers.

Hidden services (eepsites) — Websites and services that exist only inside I2P, accessible only to I2P users. These can be run by communities, collectives, or individuals without exposing a server’s location or IP.

Encrypted internal communication — I2P has built-in encrypted email (I2P-Bote) and messaging tools designed for network-internal use.

Community infrastructure — Because anyone can run services inside I2P, it’s a natural fit for collectively-run infrastructure that doesn’t depend on any company’s servers.

What I2P Is Not Good For
#

Browsing the regular internet anonymously (use Tor for that)
Quick setup — I2P takes more configuration than Tor Browser
Accessing mainstream websites (most aren’t available inside I2P)

Getting Started
#

Get I2P: geti2p.net

I2P runs as a background application on your computer and provides a local web interface (usually at 127.0.0.1:7657) for configuration and using its services.

After installation:

Let the router run for a few minutes to integrate into the network and find peers
Explore the built-in applications via the router console
For browsing internal I2P sites, configure your browser to use I2P’s built-in HTTP proxy (port 4444 by default)

The I2P documentation at geti2p.net is thorough and worth reading before diving in.

I2P and the Collective
#

I2P’s model — where participants contribute to the network rather than just consuming it — aligns naturally with our values around community-owned infrastructure. Running an I2P node is a small contribution to a global network that exists outside corporate control. If the Collective sets up I2P-internal services (a community bulletin board, file sharing, or communication tools), we’ll announce it through the mailing list.