# ntop/n2n

Peer-to-peer VPN

Repository: https://github.com/ntop/n2n
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/n2n
Language: C
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: peer-to-peer, vpn
Last push: 2026-08-05T08:59:21+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 66/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 96, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3601, "days_push": 28, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 7005, forks 1014 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:53.215401+00:00)

## What it is
n2n is a lightweight peer-to-peer VPN written in C that creates encrypted virtual networks capable of bypassing intermediate firewalls. It uses a supernode for peer discovery and relaying, while edge nodes establish direct UDP connections when possible.

## Use cases
- create a virtual LAN between remote machines
- connect home and office computers behind firewalls
- set up a private encrypted overlay network
- bypass restrictive NAT devices to link peers
- run a self-hosted VPN with a lightweight supernode
- join multiple machines into communities over the internet

## When to choose
- you need a lightweight, fast VPN in C with minimal dependencies
- you want peer-to-peer connections with NAT traversal instead of routing all traffic through a server
- you need to link machines across firewalls without a full VPN infrastructure
- you want community-based multi-network support on a single supernode

## When to avoid
- you need a full-featured enterprise VPN with GUI management
- you require OpenVPN/WireGuard protocol compatibility
- you need site-to-site routing of entire subnets with advanced policy controls
- you prefer a VPN with extensive third-party audit history

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: vpn, networking, p2p, cryptography, security
- domain: networking, security, privacy, self-hosted
- platform: windows, cross-platform, cli
- tags: peer-to-peer, vpn, supernode, edge-nodes, virtual-network, nat-traversal, firewall-bypass, encryption, c, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- ntop/n2n (main) score 66

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:53.215401+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:40:44.819872+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/ntop/n2n (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:53.215401+00:00, sha 454e1df35f63)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.