Last updated: December 25, 2022
I2P is an anonymous network that looks more like Tor than other software like «darknet». Not only does it share its “onion” architecture, but it also allows you to access hidden sites (the eepSites equivalent to Tor hidden services), to connect anonymously to the Internet.
As on theTOR use, only the outgoing node is aware of the information in clear text, but it does not know who requested it. I2P especially offers a whole bunch of plugins which are capable of communicating with each other from end to end without leaving this subnetwork (Instant messaging, email, forum, anonymous blog, decentralized file storage, etc.).
But what will interest us here is the support of the BitTorrent protocol. Thanks to I2PSnark, I2P turns into a real BitTorrent client.
Certainly, the functionalities are reduced in particular because of the Web interface which offers less freedom than a real software, but these downloads are anonymous and go completely unnoticed by "surveillance".
Attention: This is not just any torrent. Don't expect to download from t411 or torrent9 since only trackers compatible with I2P can be used. And, these trackers, you will only find them from the hidden Web of I2P, the famous eepSites which we spoke to you about above…
In this tutorial, you will first learn how to install I2P then you will see how to find Torrents files from the hidden web and use I2PSnark to download anonymously.
How to install I2P?
Let's start with download I2P software then let's install it. During the process, check the box to implement Windows Service.
Normally your firewall should wake up to ask you to set the software as an exception. Click on allow access. Then start Start I2P (restartable) and wait for it to finish its scan.
I2P only has a web interface through a browser. It is therefore recommended to use another browser than the one you are using if you wish to remain anonymous.
How to configure your browser with I2P?
At that point, your browser might open to the console page (the home page if you will), but it's still too early to start. Your browser will need to be configured in order to use the I2P features. Here are the procedures to follow for web browsers: Firefox, Chrome and Internet explorer.
I2P with a Firefox browser
To configure I2P in Firefox, nothing could be simpler.
- Go to Firefox, click on Tools, Options, click on the advanced tab and on the Network tab.
Then click on the settings button: You should have the following window on the screen:
- In the Connection Settings window, click the circle next to the Manual proxy configuration field. Enter the HTTP Proxy: 127.0.0.1, port 4444 field. Enter the SSL Proxy: 127.0.0.1, port 4445 field.
- Make sure to enter in the “No proxy for” box: localhost and 127.0.0.1. Finally set the FTP proxy port to the same settings as the HTTP proxy.
I2P with a Chrome browser and Internet Explorer
If you have a Google Chrome or Internet Explorer browser:
- Go to Chrome, click on the menu icon at the top right, then click on Settings -> show advanced settings (located at the bottom of the page).
- In the Network section, click Change Proxy Settings. Choose the “Connections” tab and click “Network Settings” for proxy port configuration.
- Now check “use a proxy server for your LAN”. Click the Advanced button to open the window to open the ports. Enter the values as in the image, IP 127.0.0.1 and port 4444 for HTTP, port 4445 for HTTPS. Click OK to save your settings and your browser becomes ready to use the I2P proxy.
- Restart the browser and go to this address: http://127.0.0.1:7657. After a few minutes you should see network: OK at the top left.
Connection with I2P
Well done, you are now ready to surf the web anonymously and use eepSites.
However, I2P can take a long time to integrate into the network the first time you launch it because it bootstraps into the network and becomes aware of additional peers. So some eepSites will not be immediately available.
The longer I2P runs, the better it will perform. So try to keep it running for as long as you can.
For my part it took me 10 minutes to be able to access the hidden site diftracker.i2p (a French-speaking tracker).
Now let’s look at BitTorrent…
How to use I2PSnark?
In Applications and Configuration, at the bottom right, you will see an icon Torrents. Click on it to start I2PSnark.
It is a basic interface with the possibility of using magnet links.
Go to the French-speaking tracker: diftracker.i2p, choose the file you want to download and paste its magnet link in the field from the URL. Then click on add torrent. Wait a few minutes and the download will begin...
Conclusion
We have seen that downloading torrents anonymously is indeed possible. However, downloads are far from being as fast as software BitTorrent "Normal" genre uTorrent. Where with a standard ADSL connection you can expect 1000 kb / s, with I2PSnark you will peak at 30 kb / s.
You therefore have to be patient for most downloads, but it is the price of a much stronger guarantee of anonymity. : )