Mule
Many users use today a Firewall, this means, all ports for connections on a computer are closed from outside, except for the application, which is using the port. Then it is safe, as a data packet can only adress the one port and the one application using it.
The most Firewall software is showing by a pop up, that an application wants to go in or out to the internet, for I2P you just need to set an exception to the firewall, so that I2P can make connections to the Internet.
For more information about how firewalls work, please read the wikipedia.org about Firewalls.
Further information about how to install IMule and especially IMule with the external I2P Mix-Router will be written here the project gets more developers and contributors.
Be sure to not mix up the terms:
A) There is the Hardware-Router next to your Modem & PC.
B) There is the I2P-Router-Software (as well called "Mixer" or "Layer")
To configure your Hardware-Router, look here.
Imule has now two options, to use the I2P-Software-Router (the "Mix-Anonymity-Layer")
1) The Internal I2P-Router of IMule: Imule has the I2p-Anonymity-Layer already built in, and it is enabled by default. Go to IMule / Preferences / I2P-Connection / and see the box checked with "Enable internal I2P Server".
See the Picture for that:
If you download and install IMule, this is already pre-configures, just start IMule and wait a few minutes, then search for MP3, AVI, DVD, 2007 etc..
2) If you are an advanced user, you can try to use the normal I2P-Routersoftware by installing I2P. For that, go to the Homepage of I2P and read there, how to install Java and the I2P-Software and how to configure the software.
But in both cases, using the IMule-Internal-Router or the I2P-Router-Software, you need to configure your Hardware-Router, if you have one (e.g. for more than 2 PC´s) , and must forward ports. Read on our Hardware-Router-Page, how this is done.
IMule is based on the I2P Anonymity Network.
Which is a Router or Mixer-Network.
Try to adjust the sliders in the graphical simulation above.
The *I*nvisible *I*nternet *P*roject ("I2P") is routing the Files from Alice to Bob over Peter, Paul and Mary. This means, a Tunnel is created (Alice -> Peter -> Paul -> Mary -> Bob), over which the File is sent.
Your IP-Adress is not shown to the requester or owner of the file.
Second, I2P uses no IP-Adresses to let Alice and Bob communicate, but virtual generated IP-Adresses, so called Base-64-Keys. Once an Anonymity Tunnel is created, many applications are routing Traffic over I2P, because it is (thrid) all encrypted, you even do not know, if it is an Email or a Mp3-File.
Fourth, IMule then uses as well *new*/*other* virtual generated Client-Keys, which stuck (saddle up) to the I2P-Base-64-Keys.
This means it is a perfect Mixer, anonymous Tunnel and all encrypted. Read more about I2P»
