# internetcu.be brief ## Purpose Mentioned in: - https://internetcu.be/ - https://wiki.labriqueinter.net/doku.php?id=faq - https://ldn-fai.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/conference_intranet-ipv4-ou-internet-ipv6.pdf > Build a Free, Neutral and Decentralized Internet together > It achieves two things: > 1. It cleans your Internet access. To achieve this, it broadcast its own WiFi network. By using it, all your internet traffic goes through an encrypted tunnel (VPN). This way, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is not able to spy, filter or clamp down your internet access. In the future, the Internet Cube might integrate additional features such as automatically blocking ads and trackers, or other features to protect your privacy. > 2. It allows you to have your very own piece of Internet. This is what is called self-hosting : to have your own server, hosting services like a blog, a mailbox, file synchronization, contact and calendar synchronization, etc... This practice is made accessible through the YunoHost software. The Internet Cube therefore allows you to emancipate yourself from the GAFAMs and to take back control of your data. ## Hardware choice Mentioned in: - https://internetcu.be/ - https://pad.ilico.org/p/hardware_brique They recommend using the open hardware single-board computer (SBC) [LIME2](https://www.olimex.com/Products/OLinuXino/Home-Server/LIME2-SERVER-NO-HDD/open-source-hardware). When [thinking about alternatives](https://pad.ilico.org/p/hardware_brique) (back in 2015), they say they need to weight the cost of shifting architecture from 32bits to 64bits. ## Software choice Mentioned in: - https://internetcu.be/ Seems like the choice was a no-brainer for them, as the ones developing the internet cube are the same developing yunohost. ## Performance ### Network general performance Mentioned in: - https://wiki.labriqueinter.net/doku.php?id=perf:brique-end-to-end-bandwidth - https://pad.gresille.org/p/test-debit-brique They did tests with different connections and hardware devices. Some conclusions that can be gotten out of it: - VPN slows connection down, OpenVPN more than Wireguard. It is consistent with [many](https://vladtalks.tech/vpn/is-wireguard-faster-than-openvpn) [reports](https://www.wireguard.com/performance/) [around](https://restoreprivacy.com/vpn/wireguard-vs-openvpn/). - usb wifi performance is really bad for the use: although wired performance is close to ISP connection cap, using a wifi client computer to get through the wifi hotspot gives speeds of 8mbps. Further tests should be done with a clear set of client and servers, so you can measure the performance of wifi and understand the bottlenecks. ### WiFi performance Mentioned in: - https://wiki.labriqueinter.net/doku.php?id=perf:lime2-wifi-bandwidth - https://pad.gresille.org/p/test-debit-brique Although in their main website they suggest using a WIFI-R5370, a [non-free software usb wifi dongle](https://www.olimex.com/Products/USB-Modules/MOD-WIFI-R5370-ANT/), then the reported tests are done using a WIFI-AR9271, a [free software usb wifi dongle](https://www.olimex.com/Products/USB-Modules/MOD-WIFI-AR9271-ANT/). The tests were reported in 2020. > The tests were done using iperf3 between a computer and the Lime2 using Wi-Fi. With free radio firmware: - AR9271 as sender 14.9 Mbits/sec - AR9271 as receiver 21.4 Mbits/sec With non-free radio firmware: - AR9271 as sender 36.9 Mbits/sec - AR9271 as receiver 28.8 Mbits/sec ## Remaining issues Mentioned in: - https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/YunoHost ### Challenges inherited from the internet-of-things (IoT) Similar to a 'thing' that is connected to the internet, it has the potential difficulties of any other device that the user doesn't know how it works neither is put in charge of maintaining it: - backdoors - falling behind with security upgrades - accidental mis-use Referenced is this talk: https://confs.imirhil.fr/20170520_hack2g2_autohebergement.pdf The transcription of the talk can be found here: https://april-org.translate.goog/auto-hebergement-fausse-bonne-idee-aeris?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=es-419&_x_tr_pto=ajax,se,elem An article that sums the issues is this one: https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/7/12/12159766/internet-of-things-iot-internet-of-shit-twitter ### SD Durability Mentioned in: - https://april-org.translate.goog/auto-hebergement-fausse-bonne-idee-aeris?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=es-419&_x_tr_pto=ajax,se,elem This is a recurring issue - https://www.wildlabs.net/community/thread/998 And some manufacturers tried to tackle it on the SD side: -https://www.flashmemorysummit.com/English/Collaterals/Proceedings/2015/20150813_FL31_Chang.pdf - https://www.atpinc.com/blog/industrial-sd-cards-factors-requirements-to-consider ## Community space The project lacks a web community space, but offers a developer mailing list and some IRC channels. There is also a community of selfhosters called chatons, that looks like is the one used by many to share their experiences, but haven't dig into into it much: https://www.chatons.org/en Pretty interesting space, were not only providers are shown but also [services and alternatives](https://www.chatons.org/search/by-service). ## Similar projects Mentioned in: - https://wiki.labriqueinter.net/doku.php?id=faq ### FreedomBox They mention the [freedombox](https://www.freedomboxfoundation.org/) as a similar project. Although they have similar objectives, they differ in the approach. #### Ease of use for newcomers While internetcu.be (through yunohost) tries to abstract the complexities of system maintenance from the users, while freedombox simplifies processes by bundling everything into one package, but doesn't try to distance users from the sysadmin tasks required for any system to run. #### Maintenance Derived from the former, yunohost's abstraction simplifies tasks for the users. Freedombox encourages the user to hop into a forum for free community support as a mean for approaching the maintenance of the device: https://discuss.freedombox.org/c/pioneer-support/ > Once you buy a Pioneer FreedomBox Home Server, the FreedomBox community will give you free technical support for the software. We created a special category in our forum for owners of the Pioneer FreedomBox Home Servers. Pioneers can post new questions or browse this category for previously asked questions. ## Related comments ### IoT search engine Shodan is the world's first search engine for Internet-connected devices. A search of yunohost admin page shows 6260 results: https://www.shodan.io/search?query=yunohost%2Fadmin