Skip to content

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to have a port opened?

This is optional, you can browse and use EpixNet sites without an open port. If you want to create a new site it's highly recommended to have an open port.

At startup EpixNet tries to open a port for you on your router using UPnP, if this fails you have to do it manually:

If it still doesn't work then try to find a 'port forwarding' section of your router page. This is different for every router. Here is a tutorial on YouTube. The port to forward is 15441.

Is EpixNet anonymous?

It's no more anonymous than BitTorrent, but privacy (the possibility to find out who is the owner of the comment/site) will increase as the network and the sites gains more peers.

EpixNet is made to work with anonymity networks: you can easily hide your IP using the Tor network.

How to use EpixNet with the Tor browser?

In Tor mode it is recommended to use EpixNet from within the Tor Browser:

  • Start the Tor Browser
  • Go to address about:config & accept risk warning
  • Search no_proxies_on
  • Double click the preference entry
  • Enter 127.0.0.1 & press OK
  • Open http://127.0.0.1:42222 in the browser

If you still see a blank page:

  • Click on NoScript's button (first on the toolbar)
  • Choose "Temporary allow all this page"
  • Reload the page

How to use EpixNet with Tor?

If you want to hide your IP address, you can enable Tor support when running EpixNet:

python3 epixnet.py --tor always

Or configure it in your epixnet.conf file:

[global]
tor = always

For Windows with Tor Browser:

python epixnet.py --tor_proxy 127.0.0.1:9150 --tor_controller 127.0.0.1:9151 --tor always

Tip: You can verify your IP address using EpixNet's Stats page.

Tip: If you get connection errors, make sure you have the latest version of Tor installed.

How to make EpixNet work with Tor under Linux/MacOS?

  • Install Tor for your OS following Tor's official guidelines: Linux Mac.
  • sudo nano /etc/tor/torrc
  • Remove the # character from lines ControlPort 9051 and CookieAuthentication 1 (line ~57)
  • Restart tor
  • Add permission for yourself to read the auth cookie. With Debian Linux, the command is sudo usermod -a -G debian-tor [yourlinuxuser]
    (if you are not on Debian check the file's user group by ls -al /var/run/tor/control.authcookie)
  • Logout/Login with your user to apply group changes

Tip: Use the ls -ld /var/run/tor command to make sure it has the correct drwxr-sr-x permission bits. (fix it with chmod g+sx /var/run/tor/ if necessary)

Tip: You can verify if your Tor setup is running correctly using echo 'PROTOCOLINFO' | nc 127.0.0.1 9051

Tip: It's also possible to use Tor without modifying torrc (or to use older versions of Tor clients), by running epixnet.py --tor disable --proxy 127.0.0.1:9050 --disable_udp, but then you will lose ability to talk with other .onion addresses.

How to configure Nginx reverse proxy for EpixNet?

  • Example configuration for /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/epixnet:
server {

    server_name yourhost.name;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:42222;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_read_timeout 1h;  # for long live websocket connetion
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
    }

    listen 80;
}
  • Create epixnet.conf file next to where your EpixNet.sh / epixnet.py file is:
[global]
ui_host = yourhost.name
  • Replace yourhost.name in the configuration files with a domain name that points to your server
  • Start EpixNet

Tip: For public proxies enable the Multiuser plugin by renaming plugins/disabled-Multiuser to plugins/Multiuser

Is it possible to use a configuration file?

Any command line configuration flag can also be used as a configuration option. Place these options line-by-line into a file called epixnet.conf in your top-level epixnet directory (the one with epixnet.py). Example:

[global]
data_dir = my-data-dir
log_dir = my-log-dir
ui_restrict =
 1.2.3.4
 2.3.4.5

To list possible options, use the epixnet.py --help command

How to make Tor work if my ISP or goverment blocks it?

EpixNet does not include Tor pluggable transports yet. The easiest way to make Tor work in a censored network is to start the Tor browser, configure it to connect to the Tor network with working pluggable transports, and modify EpixNet's config to use Tor browser's proxy and control port by starting EpixNet with --tor_controller 127.0.0.1:9151 --tor_proxy 127.0.0.1:9150 or by adding these parameters to epixnet.conf.

[global]
tor_controller = 127.0.0.1:9151
tor_proxy = 127.0.0.1:9150

Can I use the same username on multiple machines?

Yes, simply copy the data/users.json file to your new machine.

How to create a "fancy" (non .bit) site address?

Use EpixVanity to generate one. Once you get your keys, create data/epix1dash...543mv7xt9zlydsj9t directory. Put some files there.

Then navigate to http://127.0.0.1:42222/epix1dash...543mv7xt9zlydsj9t/. Drag the EpixLogo button to the left and use the sidebar to sign your site.

How to create a custom site address?

EpixNet site addresses are automatically generated when you create a new site. Each address is a unique bech32-encoded identifier with the "epix" prefix (e.g., epix1...).

To create a site:

  1. Visit the EpixNet dashboard at http://127.0.0.1:42222/
  2. Click ⋮ > "Create new, empty site"
  3. You'll be redirected to your new site that only you can modify
  4. Find your site files in the data/[your_site_address] directory
  5. Edit your content, then drag the "0" button left and click "Sign and publish"

Your site address is derived from your public key and cannot be customized, but you can use Epix Name Service to register a .epix domain name that points to your site.

How can I register a .epix domain?

You can register & manage .epix domains using Epix Name Service.

After the registration is done you have to add a xID idenity to the Epix Name Service.

What is an EpixNet site address?

EpixNet site addresses are unique identifiers generated using secp256k1 elliptic curve cryptography and encoded in bech32 format with the "epix" prefix (e.g., epix1...). Each site address is derived from a public key, and only the holder of the corresponding private key can modify the site's content.

Tip: Keep your private key secure! You need it to sign and publish updates to your site. Store it safely and never share it with anyone.

What happens when someone hosts malicious content?

Isolation & Responsibility

EpixNet sites are fully sandboxed, they operate independently and have the same privileges and limitations as any other website on the Internet. Each host is in complete control of what they publish and is legally responsible for their own content.

If malicious or illegal material appears, it affects only that host, not the wider network. Hosts (or the community) can immediately stop serving or block that content at any time.

Community-Driven Safety

A feature discussed in the community is a community driven AI auditing network that:

  • Continuously scans public EpixNet sites for signs of malware, exploits, or illegal content
  • Assigns trust scores and safety ratings to sites
  • Feeds data into an optional blacklist plugin available for all EpixNet clients and search engines
  • Enables the EpixNet client to warn users before visiting unverified or unsafe sites (similar to a browser’s SSL warning)
  • Preserves user freedom: Users always retain the choice to proceed if they choose

The Philosophy

EpixNet doesn't censor: it isolates threats, promotes transparency, and empowers users to make informed decisions.

"Tools are intent neutral. This is why we need to protect ourselves from illegal usage of our tools." — Kane Nexus

Is it possible to install EpixNet to a remote machine?

Yes, you have to enable the UiPassword plugin by renaming the plugins/disabled-UiPassword directory to plugins/UiPassword, then start EpixNet on the remote machine using
epixnet.py --ui_ip "*" --ui_password anypassword. This will bind the EpixNet UI webserver to all interfaces, but to keep it secure you can only access it by entering the given password.

Tip: You can also restrict the interface based on ip address by using --ui_restrict ip1 ip2.

Tip: You can specify the password in the config file by creating a epixnet.conf file and adding [global] and ui_password = anypassword lines to it.

Is there any way to track the bandwidth EpixNet is using?

The sent/received bytes are displayed at EpixNet's sidebar.
(open it by dragging the topright EpixLogo button to left)

Tip: Per connection statistics page: http://127.0.0.1:42222/Stats

What happens if two people use the same keys to modify a site?

Every content.json file is timestamped, the clients always accept the newest one with a valid signature.

Does EpixNet use the Epix blockchain?

EpixNet will use the Epix blockchain for any data that needs to be imutable, such as p2p transactions. EpixNet uses its own cryptographic system based on the secp256k1 elliptic curve for site addresses and content signing/verification. EpixNet addresses are unique to EpixNet and are encoded in bech32 format with the "epix" prefix.

Optionally, Epix blockchain can be used for domain registrations (.epix domains) by using the Epix Name Service, however clients do not download the blockchain. Blockchain metadata is instead passed over the EpixNet network.

Does EpixNet only support HTML, CSS websites?

EpixNet is built for dynamic, real-time updated websites, but you can serve any kind of files using it, such as (VCS repositories, your own thin-client, database, etc.

How can I create a new EpixNet site?

Follow these instructions.

What happens when I access a site?

  • When you want to open a new site it asks for visitor's IP addresses from BitTorrent trackers.
  • Initially, a file named content.json is downloaded, which holds all other filenames, hashes and the site owner's cryptographic signature.
  • The downloaded content.json file is verified using the site's address and the site owner's signature from the file.
  • Other files (html, css, js...) are then downloaded and verified using their size and SHA512 hash from content.json.
  • Each visited site then becomes also served by you.
  • If the site owner (who has the private key for the site address) modifies the site, then he/she signs the new content.json and publishes it to peers. After the peers have verified the file's integrity (using the signature), they download the modified files and serve the new content to other peers.

More info: EpixNet sample sites