NymVPN alpha

**If you testing NymVPN CLI on Web3 Summit Berlin, visit our event page with all info tailored for the event: [nym-vpn-cli.sandbox.nymtech.net](https://nym-vpn-cli.sandbox.nymtech.net/).**

NymVPN alpha is a client that uses Nym Mixnet (opens in a new tab) to anonymise all of a user's internet traffic through either a 5-hop mixnet (for a full network privacy) or the faster 2-hop decentralised VPN (with some extra features).

You are invited to take part in the alpha testing of this new application. Register for private testing round at nymvpn.com (opens in a new tab), that will grant you access to the download page (opens in a new tab). Visit NymVPN Support & FAQ (opens in a new tab) or join the NymVPN matrix channel (opens in a new tab) if you have any questions, comments or blockers.

Checkout the release page (opens in a new tab) for available binaries.

NOTE: NymVPN alpha is experimental software for testing purposes only.

NymVPN Overview

To understand what's under the hood of NymVPN and the mixnet, we recommend interested developers to begin with Nym network overview (opens in a new tab) and the Mixnet traffic flow (opens in a new tab) pages.

The default setup of NymVPN is to run in 5-hop mode (mixnet):

                      ┌─►mix──┐  mix     mix
                      │       │
            Entry     │       │                   Exit
client ───► Gateway ──┘  mix  │  mix  ┌─►mix ───► Gateway ───► internet
                              │       │
                              │       │
                         mix  └─►mix──┘  mix

Users can switch to 2-hop only mode, which is a faster but less private option. In this mode traffic is only sent between the two Gateways, and is not passed between Mix Nodes. It uses Mixnet Sphinx packets with shorter, fixed routes, which improve latency, but doesn't offer the same level of protection as the 5 hop mode.

Nym Connect CLI