Distributed Network Topology

Network topology determines who can observe, interrupt, or control traffic. OnionHat designs topologies that minimize choke points, resist correlation, and avoid dependency on privileged routes.

Design Principles

No Single Points of Failure

Every critical path has an alternative. No single node, link, or provider can disable the network.

Correlation Resistance

Traffic patterns are designed to resist timing analysis and flow correlation. Entry and exit points are decoupled where possible.

Route Diversity

Traffic can traverse multiple independent paths. Routing decisions do not depend on a central authority.

Minimal Trust Assumptions

Nodes are not assumed to be honest. The topology tolerates Byzantine behavior without global compromise.

Implementation Considerations

• Overlay networks over heterogeneous transports
• Multi-hop routing with path selection entropy
• Decentralized directory services
• Guard node strategies for long-term identity protection
• Circuit construction that minimizes observable patterns

Tradeoffs

Topology choices involve tradeoffs between latency, bandwidth, anonymity, and complexity. OnionHat documents these tradeoffs rather than hiding them.

• More hops increase anonymity but add latency
• Guard nodes improve long-term security but create identifiable patterns
• Decentralized directories resist censorship but complicate bootstrapping