SimpleLinks - Secure Network Connectivity

A lightweight network connectivity solution that creates encrypted connections between devices through a central server based on secure HTTPS.

Features

• Secure encrypted communication with SSL/TLS protection
• Virtual network interface management
• Client-server architecture with group-based connectivity
• Cross-platform support (Linux/macOS)

Requirements

• Python 3.7+
• Network connectivity libraries
• Administrative privileges (for network interface management)

Installation

pip3 install simplelinks

Usage

Server

1. Place your SSL certificate files in ~/.simplelinks/certs/:

   • ~/.simplelinks/certs/fullchain.pem (certificate)
   • ~/.simplelinks/certs/privkey.pem (private key)

2. Run the server:

slink-server start --secret your_secret

Custom certificate paths:

slink-server start --secret your_secret --ssl-cert /path/to/cert.pem --ssl-key /path/to/key.pem

Without SSL (development only):

# Server will run without SSL if certificates are not found
slink-server start --secret your_secret

Client

Linux Client

Connect a Linux client to the server:

slink-client join your-server.com --secret mysecret

macOS Client

Full Functionality (Recommended): Install network driver first, then use the standard client:

# Install network driver
brew install --cask tuntap
# Reboot required after installation

# Use standard client
slink-client join your-server.com --secret mysecret

Testing Only (Limited functionality):

python3 client/client_macos_minimal.py --host your-server.com:20001 -s mysecret -i 10.0.0.104

📖 See MACOS_SETUP.md for detailed setup instructions

Parameters:

• --host: Server address
• -s, --secret: Shared secret for group authentication
• -i, --ip: Virtual IP address for this client
• -d, --debug: Enable debug logging (optional)

Platform Differences

Linux

• Uses standard network interface devices
• Configures interface with system network tools
• Standard interface without additional headers

macOS

• Uses system userspace network interfaces
• Configures interface with system network commands
• Includes protocol header in data packets
• Automatically assigns interface identifiers

Architecture

• Server: Manages secure connections and routes traffic between clients in the same group
• Client: Creates network interface and forwards traffic through encrypted connection
• Groups: Clients with the same secret form a group and can communicate with each other

Security Notes

• Development mode may skip certificate verification for testing
• Production deployment should enable full certificate validation
• Requires administrative privileges for network interface management

License

SimpleLinks is dual-licensed:

• Community Edition: AGPL-3.0 (for open source projects, personal use, and non-commercial applications)
• Commercial Edition: Available for commercial use, proprietary applications, and when AGPL requirements cannot be met

For commercial licensing, please contact: contact@simplelinks.cn

See LICENSE for full details.