The Promised LAN

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Nature and goals of TPL

  • Described as a “virtual permanent LAN party” for a small, tightly knit group, more akin to building a mini-Internet than a gaming VPN.
  • Built to recreate a pre-algorithmic, non-commercial, “small internet” for friends: IRC, SIP “red phones”, LAN-only email, NAS swaps, thermal printers, and other odd services.
  • The linked manifesto is widely praised as the best explanation and an inspiration to build similar networks, not an invitation to join this one.

Membership, privacy, and social dynamics

  • Membership is explicitly closed and based on long-standing offline relationships and trust; not intended as a public community or recruitment vehicle.
  • Some see this as a “no girls allowed treehouse” vibe or exclusionary; others argue it’s healthy and normal for close-knit groups to have private spaces.
  • The project is framed as a model for others to copy with their own friend groups.

Technical architecture & protocol choices

  • Built as an L3 overlay: multiple independently run backbone nodes (Debian/strongSwan, OpenBSD/iked) peered with IPSec and BGP, forming a small routed network.
  • IPSec is defended as “industry standard,” well-understood by many, and supported natively on mainstream OSes; critics call it tricky and wish for WireGuard.
  • Discussion notes that L2 behavior (for legacy/IPX games, broadcast discovery) is easier via L2TP/IPsec or GRE, but TPL appears to be mostly L3.
  • Some are disappointed by IPv4-only and lack of WireGuard; others say the tech stack matches the operators’ backgrounds and the “fun of doing it the hard way.”

Alternatives and “just use X”

  • Tailscale/Headscale, WireGuard meshes, SoftEther, ZeroTier are raised as simpler ways to achieve similar connectivity.
  • Supporters counter that the “custom jiggery pokery” is the point: the network itself is the hobby and a way to deepen real-world networking skills.

Use cases: gaming vs socializing

  • Multiple commenters assume it’s for video games and are frustrated the site doesn’t list what’s played.
  • Insiders clarify that few or no games are played; it’s mostly socializing, IRC, weird services, and hardware tinkering. The network is the toy.

Security, trust, and exposure

  • Some members fully expose home LANs; others isolate via VLANs and limited segments.
  • Security concern: malware from one household potentially spreading across the shared network.
  • Defenders argue the model depends on strong social trust and norms that don’t scale to “everyone on the internet,” which is deliberate.

LAN vs WAN semantics and nostalgia

  • Debate over whether this is really a LAN (single broadcast domain) or a WAN/VPN; many say “LAN party” now reasonably includes virtual LANs.
  • Long subthread of nostalgia for 90s/00s in-person LAN parties, CRT hauling, IPX/SPX, BNC cabling, and school/office lab game hijinks.

Broader reflections

  • Some call it “reinventing the internet” or a gimmick that doesn’t fix reliance on the public web for content and communication.
  • Others see it as a concrete, joyful answer to dissatisfaction with today’s ad-driven, AI-laden Internet: small, trusted, self-run networks among friends.