PC2 Network Architecture
PC2's decentralized infrastructure enables global access without centralized servers.
Architecture Overview
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SUPER NODES │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Primary (InterServer)│ │ Secondary (Contabo) │ │
│ │ 198.51.100.1 │ │ 198.51.100.2 │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ Web Gateway :443 │ │ Failover gateway │ │
│ │ Boson DHT :39001 │<------->│ DHT replication │ │
│ │ Active Proxy:8090 │ │ Proxy backup │ │
│ └─────────┬───────────┘ └─────────┬────────────┘ │
│ │ │ │
└─────────────┼───────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────┘
│ │
v v
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PC2 USER NODES │
│ │
│ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │
│ │ Alice │ │ Bob │ │ Carol │ │
│ │ (VPS/Public)│ │ (Home/NAT) │ │ (Office/NAT)│ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ Direct HTTP │ │ Via Proxy │ │ Via Proxy │ │
│ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Components
Super Nodes
Infrastructure nodes that provide three services:
| Service | Port | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Web Gateway | 443 | HTTPS termination, subdomain routing |
| Boson DHT | 39001/UDP | Distributed hash table, peer discovery |
| Active Proxy | 8090/TCP | NAT traversal relay |
User Nodes
Your PC2 installation that provides personal cloud storage, WASM execution, AI chat, and file management.
Connection Methods
Direct (Public IP)
VPS and servers with public IPs connect directly:
User Browser -> DNS (*.ela.city) -> Super Node -> Direct to PC2 Node
Proxied (Behind NAT)
Home and office nodes behind NAT use Active Proxy:
User Browser -> DNS -> Super Node -> Active Proxy -> Tunnel -> PC2 Node
The Active Proxy handles NAT traversal automatically -- no port forwarding required. For the protocol details, see NAT Traversal.
Live Infrastructure
Primary Super Node (InterServer)
- IP: 198.51.100.1
- Location: Dallas, TX, USA
- DNS:
*.ela.city - Status: Production
Secondary Super Node (Contabo)
- IP: 198.51.100.2
- Location: EU
- Purpose: Failover, load distribution
DNS Configuration
| Record | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
ela.city | A | Main website |
*.ela.city | A | 198.51.100.1 (Super Node) |
alice.ela.city | Routing | Alice's PC2 Node |
bob.ela.city | Routing | Bob's PC2 Node |
Subdomains are registered dynamically via the gateway API.
Protocol Stack
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Transport | HTTPS (Let's Encrypt wildcard) |
| Routing | Subdomain to node mapping |
| Identity | Boson DHT (Ed25519) |
| NAT Traversal | Active Proxy |
| Encryption | TLS 1.3 + CryptoBox |
Boson Network Integration
PC2 integrates with the Boson Network for decentralized identity and connectivity:
- Distributed Hash Table (DHT) -- peer discovery without central servers
- Ed25519 Cryptography -- strong identity and signing
- Active Proxy -- NAT traversal for unreachable nodes
- DID -- decentralized identifiers (
did:boson:<nodeId>)
For the detailed Boson service breakdown, see Boson Integration.
Security Layers
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Transport | TLS 1.3 (HTTPS via Let's Encrypt) |
| Session | CryptoBox (curve25519-xsalsa20-poly1305) |
| Identity | Ed25519 signatures |
| Storage | Wallet-scoped isolation |
Learn More
- Boson Integration -- identity services and DHT operations
- NAT Traversal -- how Active Proxy works
- Super Node Guide -- run your own gateway infrastructure