Draft:The Netrinos Network

The Netrinos Network (https://netrinos.com) is a SaaS VPN networking platform that layers a private local area network on top of the public Internet. It allows devices to connect with each other regardless of their physical location or network topology.

How it Works

With the software installed, each device gets a private IP address and a static DNS name within the private network. Devices are then able to connect directly to each other via this name without any other configuration.

If a device roams to a new location (e.g. from office to coffee shop), Netrinos automatically determines the new location's connection parameters and communicates that to the other devices on your network. To the user, this process in silent and the network just continues to work.

All VPN connections are outbound from the device to the internet so there is no router or firewall configuration required. Netrinos acts as a connection broker facilitating dynamic peer to peer VPN connections.

Netrinos uses WireGuard as the transport layer and wraps it with a zero-configuration management layer. This allows WireGuard to connect in ways not possible by itself.

WireGuard is a modern VPN protocol known for its simplicity and high performance, utilizing state-of-the-art cryptography to ensure secure network traffic with minimal overhead.

Netrinos works with Windows, macOS, Linux, with Android and iOS coming in the near future. It offers both a GUI and terminal user interface.

History

Netrinos was conceived during the Pandemic when the founder was sent home to work with a restrictive conventional VPN. The goal was to create a mesh VPN that allows coworkers to interact as if they were all on the office LAN but independent of physical location or network topology.

Netrinos is an operating name of Bluefriday Inc., a software development company based in Toronto, Canada.

Netrinos was originally launched in 2021 as The 2hO Network (2ho.ca), 2hO was an abbreviation of "to home office". 2hO was re-branded as The Netrinos Network (netrinos.com) in 2024. The domain 2ho.ca is still used in the device DNS names to keep the names as short as possible.

The name Netrinos is an amalgamation of the words network and neutrinos. Neutrinos are abundant subatomic particles that have a unique ability to pass through almost all matter. This is an interesting analogue to how the Netrinos' WireGuard connections traverse the most secure network infrastructures unimpeded.

Example Use Cases

Netrinos is a solid alternative to keeping your data on public cloud services. More examples are available on the Netrinos website.

Remote Desktop Access

Windows, macOS, and Linux already offer native tools to gain remote desktop access. Once you have your private encrypted network and DNS names established, you can use the remote features provided by your OS without exposing those system to the public Internet.

For example. 'ssh server.example.2ho.ca' or 'mstsc.exe /v mypc.example.2ho.ca'

Remote File Sharing

Similarly, Windows, macOS, and Linux already offer a native ability to share files. Once you have Netrinos running, you can access network shares as if you were on a local area network, also without exposing those system to the public Internet.

For example, 'net.exe use \\nas.example.2ho.ca\sharename' or just '\\nas.example.2ho.ca\sharename' in File Explorer.

Zero Trust Networking

If you work with sensitive information, you can use Netrinos to encrypt your communications even within a local area network. Data sent through the private Netrinos network is encrypted before it leaves the PC, even when both PCs are on the same LAN. Netrinos can detect when a remote device is on the local LAN and makes the necessary adjustments. So, the data does not cross the Internet.

What Netrinos is Not

Netrinos is not a conventional VPN designed to obfuscate your identity so you can access geo-restricted content. Nor was it designed to connect you to an office in a hub and spoke fashion. Though it can do these things as a secure VPN tool, it is optimized to create private cloud networks between devices and not a single proxy to a remote location.