n2n vs. OmniEdge

Important: OmniEdge v2.x Migration

OmniEdge v2.x is a complete rewrite that no longer uses n2n. The legacy Go/n2n-based OmniEdge v1.x has been replaced with a pure Rust implementation using the WireGuard-based OmniNervous protocol.

If you're still using n2n directly or OmniEdge v1.x, we recommend upgrading to v2.x for better performance, security, and features.

What is n2n?

n2n is a lightweight VPN that creates virtual networks bypassing intermediate firewalls. It uses a peer-to-peer architecture with:

• edge: Node software that runs on each device
• supernode: Server that coordinates peer discovery and relays traffic when needed

OmniEdge v1.x was built on top of n2n, providing a managed service layer with authentication, dashboard, and cross-platform apps.

Why We Moved Away from n2n

While n2n served us well, we rewrote OmniEdge in Rust for:

n2n vs. OmniEdge Comparison

Setup

n2n requires manual configuration:

# On the supernode server
supernode -p 7654

# On each edge device (manual IP, key, supernode address)
edge -c mynetwork -k mysecretkey -a 10.0.0.1 -l supernode.example.com:7654
edge -c mynetwork -k mysecretkey -a 10.0.0.2 -l supernode.example.com:7654

You need to:

• Remember network names, keys, and IPs for each device
• Create configuration files for each device
• Manage supernodes manually

OmniEdge is zero-config:

# Install and connect (all configuration handled automatically)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/omniedgeio/omniedge/main/scripts/omniedge-install.sh | bash
sudo omniedge start

The dashboard manages:

• Network names and IPs
• Device authentication
• Security keys
• Multiple virtual networks

Features Comparison

Performance

n2n performance varies by encryption cipher and network conditions.

OmniEdge v2.x has been validated through 50-run longitudinal testing:

Security

When to Use n2n

n2n is still useful if you:

• Need a lightweight, self-hosted solution with no external dependencies
• Are comfortable with manual configuration
• Need GPL-licensed software
• Don't require advanced NAT traversal or management features

When to Use OmniEdge

OmniEdge v2.x is better if you:

• Want zero-config setup with a management dashboard
• Need reliable connectivity through challenging NAT environments
• Require industrial-grade latency stability (robotics, teleoperation)
• Want modern WireGuard-based encryption
• Need plugin extensibility (WASM)
• Prefer permissive licensing (Apache-2.0/MIT)

Migrating from n2n or OmniEdge v1.x

1. Uninstall the legacy version
2. Install OmniEdge v2.x:

   curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/omniedgeio/omniedge/main/scripts/omniedge-install.sh | bash

3. Connect to your network:

   sudo omniedge start

All existing networks and devices in your OmniEdge dashboard will work with v2.x.

Self-Hosted Options

n2n: Run your own supernode.

OmniEdge v2.x: Run in nucleus mode for air-gapped environments:

# Self-hosted signaling server
sudo omniedge start --mode nucleus --port 51821 --secret "YourLabSecret123"

If you have more questions, feel free to discuss.