Can't discover/connect new peers using webrtc-star on v0.39.5

[ratik21]

Peer discovery and connections are not happening with the latest libp2p version (after esm upgrade).

I have created a failing test for both versions (before & after esm), with screenshots - https://github.com/ratik21/p2p-webrtc-star-test. Please check it out. Thanks.

Related discussion thread :: https://discuss.libp2p.io/t/cant-discover-peers-with-webrtc-star-on-js-libp2p-0-37-0/1438

cc: @MarcoPolo

[achingbrain]

You need to configure the peer discovery component of the WebRTCStar transport for it to work:

For libp2p@0.37.0-0.39.0 and @libp2p/webrtc-star@4.x.x:

import { WebRTCStar } from '@libp2p/webrtc-star'
import { createLibp2p } from 'libp2p'
//... other stuff

const webRTC = new WebRTCStar({ ... })

const node = await createLibp2p( {
  transports: [
    webRTC
  ],
  peerDiscovery: [
     webRTC.discovery
  ],
  //... other stuff
})

For libp2p@0.40.0 and @libp2p/webrtc-star@5.x.x:

import { webRTCStar } from '@libp2p/webrtc-star'
import { createLibp2p } from 'libp2p'
//... other stuff

const webRTC = webRTCStar({ ... })

const node = await createLibp2p( {
  transports: [
    webRTC.transport
  ],
  peerDiscovery: [
     webRTC.discovery
  ],
  //... other stuff
})

The README for v5 is hopefully a bit clearer.

[ratik21]

@achingbrain thanks for responding.

With the changes you have suggested the discovery is working (for libp2p@0.37.0-0.39.0 and @libp2p/webrtc-star@4.x.x). But the connection is still not happening (sc attached).

I was wondering if this is the case now (for after-esm versions)? Because connection is being established for same nodes at before-esm version (one at local & one behind NAT -- reference).

[ratik21]

@achingbrain one more thing (side note), i start getting this influx of discovery logs and it never stops, after discovery (for any transport/peer discovery mechanism)

This is the event handler code (taken from node1.js from my repo)

  node.addEventListener('peer:discovery', (event) => {
    const peerInfo = event.detail;
    console.log('Discovered:', peerInfo.id.toString());
  });

[achingbrain]

Discovered nodes are no longer dialled automatically - please see the upgrade guide - https://github.com/libp2p/js-libp2p/blob/master/doc/migrations/v0.37-v0.40.md#autodial

[ratik21]

@achingbrain i tested on libp2p@0.37.0-0.39.0 :)

Also, in the node configuration i have set

    ..
    addressManager: {
      autoDial: true
    },
    connectionManager: {
      autoDial: true,
      dialTimeout: 60000
    },
    ..
    // more stuff

[ratik21]

Furthur more, if i try to manually dial after discovery, i get this error

[AggregateError: All promises were rejected] {
  [errors]: [
    AbortError: The operation was aborted
        at file:///Users/ratikjindal/Zero/libp2p-webrtc-star-issue/after-esm/node_modules/@libp2p/webrtc-star/dist/src/index.js:117:26
        at <anonymous> {
      type: 'aborted',
      code: 'ABORT_ERR'
    }
  ]
}

Update to source code:

  node.addEventListener('peer:discovery', async (event) => {
    const peerInfo = event.detail;
    console.log('Discovered:', peerInfo.id.toString());

    console.log("dialing..");
    try {
      const ma = new Multiaddr(`/dns4/vast-escarpment-62759.herokuapp.com/tcp/443/wss/p2p-webrtc-star/p2p/${peerInfo.id.toString()}`);
      await node.dial(ma);
    } catch (error) {
      console.log(error);
    }
  });

[ratik21]

@achingbrain I have upgraded the js-libp2p version on this test, but I am still getting the same issue as above.

As an alternative, could you please suggest what protocol to use for connection b/w two peers where one is behind a NAT? Before the esm upgrade webrtc-star servers were working fine. Anyway, can we use circuit relay (v1/v2) now?, i.e <..>/p2p-circuit/p2p/<..>?

Also there is a small bug in the migration guide for v0.40.0, I have created a PR for it.

[ratik21]

@achingbrain -- any update on this?

[p-shahi]

@ratik21 We likely won't pursue this issue since we are actively working to support WebRTC transport https://github.com/little-bear-labs/js-libp2p-webrtc/ and deprecate WebRTC-star (and direct) as a result.

[ratik21]

@p-shahi Ok, thanks for responding. few questions :-

• Does js-libp2p-webrtc work for server <-> browser, server <-> server as well? Or is it only browser <-> browser?

• Assuming browser to browser only, will this transport be able to discover & connect to "new" peers (not known peers but peers who join the network), behind NAT's ? It seems there aren't many ways for NAT traversal in js-libp2p yet :/

[p-shahi]

@ratik21 That implementation (tracked here #1478 now) is for browser to server
How it behaves is specified here: https://github.com/libp2p/specs/tree/master/webrtc

The browser to browser aspect is just beginning to get underway. See #1462. It's not specified yet but necessary parts like supporting Circuit Relay v2 are being added.

AutoNat support is also being added, hopefully before the end of this year per our roadmap: https://github.com/libp2p/js-libp2p/blob/master/ROADMAP.md#end-of-q4-december

[ratik21]

@p-shahi thanks! I will try js-libp2p-webrtc for server to server, and browser to browser for new discovery and connections

[p-shahi]

@ratik21 I'll close this issue for now.