(Experimental) Public VDE Networks

WHAT ARE 'EM?

In the spirit of the Virtual Square Project VDE public networks are open access (insulated) Ethernet networks. We give a pool of switches that everybody can use to test VDE or to exchange data.

A VDE public network is like a square in a town where people can meet to exchange information. You can arrange a "date" on a VDE public network and interconnect on the same LAN computers or virtual machines located in different ends of the world.

Feel free to use it. You can set up any IP address and test any protocol you like.

HOW TO USE A VDE Public Network

Just connect your switch to a public one by this command:

dpipe vde_plug = ssh vde0@vde2.v2.cs.unibo.it vde_plug

We currently provide six public networks, the command above uses public net #0, use vde1@vde2.v2.cs.unibo.it (instead of vde0) to use the net #1, vde2 for net #2 and so on.

There is a radvd server providing (local unique, fd00::) IPv6 addresses, but these networks are not routed to the internet, These are just (World Wide) Local Area Networks.

HOW THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED

vde2.v2.cs.unibo.it is a User-Mode Linux Machine running as a unprivileged user on a host computer.

It is transparently bridged on the Internet so it appears as it were a real machine.

No other services apart ssh and the VDE public networks run on vde2.v2.cs.unibo.it. vde* and root are the sole users. vde* are tunnel broker pseudo users.

vde0:x:1001:1001:vde0,,,:/home/vde0:/usr/bin/vde_plug
vde1:x:1002:1002:vde1,,,:/home/vde1:/usr/bin/vde_plug
vde2:x:1003:1003:vde2,,,:/home/vde2:/usr/bin/vde_plug
vde3:x:1004:1004:vde3,,,:/home/vde3:/usr/bin/vde_plug

SSH has been configured to accept empty passwords.

Each user joins a different switch because vde_plug uses the user's default switch as defined by the symbolic link:

 
~/.vde2/stdsock