vpnet – Cross-Platform Layer-2 VPN in Pure C

A clean, cross-platform Layer-2 VPN implemented in pure C — minimal, modular, and designed for real-world use.

Key features

• switchd — virtual Ethernet switch with MAC learning, broadcast and unicast forwarding
• vportd — virtual port daemon with platform-specific backends (TAP, UTUN, Wintun)
• Modular architecture:
  • core/ — shared protocol + switching logic
  • os/ — platform abstraction layers
  • src/ — daemons (switchd, vportd)
• Custom UDP-based VPN transport, optimized for simplicity and portability
• Targeted platforms: Linux, macOS, Windows

Status

• Early development
• Architecture fully planned
• Foundational components implemented
• Focus on:
  • clean abstractions
  • cross-platform portability
  • small, auditable codebase

Get involved

• Contributions, feedback, and design ideas are welcome
• Check issues for current goals & tasks
• Ideal for:
  • systems programmers
  • networking people
  • anyone wanting lightweight virtual L2 networking