HelloZeroNet / HelloZeroNet/ZeroNet

Can random fileserver_port on each startup help keep anonymity?

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Description

Hello,

while the fileserver_port number is constant (even if once randomly generated), maybe this constant port number can be another indicator that can hurt anonymity of the user meaning if there are [peers who are collecting zeronet network traffic, this constant (unchanging port) may (i do not know) help them pair network activity](http://127.0.0.1:43110/1DdPHedr5Tz55EtQWxqvsbEXPdc4uCVi9D/?:users/14r48CcSSyoNo1PNhy6uWriqpopMUfqfUX:tech:17f22a9d-8c86-440d-a727-262dcc4af749#post-f01a2a8d-d1f6-40b6-a054-da2297547e4d) even if one's IP is changed or if zeronet ID is changed (increasing probability that two IDs are used by one person).

Why not do it by default the way that if fileserver_port is set to 0 in zeronet.conf (i think this should be by default like that), then zeronet will be generating random port on EVERY start?

I think that [this is related code](https://github.com/HelloZeroNet/ZeroNet/blob/6bb929a8961441389acc0ddb830cf5248dd5cde5/src/File/FileServer.py#L51).

Another thing like static fileserver port is count of sites one user has. (i see it in /Stats), unsure why this is needed, because it also looks like another thing that may help connect/pair numeours accounts/IDs?

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Research direction

Start with src/File/FileServer.py around line 51 and trace how fileserver_port is read and selected at startup. Determine whether setting it to 0 should produce a new port on every start, and separately assess the concern about exposing the site count in /Stats. Done means the intended anonymity impact and configuration behavior are resolved with appropriate tests or documentation.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
networking, security
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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