zerotier / zerotier/ZeroTierOne

High CPU usage on Windows when there is no internet connection available

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#2,283 6 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

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Dominant language
C++
Stars
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Forks
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PR merge metrics
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Description

  • What you expect to be happening.
    • When there is no internet connection or no connection at all zerotier-one_x64.exe should just idle
  • What is actually happening?
    • zerotier-one_x64.exe uses ~5% on AMD Ryzen 9 3950X, which causes fans to speed up
  • Any steps to reproduce the error.
    • Disconnect any ZeroTier connections
    • Disconnect network cable
    • Observe high CPU usage
  • Any relevant console output or screenshots.
    • Can provide if needed
  • What operating system and ZeroTier version. Please try the latest ZeroTier release.
    • Windows Server 2022 Datacenter 21H2
    • Zerotier 1.14.0

Contributor guide

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First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Reproduce the report with zerotier-one_x64.exe on Windows Server 2022, disconnecting both ZeroTier connections and the network cable while observing CPU usage. Trace the Windows-side activity responsible for the sustained usage, then verify that the process idles when no connection is available and that existing connectivity behavior is unchanged.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
networking
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
38/100

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