Add lazy connection page (#317)

* Add lazy connection page

* Update based on feedback

* Add note about future developments

* Fix URL

* Add to the navigation
This commit is contained in:
Zoltan Papp
2025-05-21 11:18:15 +02:00
committed by GitHub
parent 3c7b4abb20
commit ce4151c551
2 changed files with 81 additions and 0 deletions

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@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ export const docsNavigation = [
{ title: 'Add Peers', href: '/how-to/add-machines-to-your-network' }, { title: 'Add Peers', href: '/how-to/add-machines-to-your-network' },
{ title: 'Approve Peers', href: '/how-to/approve-peers' }, { title: 'Approve Peers', href: '/how-to/approve-peers' },
{ title: 'Setup Keys', href: '/how-to/register-machines-using-setup-keys' }, { title: 'Setup Keys', href: '/how-to/register-machines-using-setup-keys' },
{ title: 'Lazy connections concept', href: '/how-to/lazy-connection'},
{ {
title: 'Access Infrastructure', title: 'Access Infrastructure',
isOpen: true, isOpen: true,

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@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
import {Note} from "@/components/mdx";
# Overview
NetBird now includes an experimental lazy connection feature designed to improve performance and reduce resource usage by connecting to peers only when needed. Instead of maintaining always-on connections, NetBird activates them on-demand based on activity or signaling.
This guide walks you through enabling and configuring this feature in your NetBird client.
<Note>
Minimum supported agent version: <strong>v0.45.0</strong>
</Note>
<Note>
<strong>Self-hosted only:</strong> This feature also requires an upgraded NetBird management server. Make sure your server is updated to the <strong>v0.45.0</strong> version that supports lazy connections.
</Note>
## What Are Lazy Connections?
When enabled, Lazy Connections allow the NetBird agent to:
- Establish peer-to-peer connections **only when required** (e.g., when ping the remote peer).
- Monitor peer activity and **automatically disconnect peers** that remain inactive **and unreachable** for a specified time.
- Keep critical peers (such as routers or excluded peers) **always connected** to ensure uninterrupted communication.
This feature is especially useful in **large-scale deployments** or **resource-constrained environments**, where maintaining full-mesh, permanent connections to all peers is unnecessary and inefficient.
<Note>
When using lazy connections, there may be a **slight delay** when initiating a connection to a peer that is not yet connected. This is expected behavior, as the connection is established on-demand.
</Note>
### How Automatic Disconnection Works
Once a connection between two peers is established, it will remain open **as long as the remote peer is reachable**. The connection is **not** closed just because there is no data transfer.
In other words, the inactivity timer only triggers a disconnect if the peer is both <em>inactive</em> and <em>unreachable</em> for the full duration of the threshold.
<Note>
The default inactivity threshold is <strong>60 minutes</strong>, and can be configured via the <code>NB_LAZY_CONN_INACTIVITY_THRESHOLD</code> environment variable.
</Note>
Additionally, the disconnection logic is being improved and will be enhanced in future releases to better support mobile devices—providing more intelligent reconnection behavior and improved handling of intermittent connectivity.
## Enabling Lazy Connections
Lazy connections are disabled by default. To enable them:
You can enable Lazy Connections using the following environment variable:
```bash
export NB_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_LAZY_CONN=true
```
Or pass the flag directly via the CLI when running the agent:
```bash
netbird up --enable-lazy-connection
```
<Note>
This configuration is <strong>not persistent</strong>. You must reapply the flag or environment variable after each restart unless it is built into your service definition (e.g., systemd or Docker).
</Note>
### Platform-Specific Examples
For platform-specific examples of how to configure this:
- [See Windows example](/how-to/troubleshooting-client#windows)
- [See Linux with systemd example](/how-to/troubleshooting-client#on-linux-with-systemd)
## Get started
<p float="center" >
<Button name="button" className="button-5" onClick={() => window.open("https://netbird.io/pricing")}>Use NetBird</Button>
</p>
- Make sure to [star us on GitHub](https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird)
- Follow us [on Twitter](https://twitter.com/netbird)
- Join our [Slack Channel](https://join.slack.com/t/netbirdio/shared_invite/zt-31rofwmxc-27akKd0Le0vyRpBcwXkP0g)
- NetBird [latest release](https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/releases) on GitHub