Connectivity Modes

NCS automatically selects the optimal connection mode based on the environment.

1. P2P Mode (Direct)

User device and Workspace (Cloud Pod) communicate directly via UDP Hole Punching.

• Benefit: Lowest latency, highest throughput.
• Condition: Both sides are in NAT-friendly network environments.

2. Relay Mode (via Edge)

If P2P cannot be established (e.g., strict corporate firewalls), traffic is routed via the nearest Edge Node.

• Benefit: Connects from almost any network environment/port restriction (uses only HTTPS port 443).
• Performance: Travels through Aether’s optimized backbone, offering better speed than generic VPNs.

3. Daisy Chain (Multi-hop)

Used when accessing deep private resources via a bastion. Example: User -> Workspace -> Private DB NCS handles these hops transparently, making the upstream DB appear as if it’s on “localhost”.