hns.link - Access Handshake Domains

Link the Decentralized Web

hns.link is a gateway that enables you to visit Handshake websites by appending .hns.link to any Handshake domain.

What are Handshake Domains?

Handshake is a decentralized, permissionless naming protocol where every peer is validating and in charge of managing the root DNS naming zone. Its purpose is not to replace the existing DNS, but to replace the root zone file and the root servers with a public commons.

This creates an alternative to the traditional domain name system that is more secure, censorship-resistant, and free from central control.

How It Works

By default, hns.link acts as a proxy to retrieve and display Handshake websites. However, for a more secure and direct connection, if a proper TLS certificate is configured for your Handshake domain, the website will load securely, resolving the IP directly to your server. This enhances both security, privacy and performance.

You Type

Enter a Handshake domain and append .hns.link.

We Dig

Our gateway resolves the Handshake domain for you, either via proxy or direct TLS connection.

You Browse

The Handshake website is displayed in your browser, securely if a TLS certificate is present.

Secure your Domain via hns.link

To enable a direct and secure HTTPS connection to your Handshake domain through hns.link, you need to obtain a TLS certificate for `myhandshake.hns.link` and configure your web server to use it. Here are some example configurations for popular web servers:

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name myhandshake.hns.link;

    ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.crt;
    ssl_certificate_key /path/to/cert.key;

    # Other server configurations
}

<VirtualHost *:443>
    ServerName myhandshake.hns.link
    SSLEngine on
    SSLCertificateFile /path/to/cert.crt
    SSLCertificateKeyFile /path/to/cert.key

    # Other server configurations
</VirtualHost>

myhandshake.hns.link {
    tls /path/to/cert.crt /path/to/cert.key
    # Other server configurations
}

# using letsencrypt
/.well-known/acme-challenge/*

Public Resolver & DoH

For a more native Handshake experience, you can configure your device or browser to use our public resolver. This allows you to access Handshake domains directly without appending `.hns.link`.

Public DNS Resolver

52.223.32.56

Set this as your primary DNS server in your system's network settings.

DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH)

https://hns.link/dns-query

Use this URL in browsers that support DoH, like Firefox or Chrome, for encrypted DNS queries.