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GossipSub: setup/configuration review follow-ups across Filecoin implementations #218

@rjan90

Description

@rjan90

Context

ProbeLab completed a GossipSub setup and configuration review of the Filecoin network: https://www.notion.so/probelab/M3-GossipSub-setup-and-configuration-review-32deaf461d4780439f15c3c4c7d7655c. In the 2026-05-12 Filecoin implementer sync, we agreed to create this top-level tracking issue for coordination. Each implementation team should create its own sub-area tracking issues in the relevant repo(s), then link them here.

The goal is to make sure each finding is reviewed by each affected implementation, while keeping cross-implementation coordination visible in one place.

Sub-area tracking matrix

1.1 PeerExchange only enabled for bootnodes

TL;DR: PeerExchange is currently only enabled for bootnodes, which limits GossipSub-based peer discovery. We should evaluate whether each implementation should enable PeerExchange more broadly, while ensuring only appropriate public/reachable peer information is shared.

  • Lotus: TBD
  • Venus: TBD

1.2 PeerExchange not fully supported in rust-libp2p

TL;DR: Forest cannot fully benefit from GossipSub PeerExchange today because rust-libp2p lacks complete SignedPeerRecord support. We need to track what is required upstream and whether Forest needs interim handling.

  • Forest: TBD
  • rust-libp2p upstream: TBD

2.1 Global flood publishing

TL;DR: Flood publishing is enabled globally in the Go GossipSub configuration, which may significantly increase publisher-side bandwidth, especially with F3 traffic. We should validate the bandwidth and propagation impact, then decide whether to keep, disable, limit, or make this behavior topic-specific.

  • Lotus: TBD
  • Venus: TBD
  • Forest: TBD

2.2 Peer ID exposure / WithNoAuthor

TL;DR: Messages currently include the originating peer ID, which may make SP/network identity correlation easier. We should evaluate the privacy benefit of enabling WithNoAuthor against the loss of observability and network-health metrics.

  • Lotus: TBD
  • Venus: TBD
  • Forest: TBD

3.1 GossipSub validation queue size

TL;DR: The validation queue size may be too small during F3 or high-throughput message spikes, which can cause dropped messages and consensus delays. We should review defaults, monitor rejection metrics, and consider increasing the default, e.g. to 512, where appropriate.

  • Lotus: TBD
  • Venus: TBD
  • Forest: TBD

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