We are excited to announce the release of wolfIP 1.0.0, the first public release of wolfSSL’s lightweight TCP/IP stack for embedded, real-time, and safety-critical systems. wolfIP is built around a simple idea: networking behavior should be defined before runtime, not discovered during it. With no dynamic memory allocation, fixed socket tables, pre-allocated packet buffers, and a deterministic execution model, wolfIP gives developers a compact and analyzable network stack for systems where predictability matters. Version 1.0.0 is listed on the official wolfIP product page and changelog dated March 31, 2026.
Why wolfIP
Traditional TCP/IP stacks often bring in dynamic allocation, background processing, and broader feature sets than many embedded endpoints actually need. That flexibility can be useful in general-purpose systems, but it also makes worst-case timing, memory usage, and verification harder to bound. wolfIP takes a different approach. It is designed as a tiny, deterministic stack with compile-time configured resources, a fixed socket count, static RX/TX packet buffers, and no hidden runtime allocation. That makes it a strong fit for constrained devices, controlled deployments, and projects with demanding review, testing, or certification workflows.
What is included in 1.0.0
The 1.0.0 release delivers a solid IPv4 networking foundation for embedded endpoints. Core support includes Ethernet II, ARP, IPv4, ICMP, UDP, TCP, DHCP client, and DNS client, along with modern TCP capabilities such as MSS, timestamps, PAWS, window scaling, retransmission timeout handling, SACK, slow start, congestion avoidance, and fast retransmit. wolfIP 1.0.0 also includes HTTP/HTTPS server support, IPsec ESP transport mode, IP filtering with wolfSentry integration, native wolfGuard support, and optional IPv4 forwarding for multi-interface builds.
That combination is important because it gives developers more than just a packet pipe. wolfIP 1.0 starts with the network services many connected devices actually need, then adds security-focused integration points across the wolfSSL ecosystem. Developers can combine wolfIP with wolfSSL for TLS 1.3-protected applications, wolfSentry for filtering and policy enforcement, and wolfGuard where a tightly integrated secure tunnel model is needed. For teams building secure connected products, that means a more cohesive networking and security story from a single vendor and codebase family.
Small footprint, practical deployment model
wolfIP is positioned as a small embedded-first stack, and the official product material describes the core as roughly 4× smaller than lwIP’s core. Just as important, wolfIP’s architecture is intentionally narrow and easier to analyze: deterministic memory usage by default, fixed compile-time resources, and an endpoint-focused design rather than a broad general-purpose routing stack. For organizations thinking about code review effort, qualification scope, or long-term maintenance, reducing moving parts matters.
From POSIX testing to embedded targets
One of the most useful aspects of wolfIP 1.0 is its portability across development and deployment environments. The release includes integration layers for wolfSSL, wolfSSH, wolfMQTT, a POSIX LD_PRELOAD socket interception path via libwolfip.so, and a FreeRTOS BSD socket wrapper. The repo also documents host-side testing through TAP-style interfaces and lists host link driver support for Linux TAP/TUN, Darwin utun, FreeBSD TAP, and VDE2, alongside embedded ports for targets including STM32H753ZI, STM32H563, STM32N6, VA416xx, and Raspberry Pi Pico USB networking demos. That is a practical release story: developers can exercise the stack on desktop-class environments, then carry the same architecture into embedded deployment.
Built to Work Naturally with wolfSSL
wolfIP is especially compelling when paired with the rest of the wolfSSL portfolio. The product page highlights seamless TLS 1.3 integration with wolfSSL, and the repository documents HTTPS server support with wolfSSL TLS backing. For engineering teams that already trust wolfSSL in embedded and RTOS environments, wolfIP extends that same design philosophy down into the transport layer: compact code, explicit resource control, and predictable behavior. Instead of stitching together unrelated networking and crypto components, developers can build on a tightly aligned stack designed for constrained and security-conscious systems.
Available Now
wolfIP 1.0.0 is available now under the GPLv3 open source license. If you are building connected embedded devices and need a TCP/IP stack with bounded memory usage, deterministic behavior, and straightforward integration with wolfSSL security products, wolfIP is well worth a look. Download the latest release, review the changelog, and contact us to discuss commercial licensing, support, or how wolfIP fits into your next embedded networking design.
If you have questions about any of the above, please contact us at facts@wolfssl.com or call us at +1 425 245 8247.
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