diff --git a/tractor/_multiaddr.py b/tractor/_multiaddr.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f6b37a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tractor/_multiaddr.py
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+# tractor: structured concurrent "actors".
+# Copyright 2018-eternity Tyler Goodlet.
+
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+'''
+Multiaddress parser and utils according the spec(s) defined by
+`libp2p` and used in dependent project such as `ipfs`:
+
+- https://docs.libp2p.io/concepts/fundamentals/addressing/
+- https://github.com/libp2p/specs/blob/master/addressing/README.md
+
+'''
+from typing import Iterator
+
+from bidict import bidict
+
+# TODO: see if we can leverage libp2p ecosys projects instead of
+# rolling our own (parser) impls of the above addressing specs:
+# - https://github.com/libp2p/py-libp2p
+# - https://docs.libp2p.io/concepts/nat/circuit-relay/#relay-addresses
+# prots: bidict[int, str] = bidict({
+prots: bidict[int, str] = {
+    'ipv4': 3,
+    'ipv6': 3,
+    'wg': 3,
+
+    'tcp': 4,
+    'udp': 4,
+
+    # TODO: support the next-gen shite Bo
+    # 'quic': 4,
+    # 'ssh': 7,  # via rsyscall bootstrapping
+}
+
+prot_params: dict[str, tuple[str]] = {
+    'ipv4': ('addr',),
+    'ipv6': ('addr',),
+    'wg': ('addr', 'port', 'pubkey'),
+
+    'tcp': ('port',),
+    'udp': ('port',),
+
+    # 'quic': ('port',),
+    # 'ssh': ('port',),
+}
+
+
+def iter_prot_layers(
+    multiaddr: str,
+) -> Iterator[
+    tuple[
+        int,
+        list[str]
+    ]
+]:
+    '''
+    Unpack a libp2p style "multiaddress" into multiple "segments"
+    for each "layer" of the protocoll stack (in OSI terms).
+
+    '''
+    tokens: list[str] = multiaddr.split('/')
+    root, tokens = tokens[0], tokens[1:]
+    assert not root  # there is a root '/' on LHS
+    itokens = iter(tokens)
+
+    prot: str | None = None
+    params: list[str] = []
+    for token in itokens:
+        # every prot path should start with a known
+        # key-str.
+        if token in prots:
+            if prot is None:
+                prot: str = token
+            else:
+                yield prot, params
+                prot = token
+
+            params = []
+
+        elif token not in prots:
+            params.append(token)
+
+    else:
+        yield prot, params
+
+
+def parse_addr(
+    multiaddr: str,
+) -> dict[str, str | int | dict]:
+    '''
+    Parse a libp2p style "multiaddress" into it's distinct protocol
+    segments where each segment:
+
+        `../<protocol>/<param0>/<param1>/../<paramN>`
+
+    is loaded into a layers `dict[str, dict[str, Any]` which holds
+    each prot segment of the path as a separate entry sortable by
+    it's approx OSI "layer number".
+
+    Any `paramN` in the path must be distinctly defined in order
+    according to the (global) `prot_params` table in this module.
+
+    '''
+    layers: dict[str, str | int | dict] = {}
+    for (
+        prot_key,
+        params,
+    ) in iter_prot_layers(multiaddr):
+
+        layer: int = prots[prot_key]  # OSI layer used for sorting
+        ep: dict[str, int | str] = {'layer': layer}
+        layers[prot_key] = ep
+
+        # TODO; validation and resolving of names:
+        # - each param via a validator provided as part of the
+        #   prot_params def? (also see `"port"` case below..)
+        # - do a resolv step that will check addrs against
+        #   any loaded network.resolv: dict[str, str]
+        rparams: list = list(reversed(params))
+        for key in prot_params[prot_key]:
+            val: str | int = rparams.pop()
+
+            # TODO: UGHH, dunno what we should do for validation
+            # here, put it in the params spec somehow?
+            if key == 'port':
+                val = int(val)
+
+            ep[key] = val
+
+    return layers