Re: [tor-talk] Reliable server hosting company for Tor exits?

[Robin Kipp <mlists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Moritz,
thanks a lot for the reply and for your information!

> It is best if people chose different ISPs and not group at a handful of
> them. There is a wiki page that lists ISPs, but I would avoid all of
> them (even those that like Tor) for that reason.

Hmmm, I guess that is a good and valid point that you have there. Yes, I guess you're right - it probably would be much better for the Tor infrastructure if servers were spread out across several ISPs. However, like I said, I would also like to work with an ISP that is concerned with user privacy and won't take down a server or pass on my personal information to third parties whenever a slight sign of trouble arises. Like I said, I really don't mind dealing with abuse requests and explain to whoever is complaining that this is a Tor exit node, what Tor is all about, how it works, etc. The only thing that I really don't want to have to face would be serious trouble with the police or other authorities - which perhaps is also the case since I've never really been in such trouble and don't know what the process would look like when dealing with legal officials which most likely won't be too experienced in terms of Tor-like infrastructures. Is there a chance that if I decide to s
 etup a Tor node I'll get by without any such incidents?
> Also, are there any country preferences when setting up such a service? Thing is, I personally really like the kind of setup and infrastructure offered by Hetzner, I've never really experienced major downtimes or any such issues with them. However, I think that regulations regarding data retention and privacy are kind of messed up in Germany, and are often subject to change. I don't really have in-depth knowledge about these things, I only follow some blogs that discuss these issues and pick up bits and pieces here and there, which can get confusing easily.

> 
> Torservers.net had best experiences by trying a two-step approach: We
> first ask if they were ok with Tor and reassignment of IPs, no detailed
> explanation for both. Once they get back positively we explain Tor and
> how it can become problematic. We reassure the ISP that we will answer
> abuse complaints within a short time span (usually, 24 hours is
> expected; we try to keep it within an hour). We keep some templates at
> https://www.torservers.net/wiki/hoster/inquiry

That is very interesting and a very good approach in deed! I think if I really take the plunge and set up a Tor node, I will most likely do the same. Also, thanks a lot for pointing out these templates - I'll definitely make sure to check them out!
> 
> Please let me know if there's anything missing that should be on that
> page. I am happy to take your hand and guide you through the actual
> setup as well. Don't give up too early :)

Haha, no, I definitely don't like giving up at all, so that should be fine! :-) Well, if you'd like to get in touch and offer some advice, I'd definitely be very thankful for that! So, feel free to drop me a line off-list if you like, so we can discuss everything more in depth and get things up and running! Now, I'm not sure where you're based and what languages you speak, but in case you speak German as well, feel free to contact me in either English or German, whatever works best for you! :-)
Thanks, keep up the great work!
Robin
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