Re: [tor-talk] Tor relay on home computer

[Moritz Bartl <moritz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 09/16/2014 10:36 AM, s7r wrote:
>> Hi, I want to support Tor and I want to run a relay on my home
>> computer. Is it fine to do that because the IP address keeps
>> changing every 1-2 weeks. I know how to edit the config and
>> everything else.
> Well running a relay from home might not be such a bright idea,
> because of multiple reasons:
> 1. your ISP could (depending on your terms of usage) terminate your
> account if you run any kind of servers or open services from a
> residential line (if you don't have a business line)

Maybe. I don't know of a single case where that happened.

> 2. you will be subject to abuse complaints (if you host a Tor exit relay).

Yes. I would advise against running an _exit_ relay, but a non-exit
relay does not result in any complaints.

> 3. your IP will be blacklisted and you will have to solve captchas
> when accessing some services and be banned from accessing online
> financial services (if you host an exit relay)

Unfortunately, there is a small number of sites that block your IP even
if you're running a non-exit relay, because they get some random shady
blocklist that lists all Tor relay IPs and don't understand the difference.

> 4. very low chances, the server might be in the interest of law
> enforcement agency at some time and in this case it's always better
> for it to be in a datacenter or workplace. (the same this applies if
> you host an exit relay).

I don't think this is true. Just being one of the thousands of relays
does not put you in the focus of any law enforcement. Exit relays, yes,
but not non-exit relays. Daniel didn't mention exit.

> 5. you have to keep your computer up most of the time since a Tor
> relay is used and grows in the consensus based on its uptime and
> speed. It should be up most of the time and connected to the internet
> working at good sped, it's sometimes hard to accomplish this from home
> on a residential line.

As an answer to the original question: Tor is pretty good at detecting
changing IPs, so that is a non-issue. In order to be helpful to the
network, you should have at least around 1 Mbit/s of upstream, and, yes,
the relay should be up continuously.

> Torproject.org also says that running a relay from home, especially an
> exit relay, could be headache. Under no circumstances it is forbidden
> to run a relay from home, just that it could be more complicated.

I think it doesn't help us if we mix non-exit relaying and exit relaying
into one big "Why you should not run relays at home". Home relays are
quite helpful actually, because they help create a nice diverse network,
and dynamic IPs are great, because when they get blocked somewhere it is
no big deal, the relay will get a new IP  eventually and become
reachable again.

I'm all for more home relays on the network! Just probably not exits.
Bridges are great, too.

-- 
Moritz Bartl
https://www.torservers.net/
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