Re: [tor-relays] Fast Exit Node Operators - ISP in US

[Moritz Bartl <moritz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi SiNA,

On 11/22/2014 01:08 AM, SiNA Rabbani wrote:
> Dear Relay Operators,
> 
> I noticed there are very few US based exit nodes in the network. And more and more
> people are jumping on the same set of AS numbers in Europe.
[...]

Thank you, SiNA. A reminder to relay operators: Diversity is important.
A very good paper everyone should read is "Traffic Correlation on Tor by
Realistic Adversaries" [1].

Compass [2] is very useful in at least determining country- and AS-level
diversity. It would be nice to have more than just a feeling of when to
rule out a potential ISP and/or country, but I would at least try to
avoid any of the popular AS.

lowendbox.com is not a bad source for virtual machine hosting. If you
plan to run an exit relay, it is imperative that you ask the ISP
beforehand, and you should read the Exit Guidelines [3]. Add the answer
of the ISP to the GoodBadRelays wiki page [4]. For non-exit relays, I
wouldn't ask or tell the ISP, they don't have to know. When you pick a
cheap provider with "unlimited" (fair use) bandwidth, make sure you
contact the ISP beforehand to find out how much constant traffic they
are actually ok with, and configure your relay accordingly. The
hibernation options are quite useful in that regard.

For larger exits (dedicated, higher bandwidth), webhostingtalk.com can
be a good source. It is generally cheaper to pool money and rent a
bigger server. Ideally, you find some people around you. For example, if
you have a local hackerspace or makerspace nearby, you should leave
contact info and ask if there's interest to collectively run a larger
relay. I always wanted to get "Tor User & Relay Operator Groups" going.
A quite outdated and lame attempt is a wiki page on the torservers wiki [5].

The next step may be to set up an organization around your exit(s). Many
groups chose the non-profit model [6]. This type of organization is
surprisingly easy to create and manage, but it does produce overhead.
Think a bit about who wants to play accountant and all that.

After a while, you might consider joining the Torservers.net
reimbursement partnership. While the program does not formally require
you to have an organization, we do prefer them, simply because they are
a sign of a more stable environment. For more information, see [7].

[1] http://freehaven.net/anonbib/#ccs2013-usersrouted
[2] https://compass.torproject.org/
[3] https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/TorExitGuidelines
[4] https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/GoodBadISPs
[5] https://www.torservers.net/wiki/usergroups
[6] https://www.torservers.net/partners.html
[7]
https://blog.torservers.net/20130917/reimbursement-for-exit-operators.html

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