Re: same first hops

[Geoff Down <downie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 9 Oct 2008, at 13:33, Scott Bennett wrote:
>      While we're on this subject, I'd like to point out a problem with 
> tor's
> current data rate capacity testing during server initialization.  In 
> order
> to get some initial observations of the available data rates over a 
> server's
> network connections, tor builds a few (3?) test circuits that make a 
> loop
> from itself into the tor network and then back to itself.  At present 
> it
> uses the normal route length to do this, which can give a drastically 
> low
> measurement.  A better way would seem to be to use a single hop, i.e., 
> a
> circuit that goes to one other relay and the back to its source.  That 
> may
> still provide a low estimate however, so the value obtained from a 
> single
> hop test probably ought to be doubled for use as an estimate of the 
> data rate
> capacity of the server that is being initialized.

Interestingly, I had about 6 single nodes showing on the Vidalia 
network map yesterday, whilst my traffic was going via a normal 3-node 
circuit and another 3-node circuit was in preparation.
The single nodes disappeared after 20 minutes or so.

GD