- tor-relays - lists.torproject.org

Tor relay doing 400 Mbps up, 50 Mbps down until reboot
by forest-relay-contact＠cryptolab.net 11 Jul '26

11 Jul '26

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA512 Hello. One of my relays, 54C85B97B4A5253483AA269B341C4CCF9328C443, had 400 Mbps up and only 50 Mbps down for several hours. Performance got so bad that could barely SSH in. Unfortunately, I rebooted before doing diagnostics and the problem has not happened since, so I couldn't see if Tor logged asymmetric bandwidth use in its heartbeat. Nothing in the logs indicate anything abnormal. This started on Jun 25th, 12:30 AM UTC and continued until I rebooted at around 4:00 AM UTC. Tor's CPU use was 100% for the duration of this event and the uplink was not saturated. Is this something that has happened before? Could it be some DoS attack? As far as I know, the only way to get Tor to use asymmetric bandwidth is to use it as a directory mirror. Regards, forest -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- iHUEARYKAB0WIQQtr8ZXhq/o01Qf/pow+TRLM+X4xgUCaj2vuwAKCRAw+TRLM+X4 xhhPAQDqw7+xxZWmOUP00rTmyT1brTFdkTRwEUWWmSdx1njWLAEA8lttz57jLKO7 zZSJyBW02z8rMKds0SpRiP2heVBfFwQ= =ecuY -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

2 1

GeoIPFile option warning
by krishna e bera 27 Jun '26

27 Jun '26

I am seeing these warnings in Tor's notices.log: Mar 24 09:42:21.000 [notice] Configured to measure directory request statistics, but no GeoIP database found. Please specify a GeoIP database using the GeoIPFile option. Mar 24 09:42:21.000 [notice] Configured to measure entry node statistics, but no GeoIP database found. Please specify a GeoIP database using the GeoIPFile option. However the option is set in torrc and i verified the files are at those locations and readable by all: GeoIPFile /usr/local/share/tor/geoip GeoIPv6File /usr/local/share/tor/geoip6 Any hints how i could check whether the warnings are spurious or dump what the running config actually is? I know it is reading the torrc because introducing an error in the file stops it from loading.

2 3

Maximizing contribution with own ASN + IPv6 — exit vs guard, IPv6 exit, AS diversity
by lists.torproject.org.broker091＠passmail.net 26 Jun '26

26 Jun '26

Hi all, I run my own ASN and announce my own IPv6 prefix via BGP (with valid RPKI ROAs), plus IPv4. I’d like to contribute to the network in the way that adds the most value, and I’d appreciate guidance from experienced operators. My situation: - ASN: own, prefix announced via BGP (IPv6 /48, IPv4 /28) - Bandwidth available: ~100 Mbit/s, monthly traffic budget: unmetered - Willing to handle abuse complaints: yes - rDNS and abuse contact fully under my control My questions: - Given that AS diversity is scarce, is an exit relay the highest-value use here, or does a high-bandwidth guard already help significantly from an underrepresented AS? - IPv6 exit support seems uncommon — is enabling IPv6Exit on my exit a meaningful gap to fill, and any caveats? - Any recommendations on exit policy and per-IP layout within my prefix to balance reachability and abuse handling? - If I run multiple relays, is the new cryptographic family scheme (FamilyId / tor --keygen-family) the right approach over legacy MyFamily? Happy to share more details. Thanks for any pointers.

3 2

deb.torproject.org-keyring package missing in Ubuntu 26.04 (resolute) repo
by nusenu 22 Jun '26

22 Jun '26

Hi, according to https://support.torproject.org/little-t-tor/getting-started/installing/ users should perform: apt install tor deb.torproject.org-keyring but https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/dists/resolute/main/binary-amd64/… unlike https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Pac… the resolute repo does not contain the deb.torproject.org-keyring package. kind regards, nusenu -- https://nusenu.github.io

4 4

Re: relay not working 100%
by C. Pe. 16 Jun '26

16 Jun '26

Hi, a very generic advice would be to rather not to throttle the bandwidth to such a low value, but to set a daily(!) quota. A relay running fast, but only a few hours a day is better than a slow relay running all the time. Regards, C Am 2. Juni 2026 um 11:34 schrieb torgnole-relayed via tor-relays <tor-relays(a)lists.torproject.org>: Hi, I'm convinced that tor allows the needed strong anonymity on internet, and I want to contribute. I set up, as a newbie, a middle relay, in february 2026. I rode that a new relay needs to wait something like 80 days before running 100%, the time for the network to check it's liable. It is now running for months, and it is still not running 100%. I have rate-limited the traffic to 500KB/s as for the moment I'm using a low cost VPS. But it appears that it doesn't even reach 70KB/s (it is the best pike in the last days), and even more regrettable, it fell down to 10KB/s or worse since 2-3 days. It used to have 4 flags (Running, Stable, Valid, Fast) but I'm afraid it lose the Rapid flag in the last days. I really don't understand what's going on. Tor logs seem not to show anything helping. Nyx used to show thousand of "inbound" and thousands of "outbound", but rarely "circuits" or anything else (I have to say I understand nearly nothing in Nyx, as I can't find any tutorial explaining it deeply). Nowadays, Nyx shows thousands of inbound, but only a very few outbound, something like 20-30. Server dosen't seem to have failings. Tor version is 0.4.9.8. on linux relay is minotor (B438F0D3E2281C307B459DB2ABDDB48871D06C18) at https://metrics.torproject.org/rs.html#details/B438F0D3E2281C307B459DB2ABDD… VPS is on interserver.net (2TB/month). I can send logs or torrc if needed. So my questions are : what's going on with my relay ? How is it possible it is still not running 100% ? is the bandwidth enough for a middle relay, or should I opt for a bridge ? All the best, _______________________________________________ tor-relays mailing list -- tor-relays(a)lists.torproject.org To unsubscribe send an email to tor-relays-leave(a)lists.torproject.org -- Sent with https://mailfence.com Secure and private email

2 1

Banned by Spamhaus and AWS
by Ole Rydahl 16 Jun '26

16 Jun '26

I have been running a non-exit Tor relay since Snowdon and a The Guardian journalist used Tor. I am doing it using my public ip on my home network. 1Tbyte/day roughly. Starting a year ago I was excluded from the Danish "internal revenue services" - skat.dk. However, using the Tor-browser I could still perform my duties there... Now! From May this year, my ip over and over again got listed at Spamhaus. My gateway only allows my MTA to use the ports 25, 465 and 587. Mysterious! Spamhaus' services are used a lot, so it seriously limits who we can send mails to! Spamhaus claims the following: Why was this IP listed? a.b.c.d has been classified as part of a proxy network. There is a type of malware using this IP that installs a proxy that can be used for nearly anything, including sending spam or stealing customer data. This should be of more concern than a Spamhaus listing, which is a symptom and not the problem. The proxy is installed on a device - usually an Android mobile, firestick, smart doorbell, etc, but also iPads, and Windows computers - that is using your IP to send spam DIRECTLY to the internet via port 25: This is very often the result of third party "free" apps like VPNs, channel unlockers, streaming, etc being installed on someone's personal device, usually a phone. After a throughout search for "infections" - including finding out that some Tor-relays are using port 465 and 587 as or-port - I caved in and stopped my tor-relay. After a few days the miracle happened my ban at Spamhaus was lifted _and_ I was allowed access to skat.dk directly. My conclusions based on my experiments so far are: Spamhaus falsely considers my Tor relay as malware and so does AWS. (Skat.dk are performing their services at AWS - judging from the ip's used.) Hilfe!!! /Ole PS: no PTR-record relates my domain and ip and Google's DNS-services are used. PPS: I have opened a number of tickets at Spamhaus. However, I have not been successful in having a meaningful conversation with them - so far.

6 7

Strange SMTP attempts from my tor relay
by Ole Rydahl 12 Jun '26

12 Jun '26

Hi, I have noticed that my firewall registers connection attempts from my tor-server on port 465 and 587. My relay performs normally, so it appears that they have no significance for the operation. Could somebody please explain the logic behind those SMTP connections? I am a bit puzzled! /Ole Rydahl OS: Fedora Linux 43 (Server Edition), Platform: Tor 0.4.9.8 on Linux

5 6

tor weather account deletion
by Marco 08 Jun '26

08 Jun '26

Hello! Where is the place to request account deletion for TOR weather? I do not need this monitoring service anymore. -- kind regards Marco Muell und Spam bitte an abfalleimer2002(a)stinkedores.dorfdsl.de

1 0

[Proposal] OnionCoin: Economic Incentives for Tor Relay Operators
by Gabx 01 Jun '26

01 Jun '26

Hello Tor relay operators, I'm Gab Virebent, a privacy infrastructure developer, and I've been working on an experimental cryptocurrency called OnionCoin that rewards Tor relay operators through a unique consensus mechanism. ## The Problem Running Tor relays costs money (bandwidth, electricity, VPS) but provides no economic return. This leads to: - High node churn (operators drop out) - Centralization risk (40%+ relays on Amazon/OVH/Hetzner) - Difficulty scaling the network sustainably ## OnionCoin's Approach: Proof-of-Relay OnionCoin uses "Proof-of-Contribution" consensus where block rewards are distributed based on: - 40% Stake (anti-Sybil, but logarithmic to reduce whale advantage) - 30% Tor Relay Work (bandwidth relayed for OnionCoin traffic) - 15% Bandwidth contribution - 10% Uptime - 5% Storage Key innovation: **30% of block rewards go directly to relay operators** who route OnionCoin P2P traffic through Tor. ## Node Identity via .onion Addresses Every OnionCoin node runs as a Tor hidden service: - Persistent cryptographic identity (Ed25519) - No IP exposure - Reputation tied to .onion address, not location - Economic stake provides Sybil resistance (min 10 ONC ≈ $100 at launch) ## Verifiable Relay Operator Identity (Critical Security Feature) Current Tor problem: relay operators are pseudonymous with no accountability mechanism. Bad actors can: - Run malicious exit nodes - Disappear and reappear under new identity - Sybil attack the network with multiple relays OnionCoin solution: **Blockchain-based operator identity** - Each relay operator stakes tokens (economic skin in the game) - .onion address = permanent on-chain identity - Reputation history is immutable and public - Bad behavior → stake slashing (Ethereum-style) - Good operators build long-term reputation → earn more rewards This creates: - **Accountability**: Exit node operators can be identified by their blockchain identity - **Sybil resistance**: Running 100 relays requires 100x stake (expensive) - **Quality incentive**: Good operators earn compound rewards over time - **Traceable history**: Community can see how long an operator has been active The .onion address becomes both your Tor identity AND your blockchain wallet. This solves the "who runs this relay?" problem without breaking anonymity (no real names, no IP addresses). ## Current Status - Prototype complete (Rust, MIT license) - Consensus logic implemented with passing tests - Tor integration (arti) planned Q3 2026 - Testnet launch planned Q4 2026 **Repository**: https://git.virebent.art/virebent/onioncoin **Release v0.1.0**: https://git.virebent.art/virebent/onioncoin/releases/tag/v0.1.0 (Signed with YubiKey Ed25519) ## What I'm Looking For 1. **Technical feedback**: Does this approach make sense? What are the risks? 2. **Pilot participants**: 10-50 relay operators interested in testing economic incentives 3. **Research collaboration**: Measure impact on relay uptime/bandwidth/churn ## Key Questions - Would economic incentives improve your relay operation sustainability? - What concerns do you have about mixing crypto with Tor? - What metrics would convince you this improves the Tor network? ## Contact **Email**: gabriel1(a)virebent.art **Website**: https://contact.virebent.art I'm happy to answer technical questions, discuss the consensus design, or hear why this is a terrible idea. All feedback is valuable. Thanks for running relays and keeping Tor alive. Best, Gab Virebent --- P.S. This is NOT an official Tor Project initiative. OnionCoin is an independent experiment to test whether cryptocurrency incentives can improve volunteer network sustainability. -- https://contact.virebent.art https://www.virebent.art https://archives.virebent.art

1 0

Tor Metrics Country Error
by Diyar Ciftci 01 Jun '26

01 Jun '26

Good evening, One of my relays (azadisrvbasic) is being listed on tor metrics as being in the United States of America but it is in the United Kingdom of Gread Britain and Northern Ireland. Could this be corrected please. Kind regards, Diyar Ciftci https://diyarciftci.xyz

3 2