On Tue, May 15, 2018 at 08:12:50PM -0400, Neel Chauhan wrote:
Hi tor-relays mailing list,
I have noticed that the Tor consensus server tor26 (https://metrics.torproject.org/rs.html#details/847B1F850344D7876491A54892F90...) is blocked on Verizon's UUNET (AS701) backbone, and therefore, Verizon's retail services like FiOS and Wireless. I can confirm this on FiOS, but I don't use Verizon Wireless (my smartphone uses Sprint) so I can't test it there.
A traceroute to tor26's IP address 86.59.21.38 from a Brooklyn apartment shows this is filtered on Verizon's backbone:
Interesting, thanks for noticing this and investigating.
From an Optimum Online connection I can reach tor26:
$ traceroute -n 86.59.21.38 traceroute to 86.59.21.38 (86.59.21.38), 30 hops max, 60 byte packets [...] 9 * * * 10 4.69.203.210 87.969 ms 93.582 ms 90.246 ms 11 4.68.110.66 91.896 ms 89.551 ms 87.997 ms 12 130.244.38.232 89.958 ms 94.470 ms 95.286 ms 13 130.244.71.47 132.933 ms 131.108 ms 131.941 ms 14 212.152.189.65 132.910 ms 128.954 ms 149.351 ms 15 86.59.118.145 110.832 ms 111.453 ms 112.767 ms 16 86.59.21.38 116.790 ms 117.539 ms 117.448 ms
In a normal traceroute, you will see ALTER.NET at hop 5. Also, the subnet 86.59.21.0/24 is not filtered on UUNET. A traceroute to 86.59.21.1 works:
I also receive a response from the IP address immediate below tor26's:
$ traceroute -n 86.59.21.37 traceroute to 86.59.21.37 (86.59.21.37), 30 hops max, 60 byte packets [...] 9 * * * 10 4.69.203.210 88.174 ms 92.438 ms 92.715 ms 11 4.68.110.66 90.381 ms 89.487 ms 89.491 ms 12 130.244.38.232 92.294 ms 91.150 ms 93.985 ms 13 130.244.71.47 131.010 ms 131.173 ms 131.000 ms 14 212.152.189.65 131.932 ms 130.328 ms 136.155 ms 15 86.59.118.145 261.323 ms 261.824 ms 261.783 ms 16 86.59.21.37 122.162 ms 121.369 ms 118.289 ms
I got in contact with Peter Palfrader and he says he couldn't help, and also with Verizon FiOS support and they said the filtering 'isn't on Verizon's network' (read: isn't on Verizon's internal FiOS network but still on Verizon's AS701 which I have to go to to get anywhere on the Internet here).
Unfortunately, no surprises there. Peter won't have any control over this, and FiOS won't take the blame for this.
But if Verizon didn't unblock tor26, could it actually mean that Verizon wants to discourage Tor (and VPN/proxy) use to try to mine information of their customers (and sell ads/information) and direct users to VZ-owned AOL and Yahoo? Well, I hope they were just sloppy and don't mean to wage war on Tor.
Yeah, either they don't understand how Tor works, or they blocked tor26's IP address for another reason (not because it's a directory authority).
While I'm not saying you should avoid using anything Verizon at all costs (I certainly wouldn't want to go to the local cable company), I just want to point out a blocked consensus server.
It's absolutely something we should keep an eye on, especially in the US as ISPs begin testing the FCC's (reinstated) laissez faire policy.
Thanks.