[tor-relays] Planning a relay

[TT]

I'm thinking of running a relay, and i've a few questions regarding the 
requirements and the general setup. So far this is just planning.

The hardware would be clean and in my possession, but the connection 
would go through a Swedish-based VPN provider because i'm not interested 
in running it through my own IP address. The provider endorses Tor and 
places no limits whatsoever on the services run through their 
connection, has port forwarding and allows exits, so no issues there. 
They also have a strict no-logging policy, but words are cheap so you 
never know.

I guess the first question should be whether such a relay would be 
welcome on the Tor network in the first place? I am aware that 
connecting to Tor through a VPN isn't generally recommended, but what 
about running a relay through one? Better idea, or a ridiculously bad one?

Second, while it would run on a (nearly) dedicated 100mbit connection, i 
do not have dedicated equipment. The machine needs to be taken offline 
between every 2-4 weeks, for some days at a time. Frequent OS updates 
also often require reboots in addition to this downtime. So much for a 
stable flag, but more importantly i need to know if this behavior is 
undesirable for running middle/exit relays? If so, would a bridge be 
better suitable with the tools i have at hand?

Third, regarding running bridges. The Tor Project FAQ states running 
your own bridge might improve your own anonymity. I assume this means 
you would manually set up your TBB to connect to *your own* bridge, is 
this correct? And finally, since the bridge would run on a separate 
(VPN) IP address, would this make a difference (re:anonymity) for better 
or worse if you connected through it yourself? I'm likely missing 
something here because it seems it would basically be the same as simply 
connecting to Tor through the VPN client alone.

Thanks.
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