[tor-relays] Verizon AS701 blocking Tor consensus server tor26 (86.59.21.38)

[Matthew Finkel]

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/847B1F850344D7876491A54892F904934E4EB85D)
> 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.