perjantai 18. toukokuuta 2012

Testing Tor-network, part 2 - Exit-bridge problem

Couple of months ago I wrote a blog about testing anonymous TOR-network.
I got quite a lot of feedback why I stopped using TOR anyway. I have to admit that I still use TOR, but now I know better the weak point of this network "charity".
 My ISP, Sonera, sent me this message by email, SMS, OnScreen notification and all of a sudden disconnected me from network.
This says that my broadband is disconnected due to security issue. It claims that my server has been taken into remote management of offenders and lead to adverse traffic. :(

The real reason was that I checked on my TOR-application to act as "exit-bridge" which caused about 2-3 GB of traffic to both directions during the weekend.

I asked  permission ot try this beforehand and there was no rules about the "exit-bridge".
After blocking me offline I tried to sort out this issue by calling Sonera and asking permission to use TOR-exit-bridge. All I got was this: http://www5.sonera.fi/keskustele/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=8320
I clearly says there is NO restrictions at all.

Yes, I know, someone can spam e.g. ISP's smtp-server through my IP and I'm responsible for it because ISP is not able to trace the real spammer by IP. The same applies to this Open WLAN -case too: http://fin.afterdawn.com/uutiset/artikkeli.cfm/2012/05/14/oikeus_avoimen_wlan-verkon_haltija_ei_vastuussa_muiden_tekemisista

So, if you use Tor, don't put it in "exit-bridge"-mode because it forward a lot of anonymous traffic from Tor-network to public-internet and vice versa. All you get is problems from you ISP.
The thing you may be looking for - as I am - is the Tor relay (Tor bridge relay). It should be enough to be a volunteer to help Tor-users in censored countries to get anonymous access to free internet. It should not cause a lot of traffic or bandwidth.

If someone can provide more information about this I'm more than pleased to get advises how to configure Tor.