Questions tagged [client]
Questions which deal with Tor as a client.
61
questions
28
votes
3
answers
13k
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How does a Tor client pick Tor nodes for circuit creation?
A Tor client initially contacts Directory Authorities to fetch the consensus (i.e. a file containing all relays of the Tor network at that time with details such as IP address, exit policy, public key ...
- 2,516
10
votes
2
answers
354
views
Would running Tor client and Tor relay simultaneously harm my anonymity?
If I run a Tor relay in a machine and at the same time I use the same instance as a Tor client, would that harm my anonymity ? Would it be better to use different Tor instances on the same machine? ...
- 2,516
10
votes
1
answer
745
views
How should I verify Tor downloads?
When I go to https://www.torproject.org/download/download.html to download the Tor Browser for Windows, how can I be sure that the package I'm downloading is genuine, and hasn't been tampered with?
...
- 369
9
votes
1
answer
179
views
Does Tor take node age into consideration when building a circuit?
I've seen this for a while, but in my experience Tor seems to select well stablished nodes (whose uptime is >60 days) but in the specifications this is not shown. It's just that the current list of ...
- 233
8
votes
1
answer
398
views
How many clients are typically using Tor simultaneously? How many circuits are simultaneously in use?
From Tor Metrics: Users, I get that there are currently about 2.4 million "directly connecting users". And in Questions and answers about user statistics, I see:
Q: So, are these distinct users per ...
- 2,977
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Suddenly my Tor hidden service isn't available
I created a Tor hidden service (a server binded to localhost port and torrc config'd to use the 127.0.0.1 xxxx) for clients to connect to. It was working great for a month or so, and now no one can ...
- 71
7
votes
1
answer
733
views
Socket creation failed -- TBB unable to start Tor
I tried to start Tor in a computer pool and it failed. The PCs were running Windows 7. I downloaded the latest Tor Browser Bundle and executed the start script. Almost immediately a warning appeared ...
- 8,561
6
votes
1
answer
942
views
What is the "TLS write overhead" percentage reported in Tor log entries?
Tor sometimes logs entries similar to this:
Sep 27 03:21:32.000 [notice] TLS write overhead: 13%
What does this line mean? Is there a value where this indicates problems?
- 8,561
6
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How can I optimize the connection bandwidth and response time for Tor-browsing?
How can I achieve the optimal connection for using Tor as a client, in terms of bandwidth and response time, given infinite resources? Can I set up a server with very strong connection and do a VPN ...
- 195
5
votes
1
answer
743
views
How does misconfigured time affect Tor?
Tor users and Tor relays across the world have different time zones.
How does misconfigured time affects Tor operation either on client or server side? Is there a time skew margin in which Tor still ...
- 2,516
5
votes
2
answers
396
views
Does Tor encrypt a client's connection to its entry node?
Does Tor encrypt a client's connection to its entry node? How does it do this?
4
votes
1
answer
739
views
How do clients know if a descriptor is new/changed/or disappeared from the Tor network?
I noticed a paragraph in dir-spec.txt as follow:
To address these, we extended the directory protocol so that
authorities now published signed "network status" documents. Each
network status ...
- 535
4
votes
2
answers
718
views
How many times does client fetch the consensus file from directory authorities?
I am wondering that how many times a client "talks" to Directory Server (say, it can be a hard-coded Directory Authority Server, or just a normal Directory Server) to fetch the consensus file, knowing ...
- 535
4
votes
1
answer
615
views
Where along the path is encryption used?
This question is born out of two questions that I saw coming up.
Is the connection between my computer and the Tor network encrypted?
How does Tor encrypt my traffic before it sends it to the server?...
- 2,614
4
votes
1
answer
633
views
How much bandwidth does a Tor Hidden Service have?
When I set up a hidden service with Tor, will all clients connect over the same connection between the hidden service and the first relay/router?
What is the bandwidth that I can probably expect?
- 43
4
votes
0
answers
7k
views
Bootstrapped at 10% for hours [duplicate]
I try to use Vidalia Bundle with certain application. It used to be stuck at 'starting Tor' if I recall correctly. So, I set it as 'run as client only' and added some bridges. Now it's stuck at 10% ...
- 41
3
votes
1
answer
422
views
Does traffic exit Tor at the same node for all ports?
Exit Relays can be set to allow traffic to exit the Tor network only over certain ports. Vidalia even makes this super-simple by giving options like "Normal, unencrypted Web browsing" or "IRC clients ...
- 2,724
3
votes
3
answers
2k
views
TCP/IP Packet node-to-node propegation in Tor
A TCP/IP packet mainly has two parts. The header and data (mostly encrypted).
When using Tor, and a packet leaves my Tor browser, where is my initial header information stored?
If the destination ...
- 330
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Using Tor Browser with alternate Tor client - works but issues warning
I run a relay on a NAS box in my network. It is setup so that I can use it as a client from other machines in my network:
[NOTICE] You configured a non-loopback address for SocksPort. This allows ...
- 3,665
3
votes
1
answer
527
views
Few questions about connecting to Tor hidden services
I am hoping some one can help expand my knowledge on how a user connects to a hidden service, I have read the specification, but have found it confusing and still have some questions.
Sorry if any ...
- 447
3
votes
1
answer
168
views
Does all direct clients have to talk to Directory Authorities to fetch the consensus at the first step?
I just read a description on Tor Metrics stating that: "These estimates are derived from the number of directory requests counted on directory authorities and mirrors".
So my question is already ...
- 535
3
votes
1
answer
44
views
Why is the HS not using the RP as the Endpoint of its rendezvous circuit?
Im asking myself, why the rendezvous circuit has a minimum length of 6 hops, which are:
Client -> (a1) -> (a2) -> (RP) <- (b3) <- (b2) <- (b1) <- HS
The Client is using RP ...
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Tor Client limit bandwidth
Is there any way to limit the bandwidth used by Tor as a client? I use Tor as a client and I want to limit the bandwidth used by Tor without any additional application.
Is that possible?
- 143
3
votes
1
answer
420
views
I'm building lot's of circuits. What could cause this?
I run a relay.
It has a SocksPort listening, but I don’t use it as a client for anything at the moment. It also hosts a hidden service.
From time to time I get warnings like this:
[warn] Your ...
- 3,665
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What do these Tor warnings imply?
The Following warnings have been observed during Tor operations.
[Warning] onion_skin_client_handshake failed.
[Warning] circuit_finish_handshake failed.*
[Warning] connection_edge_process_relay_cell ...
- 3,228
2
votes
3
answers
99
views
Usage if I don't need anonymity but want to help others?
What is the recommended way to use Tor when I don't need anonymity myself, but want to help increase the anonymity of the whole network so that others can benefit?
I'm not sure I can express my ...
2
votes
1
answer
693
views
End-to-End encryption using hidden services
How does end-to-end encryption between Client and Hidden Service work?
I am trying to understand more about TOR and how it works and found something about a end-to-end encryption between the client ...
- 21
2
votes
1
answer
852
views
Do Tor Clients and Caches download the WHOLE totally new consensus file every one hour, or just update some lines in the file every 10 seconds?
I am reading the "Tor directory protocol, version 3" and there are some points that I cannot clearly understand, please help!
there are 4 paragraphs as follows:
First
Clients, directory caches, ...
- 535
2
votes
2
answers
473
views
Entry guards and multiple Tor clients
Suppose a computer user is running multiple Tor clients: a system-wide tor instance, Tor Browser, Tor Messenger, Ricochet, etc.
Given that all of these clients independently select entry guard nodes ...
- 181
2
votes
1
answer
128
views
Finding out if a web user is using Tor
Recently I read an article on the Tor developer site about removing responses for certain calls to Tor programming built into Mozilla's code. By that token, and depending on what they remove, would it ...
- 133
2
votes
1
answer
70
views
Probability by bandwidth: Using multiple or one Relay with equal total Bandwidth
Is there a higher probability, if an attacker is using one OR of bandwidth 5 MB/s than 5 ORs with each 1 MB/s?
If you calculate the probability of picking a certain OR, you can use the weighted ...
- 124
2
votes
2
answers
134
views
What impact does a public onion client have on my anonymity?
Sometimes I'm working in a small office. Colleagues asked me to try Tor and I thought about setting up SOCKSListenAddress thus allowing them to use my onion client. Can this harm my anonymity in any ...
- 8,561
2
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Are there any effective traffic generation tools
One of the tactics discussed as a measure to defend against traffic correlation/timing attacks, is to have your Tor client sending traffic on a consistent basis.
For example: If a client was always ...
- 1,264
2
votes
0
answers
693
views
Whonix - How to get Java Plugin installed/working on Iceweasel? + GUI, Troubleshooting questions
I need help installing or messing with certain things on Whonix.
Most important is getting Java to work on it in the browser. I've installed Iceweasel and Chromium, and JRE 8 and JDK6 (long story...),...
- 31
1
vote
1
answer
113
views
Determining circuit tor client is using
One can get a list of circuits available for the tor client to use via the ControlPort. Here is the link to a python script someone wrote to get the list of circuits enter link description here
Is it ...
1
vote
1
answer
758
views
How TBB commands tor to use a "New Circuit for this Site"?
Tor Browser Bundle has "New Circuit for this Site" button (or Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + L shortcut), doing what it says: changing circuit for specific domain.
The question is: how TBB do it? And ...
- 31
1
vote
1
answer
912
views
What are some ways an ISP blocks access to Tor network or to websites visited using a Tor client?
Is it possible for an ISP to block access to Tor network or block access to websites accessed through Tor network/client?
- 105
1
vote
1
answer
245
views
How to correctly read the control port when Tor is started with `--ControlPort auto --ControlPortWriteToFile <TEMPORARY_PATH>`?
It is possible to start Tor with the following arguments (or parameters in Tor's config file):
--ControlPort auto --ControlPortWriteToFile <TEMPORARY_FILE_PATH>>
So Tor writes to <...
- 53
1
vote
1
answer
345
views
The scary torrc
I've been trying to set exit nodes and obfs4 bridge(country blocking tor) into my torrc file but I can't find a recent post about that or any beginner friendly explanation. Can anyone provide me with ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
1k
views
Import a SSL Client Certificate into the Tor Browser
as an extra layer of security, I want to use client site SSL certificates for authentication on my hidden-service webserver. Within the original Firefox (version 36.0) this is already working (with ...
- 13
1
vote
1
answer
159
views
Does Tor route traffic through clients?
My friend and I were talking about Tor in class, and I had my laptop out, running Tor for it's SOCKS proxy to access censored websites. My teacher interjected that I should not use Tor at school ...
1
vote
2
answers
83
views
Can the relay I connect to expose me?
The way I understand Tor is that the "client" (say me) connects to a relay, and that relay is the only computer they connect to from then on. If that is the case, why can't a hostile relay simply run ...
- 185
1
vote
1
answer
903
views
Is CircuitBuildTimeout saved through sessions?
In the Tor manpage I read about CircuitBuildTimeout. It is set to a default value of 60 seconds. However usually also LearnCircuitBuildTimeout is set. This enables adaptive learning of those timeouts. ...
- 8,561
1
vote
0
answers
319
views
How to prevent torsocks timeouts from concurrent calls?
I'm running a distant HTTP server, serving a single page, used for delay measurements purposes.
From my client, I'm generating multiple different custom circuits each being assigned a new upcoming ...
- 11
1
vote
0
answers
61
views
How does a Tor client find the correct HSDir to connect to when fetching a "descriptor" of a hidden service?
It seems that a Tor client connects to a HSDir through a circuit of 3 Tor nodes when retrieving a hidden service descriptor. But to access a hidden service, a user only needs to know the .onion ...
- 23
1
vote
0
answers
74
views
Tor client node ignores `set_config` from Stem
I was doing some experiments for a project on a Tor test network. I used Chutney to set up a small network and Stem to control one of the client nodes in the network. Because I made some changes on a ...
- 111
1
vote
0
answers
56
views
Why is it so hard to use an internal relay that has no Guard flag as Guard Relay?
I've set up a tor relay that has no Guard flag, but I want to use it as a Guard relay when I use Tor from outside. But sometimes it works and sometimes not. Why is this so hard and what can I do to ...
- 11
1
vote
0
answers
16
views
Using your Tor relay as a client for Torbrowser and other regular Tor traffic: Is this helpful or hurtful to your anonymity? [duplicate]
I run a relay off of my desktop computer, and currently have Torbrowser and Tox configured to use it as a client as well. I seem to remember hearing long ago that a client that also acts as a relay ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
230
views
Sending a request over Tor without binding port on localhost
Usually, Tor works like that: a daemon starts in background, reads torrc and listens on SocksPort (usually 9050). Then an application uses localhost:9050 as a SOCKS5 proxy and performs requests over ...
- 105
0
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Linux tor.service fails with "Unable to raise RLIMIT_MEMLOCK" at boot
[Archlinux 5.9.8-arch1-1]
Since my kernel update 5.8.5 -> 5.9.3, tor.service fails at boot. The corresponding client setup is pretty plain but I can't find the hold-up ...
$ tor --version
Tor ...
- 111