Tor Network Operator

So you've decided to become an operator in the Tor network? That's great! The Tor network is run by thousands of volunteer operators around the world. There are many ways to contribute to the network, so how would you like to begin? * [[Run a relay]] * [[Run a bridge]] * [[Learn more first]]

There are two main types of relay in the Tor network: exit relays and non-exit relays. Most relays in the Tor network are of the non-exit kind. When users connect through Tor, they use a chain of 3 relays to make connections to the Internet. The final relay in that chain must be an exit relay and it is this relay that can be seen as the source of traffic by websites or other Internet services. A non-exit relay will only make connections to other Tor relays. [[Configure an exit relay]] [[Configure a non-exit relay]]

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If you have your own hardware and are going to run the relay in your own network, start with checking the [[networking requirements->Networking Requirements]]. If you're planning to run your relay with a hosting provider, check the considerations for [[choosing a hosting provider->Choosing a Hosting Provider]].

### Memory Memory required is based on a combination of relay type and speed. * A <40 Mbit/s non-exit relay should have at least 512 MB of RAM available. * A non-exit relay faster than 40 Mbit/s should have at least 1 GB of RAM. * On an exit relay we recommend at least 1.5 GB of RAM per tor instance. ### Disk Storage Tor does not need much disk storage. A typical Tor relay needs less than 200 MB for Tor related data. ### CPU Any modern CPU should be fine. It is recommended to use CPUs with AESNI support (that will improve performance and allow for up to about ~400-450 Mbps in each direction on a single tor instance on modern CPUs) but don't worry too much about this. If your hardware is ready to go, it's time to install Tor. What operating system do you plan to use? * [[Debian]]

Once your server is ready to go, it's time to install Tor. What operating system do you plan to use? * [[Debian]]

You need to add the following entries to /etc/apt/sources.list or a new file in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/: <pre>deb https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org stretch main deb-src https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org stretch main</pre> Then add the gpg key used to sign the packages by running the following commands at your command prompt: <pre>`#` curl https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/A3C4F0F979CAA22CDBA8F512EE8CBC9E886DDD89.asc | gpg --import `#` gpg --export A3C4F0F979CAA22CDBA8F512EE8CBC9E886DDD89 | apt-key add -</pre> We provide a Debian package to help you keep our signing key current. It is recommended you use it. Install it with the following commands: <pre>`#` apt update `#` apt install tor deb.torproject.org-keyring</pre> Now you have Tor installed, you can move on to [[configuring it->To exit or not to exit?]]!

### Bandwidth and Connections A non-exit relay should be able to handle at least 7000 concurrent connections. This can overwhelm consumer-level routers. If you run the Tor relay from a server (virtual or dedicated) in a data center you will be fine. If you run it behind a consumer-level router at home you will have to try and see if your home router can handle it or if it starts failing. Fast exit relays (>=100 Mbit/s) usually have to handle a lot more concurrent connections (>100k). It is recommended that a relay have at least 16 Mbit/s (Mbps) upload bandwidth and 16 Mbit/s (Mbps) download bandwidth available for Tor. More is better. The minimum requirements for a relay are 10 Mbit/s (Mbps). ### Monthly Outbound Traffic Ideally a relay runs on unmetered plan. If you have a metered plan you might want to configure tor to only use a given amount of bandwidth or monthly traffic. ### Public IPv4 Address Every relay needs a public IPv4 address - either directly on the host (preferred) or via NAT and port forwarding. The IPv4 address is not required to be static but static IP addresses are preferred. Your IPv4 address should remain steady for weeks at a time. The more frequently it changes the less useful the relay is. * If your network is all good, let's check the [[Relay Hardware Requirements<-hardware requirements for running a relay]]. * If your network is not meeting the requirements, maybe you'd like to look at [[running a bridge->Run a bridge]] instead?

There are two main ways to contribute to the Tor network: running relays or running bridges.