Tor Project | Relay Operations

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Relay Operations

Relay Operations

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Relay Operations

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The Tor network relies on volunteers to donate bandwidth.<br>The more people who run relays, the better the Tor network will be.<br>The current Tor network is quite small compared to the number of people who need to use Tor, which means we need more dedicated volunteers like you to run relays.

By running a Tor relay you can help make the Tor network:

faster (and therefore more usable)

more robust against attacks

more stable in case of outages

safer for its users (spying on more relays is harder than on a few)

Running a relay requires technical skill and commitment, which is why we've created a wealth of resources to help our relay operators.

Types of relays on the Tor network

Bridges, guards, middle relays, and exits all serve important functions in the Tor network. Learn about the different relays you can run.

Relay requirements

Requirements for Tor relays depend on the type of relay and the bandwidth they provide. Learn more about specific relay requirements.

Technical considerations

How to choose a good hosting provider, what's an AS and Operating System diversity.

Technical Setup

How to install and configure each type of relay: bridge, guard, middle, and exit.

Community and legal resources

How to get involved with the Tor relay operator community, advice on responding to abuse complaints, and how to start an organization dedicated to relay operation.

Getting help

How to get help if you run into issues

Governance

The processes and policies that govern relays on the Tor network.

Connect with other Relay Operators

The best resource of all is the active community of relay operators on tor-relays mailing list and on IRC #tor-relays in irc.oftc.net.

Relay Operators mailing list