Hello,

> Similar to Briar, even developers of such clients above tell the loss of 
> messages and low reliability of the hidden to hidden path. Some of you might 
> know, that there were use cases with missing messages in a range of 35-45 %.



Sorry, but this is just not the case from my experience - it may take a while 
to fetch the descriptor of the hidden service, but once a TCP connection is 
established, aka. the ACK packet has been received, there should be no problems 
with packet-loss, this is one of the core features of TCP: 

Retransmission on various conditions.

I also hosted a hidden IRC server, as well as a Tor hidden service on my 
grandmothers laptop, to be able to SSH in through Tor and troubleshoot problems.

Experienced no packet loss, unless a relay in the circuit suddenly went offline.

If you want, I can measure packet loss from various locations (Northern Europe, 
East Europe, and New York, USA).

Also, to improve latency and throughput, you could make the server a one hop 
hidden server by enabling:


> HiddenServiceSingleHopMode



This way the looking up the server is faster, but clients remain anonymous 
using a normal 3-hop circuit.


I don't think we need extra code for this, you could just build your app using 
the programming language of your desire and use the existing network.


That's what I was doing with my ~200 user IRC server, and it worked fine, even 
while being hosted at home at a limited uplink of 15 Mbps, which now got 
upgraded to 30 Mbps.


Unfortunately fiber is not an option, so we have to rely on 60+ years old 
copper wires maintained by Telecom, I have a quite fancy industrial router with 
modem software and capabilities, and we still use VDSL2 17a G.Vector (ITU 
G.993.5).


I do however own a virtual machine machine on my friends colocated server at 
DataWagon, they are very exit friendly, zero abuse so far, I believe they just 
redirect abuse mails to /dev/null or something.. lol.


Anyway, point is that I never encountered packet loss, and even if, the 
protocol would compensate for it.


This became kind of a rant while I'm at work, so if it's not that useful, Im 
sorry.


Regards,
George


On Wednesday, August 14th, 2024 at 9:12 AM, Sam <[email protected]> 
wrote:

> System wrote via Tor Project <[email protected]>:
> ============================================================
> 

> Feedback: Please submit the proposal also to tor-dev: tor-dev Info Page
> =======================================================================
> 

> Introducing & Discussing "Reflec-Tor"s as concept | Exit-Relay as Entry-Relay 
> | Tor & Echo | Adding Entry-Relays as Reflec-Tor to Exit-Nodes
> 

> =============================================================================================================================================
> 

> https://www.reddit.com/r/TOR/comments/1e4te8m/introducing_discussing_reflectors_as_concept/
> 

> ============================================================================================
> 

> 

> 

> ========================
> 

> ==============================================================
> ==============================================================
> 

> Introducing & Discussing "Reflec-Tor"s as concept | Exit-Relay as Entry-Relay 
> | Tor & Echo | Adding Entry-Relays as Reflec-Tor to Exit-Nodes
> ============================================================================================================================================
> 

> 

> 

> Tor-Messaging: Introducing & Discussing "Reflec-Tor"s as concept | Exit-Relay 
> as Entry-Relay |
> 

> Hello,
> 

> I think this belongs to this core, general, relay topic-forum, as it is also 
> a development & community issue, request and efford, I post it here into the 
> reddit forum for your core discussion:
> 

> The idea is to add next to Bridges, Relays and Exit-Nodes also "Entry-Nodes" 
> as "Reflec-Tor"(s) to the point of Exit-Nodes. Hence: Exit-Nodes are 
> developed futher to be also an Entry-Node.
> 

> Some may remember when gnutella got hybrid with edonkey and then also with 
> torrent, Mike Stokes from Shareaza did that.
> 

> The idea today, 20 years later, is to add some Echo-capabilities to Tor in 
> regard of the servers for Exit and Entry.
> 

> Vision: Every (updated) Exit-Node is an Echo-Server - For a better 
> Tor-Messaging.
> 

> What does that mean?
> 

> An Echo-Server is a server for chat-messaging to send an incomming message 
> packet again out to all connected clients at the moment. Ping-in and Ping-Out 
> to all. That simple, that's why it is called the Echo. Like a shout in front 
> of a forrest, all connected users can hear and get the (encrypted) shout or 
> message or packet back from the tree wall.
> 

> There are 3 software applications for Echo-Servers:
> 

> -   https://github.com/textbrowser/spot-on (Desktop, sercer in the Listener 
> Tab)
>     

> -   https://github.com/textbrowser/smokestack (java for Android)
>     

> -   https://github.com/textbrowser/spot-on-lite (headless deamon for Linux)
>     

> 

> Now, the Listener function with ping in and ping out should be implemented 
> within a Tor-Exit-Node.
> 

> When it comes to Tor-Messaging, there are some pathes possible:
> 

> `A) Tor-Chat-Client-Alice - Tor - Internet - Echo-Server - Internet - Tor - 
> Tor-Chat-Client-Bob (Tor-proxied Chat-Server, which only accepts encrypted 
> packets)`
> 

> `B) Tor-Chat-Client-Alice - Echo - Tor - Tor - Echo - Tor-Chat-Client-Bob 
> (Echo Tor-tunneled)`
> 

> `C) Tor-Chat-Client-Alice - Echo-Server - Tor-Chat-Client-Bob (direct 
> connection to Echo-Server with only encypted packets)`
> 

> The request here is to build and develop option A.
> 

> That is just right now also possible, by an Exit-Node of Tor running the 
> Echo-Server-Software on the same machine in parallel. Just the port is 
> different.
> 

> This is an idea for some might be new, but thinking Tor Messaging a bit, it 
> comes quickly to this ideas and better soluttion.
> 

> The way to connect
> 

> `D) Tor-Chat-Client-Alice - Hidden Onion Server v3 - Tor - Tor - Hidden Onion 
> Server v3 - Tor-Chat-Client-Bob`
> 

> is the current given way for clientes like RicoChet Refresh, Quiet or Cwtch.
> 

> Similar to Briar, even developers of such clients above tell the loss of 
> messages and low reliability of the hidden to hidden path. Some of you might 
> know, that there were use cases with missing messages in a range of 35-45 %. 
> Don't quote me on that, but as core developers and community members you 
> might be in contact with those who experience this.
> 

> Furthermore the Messaging clients are not advanced in functionality, nor 
> advanced in strong encryption.
> 

> It would be third a long development way to got that route.
> 

> It is cost effective and needs cappable developers.
> 

> Some project have stamped on and made a workable client, but does that unite 
> all our power in the sense of Tor-Messaging?
> 

> Messaging needs a Vision and Statement from the Tor-Core-Developer team with 
> a discussion in the community in that regard with honor to the individual 
> projects and also with support for their chosen path (Model D). At the same 
> time we have to state that it is as it is, a HTTP-Server in the middle like 
> in Model A is faster than Model D.
> 

> In the graph-path the Echo-Server in the middle handles only encrypted 
> traffic, so it is just like another Relay. We can call it "Reflec-Tor". The 
> only sense it to multiply incomming encrypted packets from one node to all 
> connected nodes.
> 

> With that Idea, the Messenger Spot-On could be used as a Tor-Messenger.
> 

> This Messenger has stong encryption and is full of feature for messaging and 
> also cryptography.
> 

> it is like adding Firefox to Tor-Browsing, when Spot-On is added to 
> Tor-Messaging.
> 

> Something to read at the community forum:
> 

> https://www.reddit.com/r/Spot_On_Encryption/
> 

> Also there is a Mobile Client for Android, which also connects to 
> Reflec-Tors, find "Smoke" Messenger at F-Droid.org.
> 

> Please, get this right, it is not about a technical view on slow and failing 
> chat-packets to hidden servers, and it is not about those start-up clients 
> using this inside technology, some do a good project. It is about the idea, 
> that an Reflec-Tor mirroring and pinging back packets on the Exit-Node this 
> hop within the path of tor is not outside, it is always fully encryted for 
> the messaging packets and should be seen as one Tor-Path, especially if the 
> Listener-Ping-Back function (the Echo capabilities) is build in the 
> Exit-Node-Tor Software.
> 

> Spot-On is already a Tor-Messenger - as it uses also HTTPs and it sends only 
> encrypted packets.
> 

> A test is easy to make:
> 

> `(1) Start the Tor-Browser, which has always the Port 9051 to Tor, Tor is 
> running.`
> 

> `Next to Surfing with Tor-Browser Firefox the Chat with Tor-Messenger Spot-On 
> can start.`
> 

> `(2) Start Spot-On on a webserver and create in the Listeners Tab a Listener 
> on Port 4710.`
> 

> `(3) Start two Spot-On Instances Alice and Bob on two Laptops, in the 
> Neighbors Tab you connect the Webserver via Tor: Add the IP and Port 4710 to 
> the neighbor and choose Proxy:` 127.0.0.1 `Port 4710.`
> 

> You get the the Path:
> 

> `Tor-Chat-Client-Alice - Tor - Internet - Echo-Server - Internet - Tor - 
> Tor-Chat-Client-Bob`
> 

> The idea is now to integrate this a bit more:
> 

> `Tor-Chat-Client-Spot-On-Alice - Tor - [Tor-Exit-Node also Reflec-Tor 
> (Echo-Server)] - Tor - Tor-Chat-Client-Spot-On-Bob`
> 

> You see, the way stays all within the Tor-Family.
> 

> For sure, in case Alice does not want to use Tor, she also can message to 
> Bob, who is behind Tor.
> 

> `Tor-Chat-Client-Spot-On-Alice --> [Tor-Exit-Node as Entry-Node also 
> Reflec-Tor (Echo-Server)] - Tor - Tor-Chat-Client-Spot-On-Bob`
> 

> The IP of an Entry-Node is shown in the Tor-Browser and can get a port added. 
> Then two user can simply cata over that node.
> 

> We need in times of surveillance, data retention, chat control and for sake 
> of the needs of whistleblowser and people who want to chat privat and 
> anonymously more decentral and open source chat server.
> 

> The mission is: Every Tor-Exit Node is an Entry-Node for Chat.
> 

> It should be not a lot of code to be added to the ports of an Exit-Node and 
> displaying the Port of the Exit-Node in the Tor-Browser path icon.
> 

> This makes sense in several effects to be discussed and developed further:
> 

> -   Taking the next Development Step for Tor-Messaging: BTW, A Forum about 
> Tor-Messaging could be made as a category here in the forum please.
>     

> -   directly support Tor-based Messaging for the Spot-On Messaging client
>     

> 

> To be developed and discussed is, if this infra-structure could help to
> 

> -   support bootstrapping of Tor
>     

> -   support Censorship circumvention of Tor Reflec-Tors as SnowFlakes over 
> the Messenger with EPKS
>     

> -   Accept, that some routing to an HTTPS internet server at the Tor-Node is 
> faster than to an hidden onion server at the Tor Node.
>     

> 

> Well, to add some "ping-in-and-out" for an packet is what every netcat and 
> socat under linux can do. It is a small development step to make each 
> Tor-Exit node a free chat server for messaging, which is a big step for 
> mankind to have a network of free messaging chat servers.
> 

> Lets also see, how users and community will test and develop this messaging. 
> So it is not only a discussion for developers, it is also a step forward the 
> needs of the communities for a free internet:
> 

> -   for chat and their discussions.
>     

> 

> A few code lines to exit nodes make them a Reflec-Tor and messaging over Tor 
> can start really decentral and open source and free.
> 

> What do you think? does this privacy-concept bring more privacy and 
> reliability in packet delivery to messaging with Tor?
> 

> Regards

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