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Improved section on performance and security issues

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str4d 2015-09-22 03:42:58 +00:00 committed by Brian Warner
parent 24beb033d6
commit 21013284c9
1 changed files with 31 additions and 21 deletions
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52
docs/anonymity-configuration.rst
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@ -298,12 +298,12 @@ complete configuration for server use-case 2 would look like::
Performance and security issues with Tor Hidden Services
========================================================
Performance and security issues
===============================
If you are running a server which does not itself need to be
anonymous, should you make it reachable as a Tor Hidden Service or
not? Or should you make it reachable *both* as a Tor Hidden Service
anonymous, should you make it reachable via an anonymizing network or
not? Or should you make it reachable *both* via an anonymizing network
and as a publicly traceable TCP/IP server?
There are several trade-offs effected by this decision.
@ -311,18 +311,16 @@ There are several trade-offs effected by this decision.
NAT/Firewall penetration
------------------------
Making a server be reachable as a Tor Hidden Service makes it
reachable even if there are NATs or firewalls preventing direct TCP/IP
connections to the server.
Making a server be reachable via Tor or I2P makes it reachable even if there
are NATs or firewalls preventing direct TCP/IP connections to the server.
Anonymity
---------
Making a Tahoe-LAFS server accessible *only* via Tor Hidden Services
can be used to guarantee that the Tahoe-LAFS clients use Tor to
connect. This prevents misconfigured clients from accidentally
de-anonymizing themselves by connecting to your server through the
traceable Internet.
Making a Tahoe-LAFS server accessible *only* via Tor or I2P can be used to
guarantee that the Tahoe-LAFS clients use Tor or I2P to connect. This prevents
misconfigured clients from accidentally de-anonymizing themselves by connecting
to your server through the traceable Internet.
Also, interaction, through Tor, with a Tor Hidden Service may be more
protected from network traffic analysis than interaction, through Tor,
@ -334,13 +332,12 @@ If so we need to link to it. If not, then maybe we should explain more here why
Performance
-----------
A client connecting to a Tahoe-LAFS server through Tor incurs
substantially higher latency and sometimes worse throughput than the
same client connecting to the same server over a normal traceable
TCP/IP connection.
A client connecting to a publicly traceable Tahoe-LAFS server through Tor incurs
substantially higher latency and sometimes worse throughput than the same client
connecting to the same server over a normal traceable TCP/IP connection.
A client connecting to a Tahoe-LAFS server which is a Tor Hidden
Service incurs much more latency and probably worse throughput.
A client connecting to a Tahoe-LAFS server which is a Tor Hidden Service or I2P
server incurs much more latency and probably worse throughput.
Positive and negative effects on other Tor users
------------------------------------------------
@ -360,12 +357,25 @@ Both of these effects are doubled if you upload or download files to a
Tor Hidden Service, as compared to if you upload or download files
over Tor to a publicly traceable TCP/IP server.
Positive and negative effects on other I2P users
------------------------------------------------
Sending your Tahoe-LAFS traffic over I2P adds cover traffic for other I2P users
who are also transmitting data. So that is good for them -- increasing their
anonymity. It will not directly impair the performance of other I2P users'
interactive sessions, because the I2P network has several congestion control and
quality-of-service features, such as prioritizing smaller packets.
Performance and security issues with I2P
========================================
However, if many users are sending Tahoe-LAFS traffic over I2P, and do not have
their I2P routers configured to participate in much traffic, then the I2P
network as a whole will suffer degradation. Each Tahoe-LAFS router using I2P has
their own anonymizing tunnels that their data is sent through. On average, one
Tahoe-LAFS node requires 12 other I2P routers to participate in their tunnels.
TBC
It is therefore important that your I2P router is sharing bandwidth with other
routers, so that you can give back as you use I2P. This will never impair the
performance of your Tahoe-LAFS node, because your I2P router will always
prioritize your own traffic.