How to Run a Tor Middle Relay on Ubuntu Server

Run a Tor Middle Relay on Ubuntu Server

🧅 Run a Tor Middle Relay on Ubuntu Server (Simple Guide)

Running a Tor middle relay helps support privacy and censorship resistance on the internet. It is legal in most countries, lightweight to run, and does not expose your personal browsing.

🧠 What is a middle relay?

A Tor middle relay forwards encrypted traffic between other Tor nodes. It does NOT:

  • See websites you visit
  • See your identity
  • Act as a proxy for your browsing

It simply helps move encrypted data through the Tor network.

💻 Why use Ubuntu Server?

  • Stable and reliable for 24/7 operation
  • Lightweight (no desktop needed)
  • Easy service management
  • Works well on old hardware

⚙️ Step 1: Install Tor

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install tor -y

🧱 Step 2: Configure your relay

Edit the Tor configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/tor/torrc

Add the following:

Nickname MyRelay
ORPort 9001
ExitRelay 0
SocksPort 0

RelayBandwidthRate 10 MB
RelayBandwidthBurst 20 MB

ContactInfo youremail@example.com

Important: ExitRelay 0 ensures you are NOT an exit node.

🔥 Step 3: Open firewall port

sudo ufw allow 9001/tcp
sudo ufw enable

🔁 Step 4: Enable auto-start

sudo systemctl enable tor
sudo systemctl start tor

Make Tor restart automatically if it crashes:

sudo systemctl edit tor

Add:

[Service]
Restart=always
RestartSec=10

📜 Step 5: Check logs

journalctl -u tor -f

🌐 Step 6: Verify your relay

After a few hours, check your relay status here:

https://metrics.torproject.org/rs.html

Search your public IP address.

🧩 Why run a relay?

  • Helps people access the internet privately
  • Supports censorship resistance
  • Strengthens global privacy infrastructure
  • Uses very little resources

⚠️ Notes

  • Middle relays do NOT expose your identity or browsing activity
  • Bandwidth usage will vary depending on demand
  • Uptime improves relay usefulness

🧅 Final thought

If you can run a small always-on machine, you can help make the internet more private and resilient. A Tor relay is one of the simplest ways to contribute to global privacy infrastructure.

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