/** * file: karbytes_05_october_2024.txt * type: plain-text * date: 03_OCTOBER_2024 * author: karbytes * license: PUBLIC_DOMAIN */ I had a fanciful idea that I could use the closet in my bedroom at my dad’s house as a place to grow my own psilocybin mushrooms (from one of those kits that can be ordered from the surface web and shipped to my residence address in Castro Valley, California for presumably less than $100) and also keep one of my laptops (or perhaps a Raspberry Pi device (which seems cheaper to purchase and more energy efficient to run than a laptop)) plugged into the wall and almost always turned on (and using either the house Wi-Fi router (which is notoriously very weak and unreliable (especially from that location) or else another Android phone with its own phone number and SIM card which establishes a mobile hotspot) in order to host my own dark web page(s) and maybe even sell the shrooms I grow in my closet via the dark (or surface) web (and maybe even get a solar panel installed outside my bedroom window and powering that server so that I can truly say that I am making money come out of my closet with minimal effort and minimal investment from me). In all honesty, I am not really seriously intending to sell anything I grow or produce. I would instead just keep my shroom harvests for my own personal use and perhaps give some away as gifts to people other than myself. I just have a “fetish” for making valuable things come from a secretive basement-like setting which I am the sole proprietor of and inhabitant of. The purpose of this note is to elaborate a little on the note I published both as a plain-text file and as a WordPress dot Com web page earlier today (i.e. 02_OCTOBER_2024) at approximately 2:30AM Pacific Standard Time and whose HTML version is available at the following URL: https://karbytesforlifeblog.wordpress.com/karbytes_04_october_2024/ As soon as I turned on my (Ubuntu) laptop today, I noticed that my .onion web page (which I created yesterday and described in the aforementioned journal entry) was automatically being hosted by the Apache server which I installed on that laptop yesterday. I did not even open the command line nor even The Onion Router (Tor) before I was able to load that .onion web page on my Android phone (via the Tor app for Android). When I turned off my laptop and refreshed the Tor browser on my phone, I saw that the .onion web page was offline. Then I turned my laptop back on, established a (wireless) mobile Internet connection between my phone and the laptop, and saw that the .onion web page was back online again. There are a few commands I thought I should record for future reference because they seem helpful in regards to keeping my dark web server running. The following command line command checks the status of the Tor service communicating between client terminals visiting my .onion web page and the Apache server running on my Ubuntu laptop. (I keep getting the message “active (exited)”). To exit the status view mode, enter q. sudo service tor status The following command line command checks the status of the Apache service hosting my .onion web page whenever my laptop is on (unless I modify my laptop’s startup settings or disable or uninstall Apache). (I keep getting the message “active (running)”). sudo service apache2 status Finally, before I close this note, I would like to copy-paste a conversation I had with ChatGPT-4o earlier this morning at approximately 4:00AM Pacific Standard Time about what constitutes the informational content of the World Wide Web… * * * karbytes: What is a larger percentage of the World Wide Web: the dark web, the surface web, or the deep web (and what is the percentage breakdown for each of those categories)? ChatGPT: The World Wide Web is divided into three major layers: the surface web, the deep web, and the dark web. Here’s a breakdown of these layers in terms of size and approximate percentage: 1. Surface Web: This is the portion of the web that is publicly accessible and indexed by search engines like Google. It includes websites such as news portals, blogs, and e-commerce sites. However, it makes up a relatively small part of the overall web. – Estimated Percentage: About 4-5% of the entire web. 2. Deep Web: This is the portion of the web that is not indexed by search engines and is not directly accessible through traditional web browsers. It includes private databases, academic archives, cloud services, and password-protected content. Most of the deep web consists of legitimate content that simply isn’t accessible to the general public. – Estimated Percentage: About 90-95% of the web. 3. Dark Web: This is a subset of the deep web that is intentionally hidden and accessible only through specific browsers like Tor. It includes anonymous websites and services, often associated with illicit activities, but also with legitimate privacy-seeking users. – Estimated Percentage: About 0.01-0.1% of the web. Summary: – Surface Web: ~4-5% – Deep Web: ~90-95% – Dark Web: ~0.01-0.1% The deep web is by far the largest part of the web, with the dark web being a very small fraction of it. karbytes: What is most of the data of the deep web? ChatGPT: Most of the data in the deep web consists of legitimate, private, or non-indexed information that is not accessible to the general public or search engines. Here are the primary sources of deep web content: 1. Databases: This includes large repositories of information that are not publicly searchable but are accessed through specific queries. Examples include: – Academic Databases: Scientific journals, research papers, and dissertations (e.g., JSTOR, PubMed). – Medical Records: Patient information and clinical databases in hospitals and research institutions. – Legal Documents: Court records, legal filings, and governmental archives. 2. Private Websites: Password-protected or membership-based websites that restrict public access. Examples include: – Corporate Intranets: Internal networks used by companies for operations, employee records, and communications. – Subscription Services: Sites that require subscriptions or accounts (e.g., Netflix, news outlets behind paywalls). – Cloud Storage: Files stored in services like Google Drive or Dropbox that are not indexed by search engines. 3. Financial Information: Banking transactions, payment records, and online financial systems that are secure and encrypted. Examples include: – Online Banking: User transactions and statements. – Payment Gateways: Services like PayPal or cryptocurrency wallets. 4. Government Data: This includes sensitive or restricted government information that isn’t accessible to the public. Examples include: – Government Reports: Data from agencies that isn’t publicly available but used internally. – Classified Information: Sensitive intelligence or military communications. 5. Email and Messaging Systems: Email providers, private messages, and communication platforms (e.g., Gmail, WhatsApp) are part of the deep web, as these communications are secure and not indexed. 6. Social Media Content: Many posts, profiles, and interactions on social media platforms are private or restricted to certain user groups, making them part of the deep web. 7. E-commerce and Online Marketplaces: Product listings, customer data, and transaction histories on sites like Amazon or eBay that are behind user logins or security measures. 8. Academic and Research Networks: University portals, research repositories, and data-sharing networks where access is restricted to students, researchers, or academics. In summary, most of the deep web’s content is made up of databases, private communications, and restricted access information that is either password-protected, non-indexed, or designed for specific user groups rather than public consumption. karbytes: What is most of the dark net data? ChatGPT: [karbytes selected the following response which ChatGPT-4o generated two of (and the alternate response is pasted below the karbytes-selected response).] [2/2] Most of the data on the dark net (or dark web) consists of content that is deliberately hidden and accessible only through specific technologies like Tor (The Onion Router) or I2P (Invisible Internet Project). While the dark net is often associated with illicit activities, it also hosts legitimate uses for privacy and anonymity. The primary categories of dark net data include: 1. Illicit Markets and Services – Black Markets: The dark web is infamous for hosting illegal marketplaces where users can buy and sell goods such as drugs, weapons, counterfeit documents, and stolen data. Popular examples include the now-defunct Silk Road. – Fraudulent Services: Services related to identity theft, counterfeit currency, hacking tools, and fake IDs. – Stolen Data: Markets for selling stolen credentials, credit card information, and personal data obtained through data breaches. 2. Cybercrime and Hacking Communities – Hacking Forums: Communities and platforms where hackers exchange tools, techniques, and information, such as malware, ransomware, and exploits. – DDoS-for-Hire: Services that offer distributed denial-of-service attacks on websites or individuals. – Botnets: Networks of compromised computers used for illegal activities, like sending spam or launching cyberattacks. 3. Anonymous Communication – Forums and Chat Rooms: Platforms where users can communicate anonymously. These forums might host discussions about various topics, ranging from illicit trade to political activism. – Encrypted Messaging Services: Services that allow for secure and anonymous communication, often used by activists, journalists, and others who prioritize privacy. 4. Censorship Resistance and Privacy – Whistleblowing Platforms: Some dark net sites provide a haven for whistleblowers to anonymously share sensitive information with journalists or the public, such as WikiLeaks mirrors. – Activist Websites: Political activists, journalists, and individuals in countries with high censorship use the dark net to bypass government restrictions and communicate freely. 5. Political Dissidence and Journalism – Anonymous News Outlets: Certain journalists and news organizations have dark web versions of their websites to allow people to access information in heavily censored regions (e.g., The New York Times and BBC have dark web mirrors). – Opposition Groups: Political dissidents and opposition groups sometimes use the dark net to organize movements, raise awareness, or share documents without government surveillance. 6. Cryptocurrency Transactions – Bitcoin Mixers: Services designed to obscure the origin and destination of cryptocurrency transactions, making it difficult to trace payments. – Dark Web Wallets: Cryptocurrency wallets used for illegal transactions or for privacy-focused financial activities. 7. Legal and Privacy-Oriented Uses – Privacy Tools: Some dark net services are used by individuals looking to secure their communications or internet activity. This includes privacy-conscious users such as journalists, human rights defenders, or those avoiding surveillance. – Secure Hosting: Dark net sites offering services like anonymous website hosting for users seeking freedom from government or corporate oversight. 8. Dark Web Libraries and Resources – E-Books and Educational Materials: Some dark net sites host vast libraries of freely available e-books, educational materials, and even academic papers that might not be easily accessible elsewhere. – Media Sharing: Platforms for anonymously sharing media like videos, music, and other files, often focusing on privacy. Summary: – Illicit Markets and Cybercrime: Drugs, weapons, stolen data, hacking tools (dominates the dark web in terms of activity and media coverage). – Anonymous Communication and Whistleblowing: Privacy-focused forums and platforms for whistleblowers. – Political Dissidence and Journalism: Platforms for political dissidents and journalists to bypass censorship. – Cryptocurrency Transactions: Anonymous financial transactions and laundering services. – Legal Privacy Uses: Tools and services for those seeking to maintain privacy and security from surveillance. While a significant portion of dark net activity involves illegal content and activities, there is also a smaller portion focused on privacy, political freedom, and legitimate uses of anonymity. [1/2] The dark net (or dark web), a small portion of the deep web that requires specific tools like the Tor browser to access, contains various types of data. While often associated with illicit activities, it also hosts legal and privacy-conscious content. Here’s a breakdown of the types of data found on the dark net: 1. Illicit Marketplaces: – Drugs: A significant portion of the dark net is dedicated to illegal drug trade, where users can anonymously buy and sell narcotics. – Weapons: Some dark net markets sell firearms and other weapons, although these transactions are more niche. – Hacking Services and Tools: Markets often provide hacking services, malware, stolen data, and tools to compromise systems. – Counterfeit Goods: This includes fake documents (like passports and IDs), counterfeit currency, and other knock-off items. 2. Stolen Data and Information: – Credit Card Information: Hacked or stolen credit card details are frequently bought and sold on the dark net. – Personal Data: This includes data from data breaches such as social security numbers, login credentials, and other personally identifiable information (PII). – Corporate Data: Some dark net vendors deal in stolen corporate information, trade secrets, and other sensitive files obtained through cyberattacks. 3. Illegal Content: – Child Exploitation: Unfortunately, the dark net hosts some of the worst forms of illegal content, including child exploitation material, which is vigorously pursued by law enforcement. – Violent Content: Certain dark web communities share violent or disturbing content, though access to these is heavily restricted and illegal. 4. Cryptocurrency and Financial Markets: – Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Exchanges: Many dark net transactions use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to ensure anonymity. There are cryptocurrency mixers (services that obscure the transaction history of crypto funds) and services for laundering money. – Scams and Fraudulent Services: Fraudulent investment schemes, pyramid scams, and “get-rich-quick” schemes also appear on the dark net. 5. Forums and Communities: – Anonymous Forums: Discussion forums on the dark net allow users to exchange information on various topics. While some of these are for illicit activities, others are simply for privacy-focused users to discuss sensitive topics. – Political Activism and Whistleblowing: Some parts of the dark net are used by activists, journalists, and whistleblowers to communicate and share information anonymously. Platforms like SecureDrop allow whistleblowers to submit sensitive data to journalists securely. 6. Anonymity Tools and Software: – Encryption and Privacy Tools: Dark net sites offer privacy tools and resources for maintaining anonymity, such as VPN services, encryption software, and guides for secure communication. – Hosting Services: Anonymous web hosting services, including those that specialize in hosting dark net sites, are also a part of the dark net ecosystem. 7. Legitimate Uses: – Whistleblowing Platforms: Platforms like SecureDrop or WikiLeaks provide safe spaces for whistleblowers to share sensitive information. – Censorship-Free Communication: In countries with strict censorship, some users turn to the dark net to communicate freely and access otherwise restricted information. – Privacy-Driven Blogging: Individuals and organizations host anonymous blogs or websites for privacy-conscious discussions on various subjects, from politics to personal safety. Summary: – Illicit goods and services (e.g., drugs, weapons, stolen data) dominate the dark net. – Anonymity tools and privacy-focused platforms also make up a portion of the dark net’s content. – There is also legitimate use, such as whistleblowing platforms and uncensored communication, but these make up a smaller portion compared to illicit activities. The dark net is small relative to the entire web, and its reputation stems from both the illegal activities that occur there and the need for privacy and anonymity in legitimate activities. karbytes: What is most of the surface web data? ChatGPT: Most of the data on the surface web is publicly accessible and indexed by search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. This portion of the web contains websites and content designed for general consumption. The primary categories of surface web data include: 1. Public Websites – News and Media: News outlets, blogs, and magazines that publish articles, videos, and multimedia content for public viewing (e.g., CNN, BBC, personal blogs). – Corporate Websites: Company homepages, product descriptions, contact information, and marketing materials (e.g., Apple, Microsoft). – Government and Educational Sites: Public-facing government resources, educational materials, and official information from schools, universities, and government agencies. – Personal Blogs and Portfolios: Individuals’ personal sites or blogs, where they share their thoughts, expertise, projects, and portfolios. 2. E-commerce Sites – Online Retailers: E-commerce giants like Amazon, eBay, and other shopping platforms that provide products and services for purchase by the public. – Marketplaces: Public-facing markets that allow buyers and sellers to connect, such as Etsy or Alibaba. – Product Reviews: Review sites where users can leave feedback on products or services (e.g., Yelp, TripAdvisor). 3. Social Media and Public Forums – Social Networks: Platforms like Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, and LinkedIn that host public profiles, posts, and interactions. Although some content on these platforms is private, a large portion is publicly available or indexed by search engines. – Public Forums and Communities: Discussion platforms like Reddit, StackOverflow, and Quora where users publicly ask and answer questions, participate in conversations, or share resources. 4. Multimedia Platforms – Video Sharing: Publicly available videos hosted on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo, where users can share video content for a wide audience. – Music Streaming: Music and podcast platforms that offer free or ad-supported content for public consumption (e.g., Spotify, SoundCloud). – Image Sharing: Sites like Flickr or public photo galleries where users upload and share visual media. 5. Search Engine Results and Indexes – Search Engine Indexes: The web pages, documents, and resources indexed by search engines, making them easily accessible through keyword searches. These include websites, PDFs, and various publicly available documents. 6. Open-Access Educational Resources – Open-Access Journals: Publicly available academic articles and research papers published in open-access journals (e.g., PLOS ONE, arXiv). – Tutorials and How-To Guides: Public educational content, such as tutorials, online courses, and instructional guides (e.g., Khan Academy, Coursera’s free courses). 7. Entertainment and Gaming – Streaming Services: Free or ad-supported sections of entertainment platforms where users can watch movies, series, or play games (e.g., YouTube Movies, browser-based games). – Game Information and Communities: Public-facing websites and forums dedicated to gaming news, walkthroughs, and fan discussions. 8. Wikis and Knowledge Repositories – Wikipedia and Other Wikis: Free, user-contributed encyclopedic websites, with Wikipedia being the most prominent example. These sites are public and indexed for search engines. – Knowledge Repositories: Publicly available databases that host informational content, like WikiHow or various niche wikis for different subjects (e.g., Fandom, TechWiki). 9. Advertising and Marketing – Banner Ads and Campaigns: Public advertisements displayed on websites, blogs, and media platforms. – SEO and Content Marketing: Content created for search engine optimization (SEO), often to drive traffic to websites or sell products/services. 10. Open Data and Public Records – Public Datasets: Open data repositories maintained by governments or organizations that allow users to access raw data (e.g., U.S. Census Bureau, World Bank). – Public Legal Records: Legal documents, case files, and public databases of laws and regulations available to the general public. Summary: – Public Websites: Corporate sites, government pages, personal blogs, etc. – E-commerce Sites: Online retailers and marketplaces. – Social Media: Public posts, profiles, and discussions. – Multimedia: Publicly accessible videos, music, and images. – Educational Resources: Open-access academic journals and tutorials. – Entertainment: Streaming services and gaming platforms. – Wikis: Knowledge repositories like Wikipedia. – Advertising: Public-facing online ads and marketing content. The surface web is dominated by publicly available information meant for wide distribution and easy access, with a heavy emphasis on e-commerce, entertainment, education, and media. * * * The text below this blog post section is a partially modified transcript of a conversation which karbytes had with ChatGPT-4o at approximately 6:00PM Pacific Standard Time on 02_OCTOBER_2024. That conversation pertains to the topic of interactive JavaScript-powered web applications hosted on dark net servers. * * * karbytes: When I interact with a JavaScript based single web page application via Tor (and that application is part of a .onion page), where is the JavaScript function execution taking place? ChatGPT: When you interact with a JavaScript-based single-page application hosted on a .onion website via Tor, the JavaScript function execution takes place locally in your browser. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the process: 1. JavaScript Execution: When you load a .onion page, the server sends the HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and any other resources needed for the web page. The JavaScript code that defines the functionality of the web application is executed by your browser. In this case, since you are using Tor Browser, it will handle and execute the JavaScript. 2. Tor Network: The Tor network simply anonymizes your connection to the .onion server by routing your traffic through multiple relays to hide your IP address and encrypt your data. Tor does not affect the way JavaScript is executed. Once the resources are delivered to your browser, the JavaScript code runs just like it would in any other browser environment. 3. Local Execution: All JavaScript execution happens locally on your machine, within your browser, regardless of whether the site is a .onion or a regular clearnet site. The .onion domain just changes the method of communication between your browser and the server. Therefore, when you interact with a JavaScript-based application on a .onion page through Tor, the actual execution of the functions happens on your local browser, but all the interactions between your browser and the web server (e.g., fetching data or sending inputs) are anonymized via the Tor network. karbytes: How many computers are involved in that relaying process (and is there a way to find out how many and where they are located)? ChatGPT: When you connect to a website via the Tor network, your traffic is routed through three Tor relays (or nodes) by default: the entry (or guard) node, the middle (or relay) node, and the exit node. Here’s an overview of how these work: 1. Entry Node (Guard Node): This is the first relay that your computer connects to. It knows your real IP address, but it doesn’t know your destination (the website you’re visiting). 2. Middle Node (Relay Node): This is an intermediary node that only knows the IP addresses of the previous node (the entry node) and the next node (the exit node). It doesn’t know your IP address or the final destination. 3. Exit Node: This is the last node in the chain. It sends your traffic to the final destination (the .onion site in your case). For regular websites, it would normally know the destination site you’re visiting but not your IP address. For .onion sites, no exit node is needed because the communication stays entirely within the Tor network, keeping your traffic fully encrypted. How Many Computers Are Involved? In the typical Tor connection, there are three computers involved in the relaying process (entry, middle, and exit nodes). However, for .onion sites, no exit node is needed because the traffic never leaves the Tor network, so only the entry and middle nodes are involved. Can You Find Out Where the Relays Are Located? The Tor network is designed to provide anonymity for both the user and the relays themselves, so you cannot easily determine the exact number or location of the specific relays used in your connection. However, you can find out some information: 1. Relay Count: While you can’t know the exact number of computers your connection is relayed through (because that’s managed by the Tor protocol), it’s typically three nodes as mentioned. 2. General Information on Relays: The Tor network itself publishes a list of public relays and their geographical locations (by IP address). You can use services like Tor Metrics to view information about publicly known relays. 3. Tor Browser Tools: In the Tor Browser, you can see which relays you’re using during a particular session. Click the onion icon next to the address bar, and it will show the IP addresses of the relays involved in your connection, but it will not give their exact geographic locations or detailed information about them. 4. Geographical Location: If you know the IP addresses of the relays, you could use external tools (like WHOIS lookup or IP geolocation services) to get an approximate idea of where these relays are located. However, this location information may not always be accurate, as relays can be distributed across various parts of the world. In summary, while the Tor Browser can show you which relays are being used for your connection, it does not provide detailed information about their exact number, real-world locations, or operators due to the design of the Tor network for privacy and security reasons. karbytes: How many Tor relay nodes does my connection to a .onion web page use if the client computer is the same machine as the server which hosts that .onion web page? ChatGPT: If the client computer (the machine you’re using to browse the web) is the same machine as the server hosting the .onion web page, the number of Tor relay nodes involved is effectively zero—your connection does not need to pass through any relays at all. Here’s why: 1. Local Connection: Since the client and server are the same machine, the traffic doesn’t need to leave your computer and re-enter via the Tor network. Tor handles this entirely locally without routing your traffic through the typical entry, middle, or exit nodes. 2. Hidden Service (Onion Service): For .onion services, Tor typically routes the traffic within the Tor network. However, in this case, since the server is on the same machine as the client, there is no need to use any external relays. Your machine simply accesses its own local .onion service. 3. Direct Access: Because your machine is both the client and the server, it handles the request internally. The request for the .onion page is resolved locally without being sent through the Tor network, making the use of relay nodes unnecessary. In this setup, your machine handles both sides of the communication, so there are no external relays involved in routing the traffic between client and server. However, Tor will still be used internally for the connection, ensuring that .onion protocols are followed, but it won’t utilize external nodes. karbytes: Is there a way to make my connection pass through external relays? ChatGPT: Yes, it is possible to make your connection pass through external Tor relays, even if the client and server are hosted on the same machine. To do this, you would need to configure the client to behave as if it’s connecting to a remote .onion service rather than directly accessing the local service. Here are a few ways to achieve this: 1. Separate Client and Server Instances You can simulate a regular Tor connection with relays by ensuring the client and server are separate, even though they are on the same machine: – Use Virtualization or Containers: You can set up a virtual machine (VM) or use Docker containers to separate the client and server environments on the same physical machine. The client (inside a VM or container) would access the .onion site as if it were on an external server. This way, the traffic from the client instance would still be routed through the standard Tor relays before reaching the .onion service hosted in a separate VM/container. – Separate Tor Services: Run two separate instances of the Tor service on your machine: one for hosting the .onion website (the server) and one for browsing (the client). This separation ensures that Tor routes traffic through the external network, including relays, to access your .onion service, even if it’s technically on the same machine. 2. Modify Tor’s Configuration By default, if the client and server are on the same machine, Tor will optimize the connection by not routing traffic through the external network. However, you can configure the client to force the connection through external Tor relays: – Use a Remote .onion Address: Assign a different hostname or IP address for the .onion service in your Tor configuration (even if the service is local), forcing Tor to treat the service as if it were remote. – Disable Local Shortcut Optimization: You can modify the Tor configuration file (torrc) to force external relay use. There is no direct configuration flag to “force external relays,” but you could play with network isolation settings and ensure that the client does not recognize the server as local. 3. Set Up a Remote .onion Service If you want to fully mimic the real-world conditions of accessing .onion services via external relays: – Host the .onion Service Remotely: While this means setting up your .onion service on a separate machine or server, this guarantees that your connection will be routed through external relays. If the server is in a different physical location or network, your client connection will pass through the normal Tor relay structure (entry, middle, and exit nodes if necessary). 4. Tor Bridges If you want to make sure your traffic passes through additional hops for anonymity, you can configure your Tor client to use Tor bridges. Bridges are unlisted relays that act as additional nodes between your client and the rest of the Tor network, potentially adding more layers of relays. In summary, the simplest way to force your connection through external relays is to separate the client and server instances by using VMs, containers, or running multiple instances of Tor on the same machine. You can also modify the Tor configuration to disable local optimizations that bypass relays, though this may require some manual configuration adjustments. * * * This part of this note was added at approximately 10:30AM Pacific Standard Time on 03_OCTOBER_2024. Everything in this note which is above this section of this note (except for the date value (which was changed from 02_OCTOBER_2024 to 03_OCTOBER_2024)) was generated and finalized between 12:00AM Pacific Standard Time on 02_OCTOBER_2024 and 11:59PM Pacific Standard Time on 02_OCTOBER_2024… Today I went to Philz Coffee in downtown Sunnyvale in order to test whether my .onion web page is accessible via the Tor app on my Android phone using my Android phone’s mobile data (via service provider AT&T) and while my (Ubuntu) laptop (which is the (Apache) server hosting that .onion web page) is connected to the Philz Coffee public Wi-Fi network. So far, I have been able to successfully load my .onion web page using a different network than what laptop is using (to connect to what I assume are Tor relays physically located somewhere other than the Philz Coffee cafe I am located at while typing this note (and the coffee here, despite being some of the priciest I ever dropped dough on, is exceptionally delicious with complex and distinctive flavors)). I will now inquire ChatGPT-4o about how many Tor relays my darknet connection is using… * * * karbytes: Right now I have my laptop on while it is running Tor and Apache services in the background. My laptop is connected to the public Wi-Fi network at Philz Coffee in downtown Sunnyvale, California. My phone is not connected to the Wi-Fi network but has mobile data enabled. I used my phone’s Tor app to connect to the .onion web page which my laptop’s Apache service is hosting. How many Tor nodes is my connection (between my phone which is accessing the .onion web page and the laptop which is serving that .onion web page) using? ChatGPT: The connection between your phone and the .onion web page hosted by your laptop is likely using six Tor nodes in total, three for each side of the connection. Here’s why: 1) Tor uses circuits, typically consisting of three nodes: an entry guard, a middle relay, and an exit node. – When your phone accesses the .onion web page through the Tor network, it creates a circuit with three nodes (entry, middle, and rendezvous point). 2) .onion services don’t use an exit node, but they do require a rendezvous point to meet the hidden service (your laptop in this case). – Your laptop, serving the .onion web page, also creates a three-node circuit (entry, middle, and a second rendezvous point). 3) The connection happens through a Tor rendezvous point, which is where the two circuits from your phone and your laptop meet. Thus, you have: – Three nodes for your phone’s connection. – Three nodes for your laptop’s connection. – The two circuits meet at a rendezvous point without needing to use an exit node. The total is six Tor nodes for the connection. karbytes: Where are each of those nodes likely to be physically located? ChatGPT: The physical locations of the Tor nodes (relays) in your connection are distributed across the globe. Here’s an overview of where they are likely located: 1. Entry Guards: – For both your phone and your laptop, the entry guards are typically closer to your actual physical locations (e.g., somewhere within or near California) to minimize latency and establish a reliable connection. However, they are still randomly selected from the available Tor network relays, which could be anywhere in the world. 2. Middle Relays: – Middle relays are chosen to route the traffic further into the Tor network and are randomly distributed across various countries. These relays could be anywhere globally, from Europe to Asia, the Americas, or other regions. Their locations are random and serve primarily to increase the anonymity of the connection. 3. Rendezvous Point: – The rendezvous point, where your phone’s circuit meets your laptop’s circuit, is also randomly chosen. It could be located in any country or region worldwide. The point is selected from available relays in the Tor network and is not influenced by the locations of either your phone or laptop. In summary, while the entry guards are more likely to be near your geographic location in California, the middle relays and rendezvous point could be physically located almost anywhere in the world, as they are selected randomly from the global pool of Tor relays. Tor’s design ensures these relays are distributed globally to enhance anonymity and privacy.