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Is a Tor bridge necessary?
There is a benefit and a good reason to use bridges even if you can connect to the network normally. Bridges add an extra layer of anonymity since they look like normal traffic and don’t reveal the fact that you are connecting to the tor network. Therefore this makes it safer to use a bridge.
What is an obfs4 bridge?
obfs4 is a randomizing transport: it adds an extra layer of specialized encryption between you and your bridge that makes Tor traffic look like random bytes. It also resists active-probing attacks, where the censor discovers bridges by trying to connect to them. The name stands for “Format-Transforming Encryption.”
Do you need obfs4 bridge to connect to Tor?
This guide will help you set up an obfs4 bridge to help censored users connect to the Tor network. The requirements are: Note 1: If you’re running a platform that is not listed on this page, you can compile obfs4 from source.
How to request a bridge from Tor Browser?
You have a few options: Use MOAT to fetch bridges from within Tor Browser. If you’re starting Tor Browser for the first time, click “Configure” to open the Tor Network Settings window. After checking the checkbox “Tor is censored in my country,” choose “Request a bridge from torproject.org” and click “Request a Bridge…”
Do you have to install obfs4 to run obfs3?
If you want to publish as an obfs3 AND obfs4 bridge relay you can change the line You only need to install obfs4 as mentioned in the post above. obfs4 is backwards compatible with obfs3. Leave your ExtORPort set to auto for diversity reasons.
Why do you need bridges to use Tor?
Using bridges in combination with pluggable transports helps to conceal the fact that you are using Tor, but may slow down the connection compared to using ordinary Tor relays. Other pluggable transports, like meek, use different anti-censorship techniques that do not rely on bridges.