WARNING: Do not use ReliableSite.Net for Tor Exits

Support Relay Operator
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For a few months, I ran ~6-9 Gbps of Tor exit capacity on dedicated server host ReliableSite.Net, that with my own ARIN IPv4/IPv6 allocations, mainly due to really cheap Gigabit bandwidth and good peering. This let me have up to 6.5% of exit bandwidth.

Today, I got an email from ReliableSite’s CEO saying “we do not allow Tor”, despite their terms of service not stating anything about it, and all abuse going to my inbox instead of theirs (because of my IPv4 allocations). I did at least get them to commit to updating their TOS.

I am switching to Psychz which has 8 of my exits but will soon have all. Psychz has so-so peering and outside of one offer cost more, but they didn’t at least shut down my Tor exits, that on THEIR IP ranges. Yes, Psychz had one “spam” issue a year ago, but that has since been resolved.

ReliableSite has good peering for a good price but that’s about it: they have clumsy sysadmins, broken IPMI at times, and even once even enabled bridge filtering making it impossible to host VMs (that for something allowed). And no wonder why ReliableSite is so cheap: you can only use them for a squeaky-clean website. They’re only designed for one or two servers. And why you pay $99 for doing crypto stuff. But you get what you pay for.

Maybe that’s why companies like Psychz, OVH, QuadraNet, and DataPacket have the bigger customers. They may charge more for datra, but realize VPN hosts are a good source of revenue and not something to avoid for avoiding “abuse”. ReliableSite doesn’t want them, and is losing out on not just me but massive lucrative VPN provider contracts, unless that’s how they’re cheaper: they want low-use users who want cheap, and secede high-use users to Psychz/OVH.

ReliableSite is almost like Ryanair or Robinhood, maybe with better support: you get cheap and functional but you also compromise on features and availability. That’s why Delta, United, Fidelity, and Charles Schwab aren’t out of business. The same way a day trader won’t use Robinhood, a VPN/Tor operator shouldn’t use ReliableSite.

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Maybe it’s be of good use for this page:

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I see it is already added there.

By the way, do anyone knows why all reviews on this page are contained in single section named Good Experiences?

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Yep, just today

Seems like an oversight :woman_shrugging:

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It was actually yesterday when it merged, but then I live in Seattle and it seems you’re in Russia.

It’s probably some old

On related news, I got an email saying “any update” even when I told ReliableSite I shut off the relays two days ago, moved the IP announcements to Psychz, and cancelled all my RS servers.

ReliableSite is really mismanaged. It’s easier to use even overpriced GoDaddy or Media Temple (that we’ve all forgotten about) hosting at this point.

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I have a Community MR to fix this: GoodBadISPs: Remove Good Experiences header (!306) · Merge requests · The Tor Project / Web / community · GitLab

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I see there are lots of relays, even exits on RS

https://metrics.torproject.org/rs.html#search/as:23470

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A lot of the exits on RS are this: RDP.sh. RDP.sh is a very big RS customer so RDP probably forced RS to let them allow exits, but I’m not nearly as big so they could kick me out.

I remember a MasterCard employee telling me they need their logo on cards, but Chase Bank forced MC to not put a MC logo on the front. It’s similar with RDP and RS.

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RDP.sh doesn’t allow Exit nodes on US locations, only NL and Poland. They also only use RS for their Miami location which is often out of stock. So… they are definitely a lot bigger customers of Hybula/Mevspace. I’m guessing they will get kicked off soon for hosting Tor Exits there.

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A few months later, because of this incident, and the resulting unresolved complaint, ReliableSite’s BBB rating dropped from C+ to F. ReliableSite never responded to dispute the new F, when even big data AI advertising surveillance capitalist nightmare social media companies like TikTok respond to BBB complaints.

Yes, GoDaddy, yes the terrible company we all love to hate actually is so much better. GoDaddy VPS is surprisingly super Tor exit friendly at least with a reduced exit policy, no peep so far.

Sometimes, I wish ReliableSite closed instead of DediPath. While DediPath had very slow support on colo when I ran a VPS host with them (before selling), and also disallowed exits, they at least mentioned it (like every other non-exit friendly host) and still allowed non-exit relays.

tl;dr avoid ReliableSite, even for non-Tor. Pay the AWS tax if you have to.

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is BBB (Better Business Bureau®) really still an important source for today’s majority of internet users who rent servers?

and in their AUP is stated “Content displaying or transferring acts of copulation or exposed genitalia is prohibited, regardless of context.” - so you exits were clearly illegal :wink:

but sorry for you loss - that really sucks :pouting_cat:

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I am fully aware the BBB can be bought over with “accredited” companies. I had a complaint against Dotdash Meredith (media company) that went unanswered, yet they get an A+. But then, even TikTok responded to complaints despite them also having a F.

ReliableSite is funky in this sense. I bet they just want people who won’t cause them too much trouble, rather than customers who bring in the big bucks (e.g. VPN providers, porn sites, exit relays) even with a bit more headache. Maybe that’s why they’re cheap, they’re Ryanair. After all, Google and JPMorgan Chase won’t give employees Ryanair seats, but those companies will happily fly Delta or United.

Companies like DataPacket, QuadraNet, Psychz, et al. chase the big bucks even if they give a bit more headache. Guess what? They’re far bigger and have better tech, while allowing Tor exits. In fact, VPN hosts are their big clients. Maybe not typical AWS clients but mid-tier clients who need a balance between cost and features. And there’s a reason why VPN hosts avoid ReliableSite even if they’re much cheaper, ReliableSite freaks out at the idea of “abuse”.

In fact, I went under a pseudonym asking if ReliableSite allow non-exit relays, and they said no. Yet they still have a few exits on their network with a reduced exit policy. Presumably because RDP.sh can tell ReliableSite to exempt them, but I can’t.

ReliableSite is also cheap because they have very few customization options, they’re a one size fits all host. But they went too far by missing out on one important niche: VPN/Tor operators who could patronize ReliableSite as a BuyVM competitor and massively boost their brand name. There’s a reason why BuyVM is always sold out, and ReliableSite could be the same.