How many bridges can I run on a single VPS?

Practically 2-5 bridges per VPS depending on CPU, RAM, and bandwidth. Each bridge instance uses approximately 50-100MB RAM and shares the server's bandwidth. On a 2GB RAM VPS with 1TB/month bandwidth: 3-4 bridges each set to BandwidthRate 30 Mbits fits comfortably. More bridges with lower BandwidthRate each vs fewer bridges with higher BandwidthRate per bridge is a valid tradeoff decision.

Do multiple bridges on the same IP count as diverse from a user's perspective?

From the Tor network perspective, bridges at the same IP but different ports are considered the same AS and similar infrastructure. From a censorship perspective, different bridges on the same IP may have different blocking histories (bridge2 may not be known if only bridge1 was submitted to BridgeDB). Bridge diversity is strongest when different physical servers are used.

Can I use the same obfs4proxy binary for all bridge instances?

Yes - each torrc specifies ServerTransportPlugin obfs4 exec /usr/bin/obfs4proxy. The same binary handles all instances. Each Tor instance starts its own obfs4proxy process. Ensure the binary is in a path accessible to all instances.

How do I check which bridge instance a user is connecting through?

Each bridge instance has separate log files (/var/log/tor/bridge1.log etc.). Monitor each log to see connection statistics. The bridge fingerprints are unique per instance - you can identify which bridge a user is using by their bridge line (which specifies the fingerprint).

Does running multiple bridges affect my server's IP reputation?

Multiple bridges on the same IP increase the IP's listing in Tor bridge databases and potentially in DNSBL lists (as each bridge contributes traffic through the IP). This is the same effect as a single bridge with higher bandwidth - the IP becomes known as a Tor bridge. For servers used exclusively as bridges, this is expected and acceptable.

Multiple Tor Bridges on One Server: Configuration Guide

A single VPS can host multiple independent Tor bridges, each with different fingerprints, bridge lines, and obfs4 ports. This multiplies your contribution to the bridge pool without requiring multiple servers. This guide covers configuring two to five bridges on a single server.

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Why Run Multiple Bridges Per Server

Multiple bridges on one server provide: more bridge addresses to distribute to users (each bridge is a separate entry point), different fingerprints that can be selectively distributed to different users, redundancy if one bridge's IP is blocked on a specific network (the same server IP on a different port may not be blocked), and increased total bandwidth contribution if each bridge has its own BandwidthRate limit. The primary limitation: all bridges share the server's IP address. If the IP address is blocked (rather than just specific ports), all bridges become unreachable simultaneously.

Creating Multiple Tor Data Directories

Each bridge instance needs its own data directory with unique keys. Directory structure: /var/lib/tor/bridge1/, /var/lib/tor/bridge2/, /var/lib/tor/bridge3/. Create directories: mkdir -p /var/lib/tor/bridge{1,2,3}; chown -R debian-tor:debian-tor /var/lib/tor/bridge{1,2,3}; chmod 700 /var/lib/tor/bridge{1,2,3}. Each bridge needs its own torrc. Create: /etc/tor/torrc.bridge1, /etc/tor/torrc.bridge2, /etc/tor/torrc.bridge3. Each torrc specifies: DataDirectory /var/lib/tor/bridgeN/, ORPort unique_port, ExtORPort unique_port, ServerTransportListenAddr obfs4 0.0.0.0:unique_port, SOCKSPort 0 (disable SOCKS for bridge). Log /var/log/tor/bridgeN.log notice.

Starting Multiple Tor Instances with Systemd

Create systemd service templates for multiple Tor instances: /etc/systemd/system/tor@bridge.service with ExecStart=/usr/bin/tor -f /etc/tor/torrc.%i. Start instances: systemctl start tor@bridge1 tor@bridge2 tor@bridge3. Enable for automatic start: systemctl enable tor@bridge1 tor@bridge2 tor@bridge3. Alternative using standard Tor multiple instance support: Tor package on Debian/Ubuntu supports /etc/tor/instances/ directory for multiple instances. Create /etc/tor/instances/bridge1/ with torrc file - the init script automatically creates service units for each instance directory.

Firewall Configuration for Multiple Bridge Ports

Each bridge needs its ORPort and obfs4 port open in the firewall. For 3 bridges with ORPorts 9001-9003 and obfs4 ports 443,8443,4443: ufw allow 9001/tcp; ufw allow 9002/tcp; ufw allow 9003/tcp; ufw allow 443/tcp; ufw allow 8443/tcp; ufw allow 4443/tcp. Alternatively allow the port ranges in iptables: iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 9001:9003 -j ACCEPT; iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -m multiport --dports 443,8443,4443 -j ACCEPT. Verify with: ufw status numbered or iptables -L -n.

Distributing Multiple Bridge Lines

Each bridge instance generates its own bridge line in its respective pt_state directory: /var/lib/tor/bridge1/pt_state/obfs4_bridgeline.txt. Read each bridge line and distribute to different users or to different bridge distribution channels. Consider using different bridge ports on different bridge distribution channels - if BridgeDB distributes bridge1 on port 443 and it gets blocked, bridge2 on port 8443 distributed to other users may still work. Running multiple bridges per server maximizes the value of each server while contributing diverse entry points to the Tor network.

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