Run an obfs4 Bridge on an Anubiz Finland VPS
Bridges are unlisted Tor relays distributed only to users in censored regions. They are the most useful single thing a hobbyist with a small VPS can run because every reachable bridge directly helps somebody locked out of the open internet. This guide assumes an Anubiz Finland VPS on Ubuntu 24.04 and covers the obfs4 transport, smart port choice, bandwidth caps and how to register the bridge with BridgeDB so it actually gets handed out.
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Why a Bridge on Finland
Finland sits outside the most common ASN block lists that censors use for Tor relays, so a fresh Finland IP often stays reachable longer. Constitutional Section 10 protects communications, courts require an order to compel data. The Anubiz Finland line ships with /29 on request which lets you rotate bridge IPs if one gets discovered.
Step 1: Install obfs4proxy and tor
apt install tor obfs4proxy. The Debian package is fine for bridges since the obfuscation layer is the moving part. Confirm with obfs4proxy -version.
Step 2: torrc for Bridge Mode
In /etc/tor/torrc: BridgeRelay 1, ORPort 9001 (not 443 - censors fingerprint 443 with Tor), ServerTransportPlugin obfs4 exec /usr/bin/obfs4proxy, ServerTransportListenAddr obfs4 0.0.0.0:<random high port>, ExtORPort auto, Nickname anubizFI<n>, ContactInfo. Restart tor and check journalctl -u tor for the bridge fingerprint and the cert.
Step 3: nftables, Just for the Bridge Ports
Open SSH from your IP, the obfs4 port from world, and ORPort 9001 from world. Block everything else. Outbound stays open.
Step 4: Register with BridgeDB
Send the bridge line (output of cat /var/lib/tor/pt_state/obfs4_bridgeline.txt) to bridges@torproject.org from the same ContactInfo address. Bridges that do not register only help users you hand the line to directly. Registering puts you in rotation for moderate.torproject.org and email distribution.
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