[tor-relays] IP and SWIP for a Tor exit node

[Cristian Consonni]

Hi,

tl;dr: it is not clear to me what I should ask to my provider about
SWIP, if this is something I can set up on my own and/or how I should
ask for this to my provider.

I have been running a couple of relays for some months (since the last
EFF Tor challenge) and now I would like to operate an exit node.

I also want to be careful and set up things properly for Minimal
Harrasment (h/t to Mike Perry)[1]. I am planning to set up everything
in Italy - I am Italian and I would like to do everything here - but
looking in this list (at least since I am subscribed to it, it seems
to me that there is not much information about running exit nodes from
Italy. All the more reason to try it and document things properly.

I have bought some credit on Aruba, which is a quite well known
provider in Italy on the low-end/entry level (they used to make spots
on television at prime time) and I also think one of the biggest in
terms of sales and infrastructure. They are not listed on the list of
good and bad ISPs[2] so, again, let's see and document (in all
honesty, there is not much choice on the list as far as Italy is
concerned).

After all this premise, I have some questions:
(1) In the guide it is advised to "Get a separate IP for the node. Do
not route your own traffic via this IP".
As I understand it, this is just saying that if one has a machine with
some other content hosted on it (e.g. a website) it would be better to
separate the exit node IP from the IP that serves the other uses of
the machine. Is this interpretation correct? I am planning to use a
small instance for now (1 GB RAM, single core, 2TB traffic/month) and
use it exclusively for running the node. Does this advice still
applies. What are additional IPs good for? My ISP sells additional
(public) IPs for 3,60 euro/month, would it be worth or necessary
purchasing such an additional service?

(2) SWIP/RWHOIS + ARIN/RIPE
This is quite unclear to me. all I know as of now, about
SWIP/RWHOIS/ARIN/RIPE is what can be read from the relevant Wikipedia
pages. How can I ask my provider about this? I have seen there is a
template here[3], but it seems to me that this is not really
applicable. That case is about a fairly large organisation, buying a
fairly large service. I would like, if possible, some indications on
what to request from your average Joe. I am not exactly comfortable on
asking something based on a templatee I am not sure I fully understand
about something I know very limitedly.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Cristian

[1] https://blog.torproject.org/blog/tips-running-exit-node-minimal-harassment
[2] https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/GoodBadISPs
[3] https://www.torservers.net/wiki/hoster/inquiry