Maximum number of hops that may travel
Onions, or “onion directing”, is a technique that the TOR network uses to anonymous with internet traffic. It allows users to send data via multiple knots before it reaches the final destination, which makes it difficult for anyone to follow the origin and place of the data. But have you ever wondered how many hops can travel? In this article, we will dive into the specifications of the onion protocol and explore what is known about the maximum number of hops.
MESSAGES OF THE LUKA: A brief overview
Before we dive into technical details, let’s quickly review what the Luke messages are. Onion message is a block of data that is encrypted using multiple encryption layers and then compresses to facilitate the transfer via the network. When the message of the onion is sent, it is cleared on smaller packages called “onions of fragments”, which are then diverted through the TOR network.
A Luke Direction Protocol
The onion directing protocol is based on a series of nodes that are the shipment information to the destination. Each knot plays a certain role: the relay nodes help to forward the package into their next jump, while the port routers (also known as “port users”) encryp and decipher packages at each node. The nodes of the relay act like a giant mail carrier network, directing data through multiple knots before they reach their final destination.
Message structure of the port
The onion message consists of the following components:
- Heads: contain information about the sender, receiver and other relevant metadacles.
- Pomoar loads: This is the actual information sent.
- Luke fragments: These are compressed packages that make up the message of the port.
- Crying keys: They are used to encrypt a useful load before re -encryption.
maximum hops number
According to the specifications for the onion directing protocol, the onion message can pass through a maximum of 5 hops (nodes) before rejected. This is known as the “maximum border of hops”. Beyond this point, the data will be lost forever due to lack of sufficient entropy (coincidence).
The maximum number of hops is determined by the following factors:
- Number of relay knots required to direct the onion message
- Algorithms for encryption and decryption used to encrypt and decipher use a useful load
In practice, the onion messages can go through more than 5 hops because they are often broken down into smaller packages, which are then re -assembled at each knot. However, this still means that the onion message can only be transferred limited number of times before it is lost.
Conclusion
The maximum number of hops messages of the onion may travel determined by the specifications of the onion protocol and the factors mentioned above. Although the port messages can be transferred through more than 5 hops due to the re -composing package, this restriction means that the data can be transferred by the final number of times before they are lost forever. Understanding these restrictions is crucial for the programmers to build applications using the TOR network.
References
- [1] Lightning Network (
- [2] Luke directions ( routing/)