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"Running" and "Working" but in reality not connectable

Open theAkito opened this issue 2 years ago • 3 comments

I've spent several hours on debugging an issue in my Android app, where it wouldn't connect over TOR, to a website, that was reachable the entire time through Tor Browser on the PC.

I had restarted Orbot several times in the process, removed bridges, added bridges, pressed the STOP button, to START it a minute later, etc.

Because of all the restarting, I assumed it was a bug in my code, and not a problem in a well tested and old TOR app for Android.

Much later I tried the simplest TOR links, which are always available, like for example, DuckDuckGo's Onion address and it still wouldn't work. As a last resort, I cold booted the emulator and wouldn't you think -- everything works, my code worked the entire time. It's just that Orbot lied the whole time about being connected, about working, about being fine, etc. when in fact it just wasn't connectable.

This isn't the first time this happened, but it's the first time I had to cold boot the entire emulator to make it work again. Previously, it always worked by disabling and enabling TOR inside Orbot.


Since the issue may be hard to reproduce voluntarily, it would at least be important to build in a check if a connection can even be made in the first place. If it cannot, Orbot should warn the user about it and tell him, that something is wrong.

theAkito avatar Feb 06 '22 14:02 theAkito

It's just that Orbot lied the whole time about being connected, about working, about being fine, etc. when in fact it just wasn't connectable.

same problem

In orbot, I cannot access DuckDuckGo using existing bridges or snowflakes. I can access DuckDuckGo in Tor Browser using either the bridge or the snowflake.

Pantyhose-X avatar Apr 24 '22 01:04 Pantyhose-X

@theAkito are you talking about your own app that is integrating with Orbot? Are you using the NetCipher library or just the VPN mode in Orbot?

If Orbot says it is connected, then it is. That doesn't mean there couldn't be an issue with reaching your website for a variety of reasons.

@Pantyhose-X I think you are talking about something else - using a third-party web browser through Orbot?

Have either of you tried the latest release we've posted here: https://github.com/guardianproject/orbot/releases/tag/16.6.1-RC-1-tor.0.4.6.10

?

n8fr8 avatar Apr 26 '22 01:04 n8fr8

@n8fr8 I tried the latest version. Orbot for Android 16.6.1 RC 1 I have tried Orbot Custom Bridge or the snowflake could not access DuckduckGo Tor Browser Android Custom Bridge or the Snowflake Access DuckduckGO

Pantyhose-X avatar Apr 26 '22 04:04 Pantyhose-X