COLITU LABProbes starting

Probes

Vantage points

A probe is a small program that tests every transport to every public Colitu server, about every 20 minutes, and checks the network without a VPN as well. Today all probes run on hosts Colitu operates; their network type is shown because a datacenter connection is usually filtered less than a home or mobile one.

The first probes are being set up.

Contribute measurements

Home and mobile networks are where blocking really happens, and they are what the lab most needs. We are not opening volunteer probes yet, on purpose: running VPN tests can put people at risk in some countries, and we will only invite volunteers once there is an informed-consent process, a clear statement of the risks per country, and a probe that publishes nothing that could identify its host.

If you run infrastructure in a low-risk country and want to host a probe, or you research network interference and want to collaborate, write to hello@colitu.com.

What a probe does

  1. Fetches the server list the way a VPN app does, from a subscription of a lab account.
  2. For each server and transport: opens a plain TCP connection to the port, then starts the real client core (Xray or Hysteria) and requests a small page through it.
  3. Tests public DNS over UDP and TCP and HTTPS to three neutral sites, without any VPN.
  4. Reports the results; nothing else leaves the host.

Raw probe results: API · full method: methodology.