CircuitStart: A slow start for multi-hop anonymity systems

Abstract

In order to improve the performance of anonymity networks like Tor, custom transport protocols have been proposed to efficiently deal with the multi-hop nature of such overlay networks. In this work, we tackle the issue of quickly, but safely, ramping up the congestion window during the initial phase of a circuit's lifetime. We propose a tailored startup mechanism called CircuitStart that transfers the idea of a traditional slow start to the multi-hop scenario by effectively compensating potential overshooting, improving performance compared to existing approaches.