Why relays matter
OpenRung's network is a mix of Foundation-operated and volunteer-run relays. Volunteers matter for more than capacity: a network whose doors are scattered across many providers, countries, and networks is far harder to block than one with a few well-known addresses. Each relay does one job — take encrypted traffic from a user and pass it on to the open internet.
What you need
- A Linux server with a public IPv4 address — a small cloud VPS works fine.
- Inbound TCP port 443 open in your provider's firewall.
- Basic comfort with a terminal. The relay runs as a hardened Docker container and registers itself automatically.
Setup: one command
On the server, run:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openrung/openrung/main/deploy/relay/volunteer-up.sh | sudo shThen open inbound TCP 443 in your provider's firewall. Re-running the same command later updates the relay while preserving its identity. The full setup guide covers configuration options, stable relay identity, and day-to-day operations.
Prefer an app to a terminal? The OpenRung Volunteer desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux runs a relay without the command line.
Understand the risks first — honestly. Relays currently act as exits: websites see your server's IP address as the source of user traffic, much like a Tor exit node. Depending on where you live and host, that can carry real legal and privacy risk. Read the security notes on GitHub before volunteering, host with a provider you trust, and don't run a relay from a connection you can't afford to have questioned. Entry-relay modes that lower this risk are on the roadmap.
Other ways to help
Not everyone can run a server — and that's fine. You can donate to fund Foundation infrastructure, tell someone who needs OpenRung that it exists, or simply write to us if the app helped you or your family. Notes like that are what keep a volunteer project going.