Thor network: how to use?

As a rule, some Internet users for various reasons try to ensure privacy, so they regularly consider the main ways to anonymize traffic from the Internet, which are available for use by an ordinary user. In principle, the daily use of VPN can help in solving this problem, but this method will not be convenient for everyone. Therefore, in this article we will talk about TOR - an anonymous distributed network.

So, what is the network "Tor"

Nowadays, in runet, with the appearance of state control and toughening of position in relation to ordinary users, it is a question of the further fate of TOR and similar anonymizers. Law enforcement agencies have long been trying to ban the network of "Tor", the feedback on which is extremely positive. The mass media are already showing information about the "banning of TOR" at the suggestion of Russian siloviki. So, the newspaper "Izvestia" contains a direct indication that today there is a proposal by siloviki to ban programs that are hidden in the user's network.

The Public Council under the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation considers it necessary to regulate the activities of legal entities and individuals on the Internet. Therefore, he formed proposals on the need to ban anonymizers - programs that mask data and IP-address.

If the court decision prohibits users from accessing a particular site, users will still be able to access the site using an anonymizer (for example, using the search on the Tor network). For example, users from China and Belarus visit websites that are blocked by local authorities without any problems.

The proposal of the siloviki implies the banning of software or browsers, in which anonymizers are built in (the Tor network, for example). In addition to this, web servers are also used for masking tools. These are stand-alone sites that allow users to migrate with a different IP address to a blocked site. There is also an indication that such amendments will be introduced into the federal law.

To date, the position of the state on this matter has not yet been fully determined.

Why do we need this network?

Why do you need a network of "Thor" for ordinary and ordinary users?
Logically, every citizen who does not violate the law should think: "Why should I hide myself on the Internet with the help of an anonymizer?" I do not plan illegal actions - hacking sites, spreading malicious programs, hacking passwords, etc.? »In general, this question can be answered as follows: some sites containing content for free download are blocked very quickly and become thereby inaccessible Most users. In addition, some employers restrict access to social networks and entertainment sites, and the resources of the "Tor" network make it easy to avoid these prohibitions.

At the same time, one can also quote the original opinion of one free software developer TOR, which he voiced in an interview.

Expert opinion

Why do we need anonymity for ordinary Internet users who by definition have nothing to hide?

The thing is that there is nothing to hide "- this is not an excuse for full control over all user actions on the Internet by state structures. These structures employ the most ordinary citizens, who are guided by the laws written by other incompetent citizens. If such people do not like something, they will have to spend money, time and health to prove their innocence with unpredictable results. Why do you need such a risk if there is a simple technical tool that is supported by other, more intelligent people.

Among other things, along with anonymity, the user is protected from censorship in the network at the state level. Should I think of an ordinary citizen, what site can today get banned on the initiative of MP Ivanov? This is not the business of this deputy, especially if he will never be made aware of which sites the citizen has walked at his own will today.

So you can fully assume that the question "why do we need TOR" has already received a complete answer. Now you can consider practical questions about how to set up a TOR network and how it is installed and configured on your computer.

Thor Network: how to use

TOR is a network of virtual tunnels that will allow the user to best protect privacy and security on the Internet.

The principle of the TOR action: the program connects the user's computer to the network not directly, but through a chain of several, randomly selected computers (repeaters), which also belong to the TOR network.

All data sent to the Internet with the help of TOR becomes anonymous (the source is hidden) and remain encrypted on the entire length between the user's computer and the last repeater. After the data is sent from the last transponder and sent to the final destination site, this data is already in an open, normal form.

When sending important data, such as the username or password for logging on to the site, you need to make sure that the protocol is HTTPS.

It is worth noting that the emergence of this anonymous network we owe it to the American special services. Once upon a time there was a realization of an espionage project, which later became scandalous. It was called "Open Heaven" and for an unexplained reason it was rolled up in a short time. After that, all the data of the closed network, in particular the source codes, were publicly available. Based on the information received, the initiative group created a community whose members were experts in the Internet field and started creating their own network, which was not controlled from outside, for free. This private network was called The Onion Router, which means "Bulbous Router" in Russian. That is why the symbol of the network "Tor" has on the logo the image of the onion bulb. This name explains the principle of the anonymizer - a chain of nodes and connections leading to complete privacy, can be associated with the layers of the bulb. The network works in such a way that the final connection points can not be established.

Download and install TOR

Various programs from the TOR-package are available for downloading from the official website of the project. Speaking about the network "Tor", how to use it, it should be noted that there is a software package TOR-browser. It does not require installation and contains a browser. Most often it's Mozilla Firefox. The browser is configured in advance for a secure exit using TOR to the Internet. You just need to download the package, unpack the archive and run the TOR program.

Using the TOR Brouser Bundle

After downloading the TOR Brouser Bundle software assembly, you need to save the package to the "Desktop" or USB. Usually, this option is convenient for compact solutions, when you need to download TOR from a flash drive.

Speaking about how to get to the network "Tor", it should be noted that the user should have a directory in which there are several files. One of them is the file start TOR Browser or "Start the TOR browser." This depends on which operating system is used.

After starting the TOR Brouser Bundle program, the user will first see the launch of Vidalia and the connection to the TOR network. After that, the browser will start, which will confirm the use of TOR at the moment. The TOR network is ready for use.

Important point: it is necessary that the browser used in the package with TOR, and not its own browser, be used.

The TOR browser (Mozilla and the Torbutton plugin) have already been configured to completely disable JavaScript, settings for https and other settings for a secure Internet connection.

For the average user, this software package is the best option for working with TOR.

There is also a stationary option for installing TOR. This is a connection to the Tor network using the Vidalia Polipo TOR assembly.

Here is an example of an installation for Windows 7

It is necessary to download the program from the site of the TOR project and install it on the computer.

Safe work on the Internet is carried out only with the Mozilla browser c plugin Torbutton. If this plugin is incompatible with the Mozilla browser version, then you need to use the generic FOxyProxy Basic.

Today, TOR developers can offer for downloading packages -bundle (Vidalia Bridge Bundle or Vidalia Relay Bundle). They are already immediately with the settings of "bridges" or "relays".

The need for such additional settings can arise from users whose providers are blocking the TOR network. These are the BRIDGE settings that can help if by default the "Thor" does not connect to the network.

Correct TOR setting

If the user himself wants to become a participant of the TOR project, then it is worth familiarizing himself with the settings of RELAY (relay).

If the provider or sysadmin blocks access to the TOR site, the program itself can be requested by e-mail. In this case, the request is made from the mailbox gMail, you do not need to use e-mail located on the Russian free domains.

To receive the English package of the TOR browser for Windows OS, you need to send an email to gettor@torproject.org. In the message itself, you just need to write the word windows. The subject field can be empty.

The same method can request a TOR browser for MAC OS. To do this, write "macos-i386". If you have Linux, you need to write "linux-i386" in the case of a 32-bit system or "linux-x86 64" for a 64-bit system.If you need a translated version of the TOR program, you need to write "help." In the response letter There will be an instruction and a list of available languages.

If TOR is already installed, but does not work, then this could happen for the following reasons.

If the connection works normally, if it does not connect to the network "Thor", you can try the following: open the "Control Panel VIdala", click on the "Message Log" and select the "Advanced Settings" tab. Problems with connecting TOR can be for the following reasons:

1. The system clock is disabled. You need to make sure that the date and time on the computer are set correctly and restart TOR. You may need to synchronize the time of the system clock with the server.

2. The user is behind the firewall. In order for TOR to use ports 80 and 443, you need to open the "Control Panel VIdala", click "Settings and Networks" and check the box next to "My firewall allows me to connect only to certain ports". This will help configure the network "Tor" and give it a full-fledged work.

3. Blocking TOR from the anti-virus database. You need to make sure that the antivirus program does not prevent TOR from connecting to the network.

4. If the computer is still not connected to the Thor network, it is very possible that the anonymizer is blocked by the ISP. It is often possible to bypass using TOR bridges, which are hidden relays and which are difficult to lock.

If you need an exact reason why TOR can not be connected, you should send a letter to the developers at help@rt.torproject.org and attach the information from the log.

What is a bridge and how to find it

To use a bridge, you must first find it. This is possible at bridges.torproject.org. You can also send a letter to bridges@bridges.torproject.org. After sending the letter, you should make sure that the letter itself says "Get bridges". Without this, a letter of reply will not come. It is also important that the dispatch should be with gmail.com or yahoo.com.

After setting up several bridges, the "Tor" network will become more stable if some bridges become inaccessible. There is no certainty that the bridge used today will also work tomorrow. For this reason, a constant update of the bridge list is required.

How the bridge is used

If it is possible to use several bridges, then open the "Control Panel VIdala", click "Settings", and then "Network" and check the box next to the inscription "My provider blocks the connection to the TOR network". Next, enter a list of bridges in the field. Then click "OK" and restart TOR.

Using an open proxy

If the use of the bridge does not lead to anything, you should try setting up the TOR when using an HTTPS or SOCKS proxy to gain access to the TOR network. This means that even if the TOR is blocked on the user's local network, then it is possible to safely use an open proxy server to connect.

For further work, there must be TOR / Vidalia configurations and a list of https, socks4, or socks5 proxies.

You need to open the "Control Panel VIdala" and click "Settings".
Then click on the "Networks" tab, select "I'm using proxy to access the Internet".

In the "Address" field enter the Open Proxy address. This is the IP address or proxy name, then enter the proxy port.

Usually you do not need to enter a username and password. If this is still needed, then they should be entered in the appropriate fields. Select "Type for proxy" as http / https or socks4, or socks 5. Click "OK". Vidalia and TOR now have the option of using a proxy to access the rest of the network.

On the site TOR today it is possible to find many more different products for other operating systems (Mac OS, Linux, Windows). Thus, the search engine on the network "Tor" can be used regardless of what device you use to visit the Internet. Differences can only be in separate tinctures, concerning the features of the customizable OS.

There is already implemented a solution for using TOR for mobile phones, for example, for Android. This option has already been tested and, as it turned out, it is fully operational, which can not but rejoice. Especially in view of the fact that most of the users have moved from computers to convenient easy tablets.

TOR system for use in smartphones

As already mentioned above, it is possible to configure TOR on a device with an Android platform. To do this, install a package called Orbot. Description for its download is on the site TOR.

Also, there are still experimental packages for Nokia and Apple iOS. At the same time, after a series of tests and improvements, the output of an excellent tool that makes it possible to achieve uniqueness in the network is guaranteed.

In addition, the developers of TOR have launched several more anonymizers, such as Tails. This is a Linux-based OS that provides anonymous and secure network surfing. On the site "Tor" there are a number of products that will be interesting to the user.

Also, TOR enables the use of hidden services for users. You can, without opening your IP-address, provide a Web server SHH-server.
It is clear that such a service does not find much demand among users, although this information is located on the TOR website simultaneously with the instruction how to search in the "Tor" network.

These were the basic information concerning this most famous and well-working anonymizer. To date, it is hoped that users will be able to launch the TOR network on their computer and then use the secure and anonymous Internet at their discretion.