home > Computer > What is tor and how to use it. How to use the Tor browser: installation and configuration

What is tor and how to use it. How to use the Tor browser: installation and configuration

As a rule, some Internet users, for various reasons, try to ensure their privacy, so they regularly review the main methods for anonymizing traffic from the Internet, which are available for use by the average user. Basically, everyday use A VPN can help solve this problem, but this method Not everyone will find it convenient. Therefore, in this article we will talk about TOR - an anonymous distributed network.

So, what is the Tor network?

Nowadays in RuNet, with the advent of government control and a toughening of the position towards ordinary users, we are talking about the future fate of TOR and similar anonymizers. They have long been trying to ban the Tor network, reviews of which are extremely positive. Information is already appearing in the media about the “TOR ban” at the suggestion of Russian security forces. Thus, the Izvestia newspaper contains a direct indication that today there is a proposal from the security forces to ban programs that are hidden on the user’s network.

The Public Council under the FSB of the Russian Federation considers it necessary legal regulation activities of legal and individuals in the Internet. Therefore, he formed proposals on the need to ban anonymizers - programs that mask data and IP addresses.

If a court decision denies users access to a particular site, users using an anonymizer will still be able to access the site (for example, using a search on the Tor network). For example, users from China and Belarus easily visit sites that are blocked by local authorities.

The security forces' proposal involves banning software or browsers that have built-in anonymizers (the Tor Internet network, for example). In addition, web servers are also classified as camouflage tools. These are autonomous sites through which users can switch with a different IP address to There is also an indication that similar amendments will be made to federal law.

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

Why is this network needed?

Why is the Tor network needed for the average and average user?
Logically, every citizen who does not break the law should think: “Why should I hide myself on the Internet using an anonymizer? I don’t plan any illegal actions - website hacking, distribution malware, password hacking, etc.?” In a general sense, this question can be answered this way: some sites containing content for free downloading are blocked very quickly and thereby become inaccessible to 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 bypass these prohibitions.

At the same time, we can cite the original opinion of one free developer software TOR, which he announced in an interview.

Expert opinion

Why is anonymity required for ordinary Internet users who, by definition, have nothing to hide?

The whole point is that “there’s nothing to hide” - this is not a reason to full control all user actions on the Internet by government agencies. These structures employ the most ordinary citizens, guided in their work by laws illiterately written by other incompetent citizens. If such people don’t like something, they will have to spend money, time and health to prove their innocence with unpredictable results. Why take such a risk if there is a simple technical means, which is supported by other, smarter people.

Among other things, along with anonymity, the user receives protection from online censorship at the state level. Should an ordinary citizen think about which site could be banned today on the initiative of Deputy Ivanov? This is not the business of this deputy, especially if he will never be informed which sites the citizen visited today at his own request.

Tor network: how to use

TOR is a network consisting of virtual tunnels that will allow the user to best protect privacy and

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

All data sent to the Internet using TOR becomes anonymous (the source is hidden) and remains encrypted throughout the entire distance between the user’s computer and the last relay. After the data is sent from the last relay and sent to the final destination site, this data is already in the clear, normal form.

When transferring important data, such as a Username or password to log into a website, you need to make sure that the HTTPS protocol is running.

It is worth noting that we owe the emergence of this anonymous network to the American intelligence services. Once upon a time, a spy project took place, which later became notorious. It was called "Open Skies" and for an inexplicable reason was canceled in a short period of time. After this, all data of the closed network, in particular source codes, found themselves in open access. Based on the information received, the initiative group, whose members were Internet experts, began creating their own network, not controlled from outside, completely free of charge. This private network is called The Onion Router, which means “Onion Router” when translated into Russian. That is why the symbol of the Tor network has an image of an onion on its logo. This name explains the principle of operation of the anonymizer - a chain of nodes and connections leading to complete privacy can be associated with the layers of an onion. The network works in such a way that connection endpoints cannot be established.

Downloading and installing TOR

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

Using TOR Brouser Bundle

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

Speaking about how to get into the Tor network, it should be noted that the user must have a directory that contains several files. One of them is the file start TOR Browser or “Starting the TOR Browser”. This depends on what operating system you are using.

After launching the TOR Brouser Bundle program, the user will first see Vidalia launching and connecting to the TOR network. After this, the browser will launch, which will confirm the use of TOR in this moment. The TOR network is ready to use.

An important point: it is necessary to use the browser that was included in the package with TOR, and not the user’s own browser.

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

For regular 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 installation for Windows 7

You need to download the program from the TOR project website and install it on your computer.

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

Today, TOR developers can offer -bundle packages for download (Vidalia Bridge Bundle or Vidalia Relay Bundle). They already have the “bridges” or “relays” settings.

The need for such additional settings may occur for users whose providers block the TOR network. These are BRIDGE settings that can help if Tor doesn't connect to the network by default.

Correct setup of TOR

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

If your provider or system administrator blocks access to the TOR site, then the program itself can be requested at email. In this case, the request is made from the postal address gMail mailbox, you do not need to use email located on Russian free domains.

To receive the English package of the TOR browser for Windows OS, you need to send an email to: [email protected]. In the message itself you only need to write word windows. The "subject" field may be empty.

A similar method can be used to request the TOR browser for MAC OS. To do this you need to write “macos-i386”. If you have Linux, then 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, then you need to write “help”. In response the letter will come instructions and list of available languages.

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

During normal connection operation, if you cannot connect to the Tor network, you can try the following: open the “VIdala Control Panel”, click on “Message Log” and select the “Advanced Settings” tab. Problems with TOR connection may occur for the following reasons:

1. System clock is disabled. You need to make sure correct installation date and time on your computer and restart TOR. You may need to synchronize your system clock with the server.

2. The user is behind a firewall. In order for TOR to use 443, you need to open the VIdala Control Panel, click Settings and Networks and check the box next to “My firewall only allows me to connect to certain ports.” This will help set up the Tor network and let it work fully.

3. Blocking of TOR by the antivirus database. Need to make sure that antivirus program does not prevent TOR from connecting to the network.

4. If the computer still does not connect to the Tor network, then it is very possible that the anonymizer is blocked by the ISP. This can often be bypassed using TOR bridges, which are hidden relays that are difficult to block.

If you need an exact reason for the inability to connect to TOR, you should send an email to the developers [email protected] and attach information from the log log.

What is a bridge and how to find it

To use a bridge, you must first discover it. This is possible at bridges.torproject.org. You can also send a letter to [email protected]. After sending the letter, you should make sure that the letter itself says “Get bridges”. Without this, the response letter will not arrive. It is also important that the sending must be from gmail.com or yahoo.com.

After setting up several bridges, the Tor network will become more stable if some bridges become unavailable. There is no certainty that the bridge used today will also work tomorrow. For this reason, the list of bridges must be constantly updated.

How is the bridge used?

If it is possible to use several bridges, then you should open the “VIdala Control Panel”, click “Settings”, and then “Networks” and check the box next to “My provider is blocking the connection to the TOR network”. Next, enter a list of bridges in the field. Then click “OK” and restart TOR.

Using open proxy

If using the bridge does not lead to anything, you need to try setting up TOR using an HTTPS or SOCKS proxy to gain access to the TOR network. This means that even if TOR is blocked in local network user, that is, the opportunity safe use open proxy server for connection.

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

You need to open the “VIdala Control Panel” and click “Settings”.
Next, click on the “Networks” tab, select “I use a proxy to access the Internet.”

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

Typically 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 to use a proxy to access the rest of the network.

On the TOR website today you can find many other different products for other operating systems (Mac OS, Linux, Windows). Thus, the search engine on the Tor network can be used regardless of what device you use to access the Internet. Differences can only be in individual settings regarding the features of the customized OS.

There is already an implemented solution for using TOR for mobile phones, for example for Android. This option has already been tested and, as it turns out, is quite workable, which is good news. Especially considering that most users have moved from computers to convenient, lightweight tablets.

TOR system for use in smartphones

As mentioned above, it is possible to configure TOR on a device with Android platform. To do this, install a package called Orbot. A description of how to download it is on the TOR website.

There are also 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 allows you to achieve uniqueness on the network is guaranteed.

In addition, TOR developers have launched several more anonymizers, such as Tails. This is a Linux-based OS that provides anonymous and secure network surfing. There are a number of other products on the Tor website that will be of interest to the user.

TOR also makes it possible for users to use hidden services. Without revealing your IP address, you can provide
It is clear that such a service is not in great demand among users, although this information is located on the TOR website along with instructions on how to search the Tor network.

This was the basic information regarding this most famous and well-functioning anonymizer. Today, there is hope that users will be able to launch the TOR network on their computer and then use the secure and anonymous Internet at their discretion.

The article is provided solely for the purpose of familiarizing yourself with the technology of the Tor browser.

In recent years, one has heard more and more often about restrictions on the Internet. Governments of different countries prohibit their citizens’ access to resources containing content that, in the opinion of deputies, is incorrect. Operators are forced to transmit information about users, and there is no talk of any anonymity on the Internet. At the same time, it is not always the case that sites blocked by decision of certain authorities actually contain materials that can harm users.

“The forbidden fruit is sweet,” and various restrictions on the Internet have given rise not only to ways to circumvent them, but also to an entire secret network, which can only be accessed using special means that hide information about the user. The anonymous network is called Tor, and it is available absolutely free to everyone.

What is Tor

The abbreviation Tor stands for The Onion Router. This name may seem ridiculous to people who are not familiar with the concept of onion routing. It refers to the technology of anonymous exchange of information using standard computer network. The operating principle of the system is based on permanent encryption of data during transmission from server to client. Data passes through many network nodes, thereby erasing traces that could lead to the sender and recipient of the information.

Thanks to Tor, users do not have to worry about their anonymity on the Internet. They get the opportunity to view any information they are interested in, secretly leave messages on sites, send each other encrypted personal messages, and do much more secretly from everyone. Using Tor, you can easily bypass all ISP restrictions imposed on sites.

As you can understand, sites on the hidden Tor network are not moderated or checked by anyone. You cannot send a content complaint to them, and if you do, such actions will lead to nothing. Accordingly, in Tor you can find, among other things, information prohibited in all countries. Shocking, illegal, devoid of humanity and meaning, materials and services are contained on the Tor network. This is why it got the name “dark internet”. Sites created exclusively for access via Tor are located in the .onion domain zone. They are not indexed by regular search engines, and can only be accessed through the anonymous Tor network.

You can view information on the Tor network through any computer, but this requires a browser of the same name, which is distributed free of charge.

How to use the Tor browser

It's quite easy to start using Tor; to do this you need to download Tor Browser from a regular browser and install it. Tor is installed as follows:

Once the Tor browser is installed on your computer, it must be properly configured to work on the anonymous network. Launch Tor via the Start Tor Browser.exe shortcut from the folder where it was installed. Next, you need to set the primary parameters. This can be done automatically by clicking “Connect” in the window that opens, but this method does not always work.

If you are unable to automatically connect to the Tor network, you can select “Configure” and set the necessary parameters yourself. Process manual settings The Torah is also quite simple, you will need to answer 2 questions:

When the answers are selected, the Tor browser will again try to make automatic adjustments based on the received data. This may take a couple of minutes, after which Tor will start.

Please note: The Tor browser is based on Firefox.

To finally make sure that the computer is now on an anonymous network, you need to click on the “Check Tor Internet settings” button.

If a page opens that says that the browser uses Tor, then everything is configured correctly, and the program can be used for anonymous access to resources.

Important: In the Tor browser, you can view the chain through which user anonymity is achieved. On any page, click the green onion icon to the left of the address bar. A pop-up menu will open, where you can see through which chain the request passes from the computer to the final server.

To achieve maximum privacy, Tor provides 4 levels of security. By default, the browser sets it to minimum, but you can change this setting if you wish. To do this, click on the green onion to the left of the browser line and select “Privacy and Security Settings.”

A new window will open where you can use the slider to adjust the security level from low to high. Next to each of the options it is written how they differ and what functions they turn off. The more high level security, the worse various plugins and services will work in the browser, and the content on sites will be displayed.

For basic use of the Tor browser, a low security level is sufficient.

What are the disadvantages of the Tor browser?

Complete anonymity on the Internet is quite a significant advantage for many to completely switch to the Tor browser. Despite this, the number of people who use it on permanent basis, few.

Before you launch the anonymous Tor browser, you need to know how to use the Tor browser. Since you can install and run the Tor browser on any operating system Windows, and the Tor browser interface is in Russian, then any user can install the Tor browser on a computer or laptop. The Tor Browser program itself runs on Firefox. Can download Tor browser for free.
By launching Tor Browser, it assigns your computer an IP address that will display its physical location in some other country. In addition, anonymous Internet surfing is carried out by encrypting traffic and distributing it across a network of different servers. Due to this, it is impossible to determine it by IP address real location, determine what requests were made and what pages were visited. Tor portable RUS does not need to be installed on a computer or laptop; it can be launched directly from a folder that can be located on any medium, be it a flash drive or a CD.

Tor Browser privacy and security settings

Setting up Tor Browser for Firefox is done by clicking on green onion in the upper left part of the browser. Opening the item Privacy and Security Settings can be enabled or disabled in the browser installed extensions, blocking third-party cookies, saving the history of visiting sites, and in these settings you can use the slider to configure the security level of visiting sites. When you launch the browser, you first connect to the Tor network, and then launch the browser with an interface similar to Mozilla Firefox.

In the Tor browser settings, open a new window

To make sure that the Tor browser is working normally, you need to click on Tor Browser located in the left top corner browser and in the context menu that appears, select New private window After this, a new window should open on which it will be written Welcome to Tor Browser.

This opens a new private window

In this window you need to click on the link called Check Tor network settings. After this, a page will open on which it should be written Congratulations. This browser is configured to use Tor, and below the IP address assigned to your computer will be shown.

This time automatic setting tor browser showed the IP address of Ukraine

You can change the IP address assigned by your browser to your computer, for example it is currently assigned Ukraine 91,213,8,235. To change the IP address of your computer, you need to click on in the upper left part of the browser. green onion and in the context menu that appears, select New Tor chain for this site. After this, Tor Browser Bundle RUS will reload the page and the computer will be assigned a new IP address, it will become Romania 93,115,95,201.

This time we managed to automatically configure the Tor browser to the IP address of Romania

The only disadvantage of this browser is that the anonymous Tor network consists of several nodes, and each of the nodes produces a delay both in response time and in channel width, that is, the browser works with slight delays when opening a page.

Tor exit nodes

A node is a node through which data is transmitted. The browser usually uses three such nodes, which are selected using the method random selection. When transmitting information from node to node, the information is encrypted every time, and each node only knows from which node it received the information and to which it will send it. Using this browser you can view closed sites.
If Tor does not connect to the network at startup, then most likely the time and possibly the date on your computer are set incorrectly.

If the Tor browser does not start, you need to set the date and time

To set the time, you need to move the cursor directly over the time and click the right mouse button to select from context menu paragraph Setting the date and time. The Date and Time window will open. In this window, you must first click on the button Change date and time and in the window that opens Setting the time and date, you must set the date and time correctly and do not forget to confirm by clicking on the OK button.

Full name: Tor Browser Bundle. Built on the Mozilla Firefox platform and is one of the most anonymous browsers in the world. When using the Internet, changes your IP address to a random IP address. Uses IP from different countries: Romania, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany. Does not store cookies or a log of visited sites, does not remember logins and passwords. Uses a special secure network of anonymous proxy servers.

Installing Tor

Download this browser you can from the official website: https://www.torproject.org/download/download-easy.html.en

Select your language and click Download Tor Browser Bundle:

Run the downloaded file:

Click OK:

Install:

Ready:

Using Tor Browser

Launch the program. If you haven't unchecked Launch Tor Browser Bundle After the installation is completed, it will start automatically.

When you first launch you will see a window Network settings Tor. Here you need to select the connection type. Nowadays, in most cases the first option is suitable - a button Connect:

After this, the browser connects to the Tor network, which will hide your real IP address, ensuring your anonymity. Wait for connection to the network:

For greater privacy, you can request page versions on English language. But this is not a key indicator of anonymity. You can click No:

Tor browser is not installed on the system in the traditional way, because... is a portable application. You can carry the program with you on a flash drive. By default, when unpacking it is placed in the folder Tor browser on the desktop:

You can move the browser folder to any location. When you want to launch TOP to anonymously visit a site, go to the program folder and run the file Start Tor Browser.exe:

After pressing the button New identity and before using a new IP address, go to 2ip.ru and see what has changed.

To imitate another identity, it is advisable to change not only the IP, but also the country. If necessary, press the button Tor, select item New identity (New Identity), until the country changes:

Attention! Due to the fact that when working through the Tor browser, traffic goes through many proxy servers, the page loading speed is much lower than through a regular browser.

Especially for those who want not to depend on their state, their provider, their admin, etc. And also for those who do not want to be “recognized by IP”.

Today I’ll tell you about the “TOR project”. In the first part I will tell you how and where to download the program. In the second part I will tell you how to install it. In the third - how to launch and use. Fourth - how to configure Opera browser for working with TOR.

But first I'll tell you a little in simple words, what is "TOR". TOR is an acronym for "The Onion Router". What it is?

Here's what the wiki says:

With TOR, users can remain anonymous when visiting websites, posting content, sending messages, and using other applications. TOR technology also provides protection against traffic analysis mechanisms that threaten not only the anonymity of the user, but also the confidentiality of business data, business contacts, etc.

That is, no one except you will know who you are, where you are from, and where you went on the Internet. These are the advantages. Minuses? There are also disadvantages, but more on them later.

What problems can TOR solve?
1. Visiting sites blocked by your state, ISP or system administrator. For example, using TOR you can easily access Odnoklassniki or VKontakte, no matter how your management and administrators block them.
2. TOR can even work through a proxy (!!!).
3. Through TOR you can send traffic to your IM (instant messenger), such as ICQ, Mailru agent, jabber, etc., even if they are blocked at work.
4. TOR does not require installation. Therefore, you don’t have to be afraid of the ban on installing programs set by the system administrator.

Thus, TOR is a real panacea for all prohibitions on the one hand and violation of anonymity on the other. If you decide that you need it, it's time to download it, install it and start using it.

There you need to find this picture and click on the one circled in red:

On the page that opens, pay attention to what is circled in blue:

You need to select "Russian":

Now you can click on the orange button labeled “Download” and download TOR to Russian language. The installer is currently approximately 22 MB in size.

Part 2. Install TOR Browser
I'll start with a strange phrase: "TOR browser does not require installation." Yes Yes! The file you downloaded is actually a self-extracting archive. When launched, it will ask where to unpack:

Click on the "" button, select the directory to unpack. Attention! I repeat for the 3rd time: TOR browser does not require installation, and you can even run it from a flash drive! Therefore, you can even unzip it onto a flash drive. After selecting the directory, click on the "".

The program will unpack for some time:

After unpacking, the "Tor Browser" directory will appear in the directory you selected:

Inside it there is a file called "Start Tor Browser":

Actually that's all. You can launch TOR browser.

Part 3. Launching Tor
Everything is simple here! Remember the "Start Tor Browser" file from part #2? Launch it!

For some time the program will perform some shamanic actions:

Let me warn you right away, the first launch takes a very long time. But then after waiting you will see this:

Notice the blue frame. This green onion indicates that Tor is up and running. From the settings, I recommend paying attention to the “Show this window at startup” checkbox (red frame). I recommend unchecking this box. Anyway, after Tor starts working, the Mozilla Firefox browser (a portable version of which comes with the program) will be launched.

In addition, the Tor icon is placed in the tray and can take one of the following forms:

- Tor starts;

- Tor works;

- Tor has been stopped.

After launching Tor, the browser will show something like this:

Actually, if you see such a window, you can start to rejoice and use Tor for your needs.

But there is one problem: this can only be done in Mozilla browser Firefox. Moreover, this browser must be running. After all, as soon as you close your browser, Tor will also close. Therefore, I installed the “Minimize to tray” add-on in this browser (let it lie there). And I configured one of my Opera to work with it. And now I’ll teach you how to do it.

Part 4. Setting up Opera to work with TOR
You can determine whether your browser works through TOR or not by clicking on this magic link: https://check.torproject.org/?lang=ru .

This is what the Opera browser showed me:

It doesn’t work... But, as they say in the army, if you don’t want to, we’ll teach you, if you can’t, we’ll force you.

Go to Opera settings:

To do this, click on the "Opera" button in the top left of the browser (blue frame), select "Settings" (red frame) from the drop-down menu, and then select "General settings" (green frame). Or just press "Ctrl + F12".