Tor: how to download, configure and use it?

What is TOR
What is TOR

Last updated: March 26, 2024

How to stay hidden when surfing the internet ? This is where TOR comes in. It's like a master key for getting around incognito on the web. Think of Tor as a big game of sleight of hand: your information travels from PC to PC before arriving where you want it. This super tool was created because the usual means, called proxy servers et VPNs, were not strong enough.

At the heart of Tor, data slips from one router to another, leaving behind as few clues as possible about where it came from. Although possible to trace back to a user, the task turns out to be extremely difficult. Each router knows only its immediate neighbors – the one before and the one after, except for the last one in the chain, known as the exit node.

Currently, those who want to hinder Tor are focusing on these exit nodes, trying to unmask them.

Whether to visit sites exclusive to certain IP addresses or to explore the hidden depths of the Darknet, Tor presents itself as an essential tool for preserving your anonymity online.

How exactly does the TOR protocol work?

Here is an HTTP request without Tor

By entering an address like www.funinformatique.com, your computer will connect to the www server.funinformatique.com and ask for the index.php page.

And here is an HTTP request with Tor

With the use of the Tor network, when you type www.funinformatique.com, instead of connecting to the server directly, your PC (A) will go through a PC (B) which will request information from a PC (C) and so on. The final PC, let's say a PC (D) will request the page from the server (for example FunInformatique.com) and retransmit it to the PC (C) and so on to return to your PC (A) which will receive the requested page.
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Attention: Tor prevents knowing where you are, but does not encrypt your communications, unless those communications are secured by another layer of encryption, such as HTTPS.

Instead of taking a direct path from sender to recipient, communications that pass through the Tor network take a random path through various Tor computers, confusing the issue.

Computers in the network encrypt the messages they send to each other. But, the message becomes unencrypted when it goes from the last computer to the website.

If this message is not protected by HTTPS, the last computer can see the clear information. So, it is very important to use Tor-secured sites to be truly safe.

Any egress node has the ability to capture the traffic passing through it.

If you send an email and sign with your first and last name, you will obviously not be anonymous!

That's why encrypt data initially (for example, using VPNs with encryption) before even going through the network may be a solution to increase privacy.

How do I use the Tor browser?

Go to the site Torproject.org, click on Download Tor then click on Download Tor Browser. This is the simplest technique for using the Tor protocol. Tor Browser is actually a modified version of Firefox which natively integrates the Tor protocol.

Then you should see a Tor Browser folder. Open it and launch the browser. A window appears.
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Click on to log in directly if you want to start surf anonymously, but it is mandatory to go through Configurator if your ISP censors certain protocols or filters some traffic. In this case, you will have to go through a bridge, a gateway which will hide your entry point into the network.

To enable this “obfuscation protocol” answer YES to the third question and use obfs3 as recommended. Finally click on Connect.

If you see " Congratulations ! This browser is configured to use Tor“is that you are free to surf wherever you want on the Internet.

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The browser's default search engine is lxquick and the modules HTTPS Everywhere et NoScript are activated. The first allows you to add an SSL encryption layer to the HTTP protocol while the second disables all scripting on the browser. The latter are indeed a little too talkative and could reveal your identity by using your real IP.

How to be anonymous and remain so?

  • Tor Browser is pre-configured to guarantee your anonymity. Do not modify the browser by adding plugins extensions, etc.
  • Only connect using the HTTPS protocol.
  • Do not open downloaded documents while online. DOC files and PDF in particular can betray your real IP when opening them.
  • Protect yourself fromattack the man-in-the-middle using a strong encryption while browsing the internet, sending emails, chatting, etc.