*** Tor -> VPN Issues ***

[xer 0]

Hi All,

 

Sorry for my splurge of posts over the past couple of days, just trying to get my head round all of this!

Anyway, I am having some issues when trying to change my IP on Tor.

 

What I have done so far:

1. Generated the config for OpenVPN with my selected country of choice, and have set it to use "Socks" and Port 9150.
2. Successfully loaded that config file into the correct part of the OpenVPN folder.
3. Launch Tor and then navigate to IPChicken to see the IP of the exit node (I think).
4. Connect to the VPN using OpenVPN.
5. Reload the IPChicken page.
6. It shows the same IP address.

​What have I missed out? Have I done something wrong?

 

Thanks for any help! 

[Staff 10014]

Hello!

 

When you connect OpenVPN over TOR, if you run a browser that's configured to connect over the same TOR proxy which OpenVPN connects to, that browser traffic will be tunneled over TOR only.

 

In order to tunnel a browser traffic over OpenVPN over TOR, first connect OpenVPN over TOR, then run a browser that is NOT configured to connect to the TOR proxy.

 

In order to tunnel a browser traffic over TOR over OpenVPN, first connect OpenVPN directly (i.e. NOT over the TOR proxy), then launch TOR and use a browser that IS configured to connect over the TOR proxy.

 

With OpenVPN over TOR our VPN servers can't see your real IP address and the TOR nodes can't see your traffic. Your packets "get out on the Internet" with the VPN server exit-IP address.

 

With TOR over OpenVPN our servers can't see your traffic and the TOR entry-node can't see your real IP address. Your packets "get out on the Internet" with the TOR exit-node IP address.

 

Kind regards

[xer 0]

Thanks for the reply staff, I really appreciate it , I'll give that a try. Just to confirm "over" is the same as "-->" right?

 

e.g. Open VPN over Tor is the same as OpenVPN --> Tor, OpenVpn then Tor?

[xer 0]

if you run a browser that's configured to connect over the same TOR proxy which OpenVPN connects to, that browser traffic will be tunneled over TOR only.

 

I really don't understand this bit. 

Imagine my computer:

Nothing opened. No other browsers.

I open just Tor.

I then open OpenVPN.

That's it.

Why (when checking on Tor) is my IP address the Tor IP and not the VPN IP?

 

 

In order to tunnel a browser traffic over OpenVPN over TOR, first connect OpenVPN over TOR, then run a browser that is NOT configured to connect to the TOR proxy.

 

Is this what I want to do?

This has slightly confused me. All I want to do is make it so when browsing through Tor it appears I come from country X.

 

 

With OpenVPN over TOR our VPN servers can't see your real IP address and the TOR nodes can't see your traffic. Your packets "get out on the Internet" with the VPN server exit-IP address.

 

Got it. This makes sense and it what I want!

[xer 0]

Hmm, additional question. Should I be changing any settings within Tor itself? e.g. putting 127.0.0.1 and Port 9150 anywhere in proxy settings?

[Staff 10014]

Hmm, additional question. Should I be changing any settings within Tor itself? e.g. putting 127.0.0.1 and Port 9150 anywhere in proxy settings?

 

Hello!

 

Yes, port 9150 is the default SocksPort in the TOR proxy bundled with the latest TBB versions, other packages can have the TOR proxy configured to listen to port 9050 or other ports, please check.

 

Kind regards

[xer 0]

 

Hmm, additional question. Should I be changing any settings within Tor itself? e.g. putting 127.0.0.1 and Port 9150 anywhere in proxy settings?

 

Hello!

 

Yes, port 9150 is the default SocksPort in the TOR proxy bundled with the latest TBB versions, other packages can have the TOR proxy configured to listen to port 9050 or other ports, please check.

 

Kind regards

 

You didn't really answer my questions =/

 

So, I should just leave Tor alone and in theory it should work?

 

In that case, why is it not working for me?

[InactiveUser 188]

xer:

 

Part 1 of your question: Yes, leave Tor alone. For all recent versions of TBB, the port number is 9150 (and open by default). All you have to do is to make an application, like for example your OpenVPN client, use it.

 

Part 2 of your question:

 

1) You --> TBB = browsing via Tor

 

2) Your application --> TBB's Socks port = your application connects to world through Tor

 

If that application is your OpenVPN client, pointed at Socks port 9150:

 

3) You --> VPN (while VPN is connected through Tor, see 2)! ) --> Internet 

 

 

Now, your question was, why does TBB not show the VPN IP address?

Well, because internally, TBB's Firefox uses Socks port 9150 to connect to the Tor process. It's the same procedure as in 2) !  So, whatever you do with your VPN configuration -  in Tor Browser, you will always see a Tor IP. 

 

Please ask again if it is still unclear!

[xer 0]

 

xer:

 

Part 1 of your question: Yes, leave Tor alone. For all recent versions of TBB, the port number is 9150 (and open by default). All you have to do is to make an application, like for example your OpenVPN client, use it.

 

Part 2 of your question:

 

1) You --> TBB = browsing via Tor

 

2) Your application --> TBB's Socks port = your application connects to world through Tor

 

If that application is your OpenVPN client, pointed at Socks port 9150:

 

3) You --> VPN (while VPN is connected through Tor, see 2)! ) --> Internet 

 

 

Now, your question was, why does TBB not show the VPN IP address?

Well, because internally, TBB's Firefox uses Socks port 9150 to connect to the Tor process. It's the same procedure as in 2) !  So, whatever you do with your VPN configuration -  in Tor Browser, you will always see a Tor IP. 

 

Please ask again if it is still unclear!

 

Thank you so much for this brilliant answer. I really appreciate.

 

So to clarify - it is impossible to change my Tor IP? 

i.e. I cannot make it so when I am using Tor to browse, I cannot trick the websites I am browsing that I am from Singapore?

[InactiveUser 188]

Yes, if you browse with Tor Browser, you cannot do that.

 

1. There is a theoretical way to limit Tor to only choose Exit nodes from specific countries (read: https://www.torproject.org/docs/tor-manual.html.en scroll to ExitNodes and read the warnings, too). It kills your anonymity and is cumbersome, so really, don't do that.
2. If you need a Singaporian IP, use a VPN and a normal browser. (Don't forget that Tor Browser does more than just give you a Tor IP. Tor Browser has lots of security patches and privacy adjustments that you won't have with other browsers.)

 

 

[xer 0]

 

Yes, if you browse with Tor Browser, you cannot do that.

 

1. There is a theoretical way to limit Tor to only choose Exit nodes from specific countries (read: https://www.torproject.org/docs/tor-manual.html.en scroll to ExitNodes and read the warnings, too). It kills your anonymity and is cumbersome, so really, don't do that.
2. If you need a Singaporian IP, use a VPN and a normal browser. (Don't forget that Tor Browser does more than just give you a Tor IP. Tor Browser has lots of security patches and privacy adjustments that you won't have with other browsers.)

 

Ah okay, thanks once again for such an informative post.

 

I have also been in touch with support and they were advising me once I am doing OpenVPN over Tor, to open another browser and brwose through that one. What is the advantage of that?

 

Thanks

[InactiveUser 188]

If you connect to AirVPN via Tor and browse the web like support staff suggested to you, you have a "partitioning of trust" situation. In short, you can use AirVPN without trusting AirVPN and you can use Tor without trusting Tor.

 

• you benefit from Tor, but exit nodes cannot sniff or log your traffic. All they can see is that you connect to a  VPN
• you benefit from using AirVPN (you can use sites that block Tor)
• you don't need to trust AirVPN - if the datacenters AirVPN uses get raided or AirVPN gets compromised somehow, all the attacker would see is your Tor IP, not your real IP. Remember, even if AirVPN doesn't store connection data, they do see, and have to see, the IP of your current connection. 

It is, of course, a huge performance hit. Tor will slow you down significantly. From my point of view, it makes more sense to use AirVPN directly and on top of that, browse with Tor Browser. But this is a totally different scenario, and everybody has different needs, so find out what you need and what works best for you.

 

And, do not forget to test your setups. Tor via VPN, VPN via Tor, this browser, that browser, lots of confusing situations. Just as important as getting all this to work is to make sure it doesn't fail - firewalling, blocking non-VPN connections, ...