VPN or TOR?

[TMF89]

I realize this is like the third of fourth VPN thread currently active in this forum, sorry guys!

I was just wondering if anyone could explain the technical and practical differences between a VPN and TOR. From my (very) limited understanding, TOR acts as sort of a series of proxy servers (nodes?), where a VPN just reroutes your traffic through one?

Also, if someone were trying to track me while I was using TOR or a VPN, they would wind up at a dead end, correct? They could track down the VPN server, but since the VPN has no details/information on me, they wouldn't be able to go any further than that, correct? Same for TOR? What will my ISP see if they take a look? Everything looking normal, or will they be able to tell I'm rerouting my traffic?

Finally, recommendations? I don't mind paying for the service, however the cheaper the better, obviously. Has anyone tested a VPN, by uploading/downloading a file they know is malicious, and seeing if they received any ISP emails? Thanks for the info guys!

[Kingfish]

TOR is not intended for downloading torrents, it would be very slow if you tried.

A VPN is your own private tunnel to the internet and is suited for downloading torrents and web browsing.

Google 'free VPN' or 'Cyberghost' to test out a VPN.

VPN services may disclose your details so check the terms and conditions of service.

[NIK]

"TOR acts as sort of a series of proxy servers (nodes?), where a VPN just reroutes your traffic through one?"

- Correct. It's worth mentioning that the Tor nodes are the PC's of other users such as yourself, while the VPN nodes are the servers of a hosting company. So the speeds you will get via the former are a very small fraction of the speeds you will get via the latter.

Also, if someone were trying to track me while I was using TOR or a VPN, they would wind up at a dead end, correct?

- It depends on how good a hacker they are.

They could track down the VPN server, but since the VPN has no details/information on me,

- except for your name, address, credit card number, and potentially the logs of at least the amounts and origins and date/times of everything you've ever downloaded through them and the amounts, destinations, and date/times of everything you've ever uploaded through them. That's if you've encrypted the traffic of course. If you haven't, then they might actually have the full datastreams. They probably won't, and they'll almost certainly say they won't, but you've no way of really knowing.

Same for TOR?

- Yes, except that they won't have your name/credit card number. And since your traffic won't always flow through the same node, nobody will have a complete record.

What will my ISP see if they take a look?

- They will see the traffic flowing to and from your PC. If it's encrypted, they may not be able to see what the traffic is. If you're using Tor/VPN they won't be able to see where it's from/going to. They will always be able to see the amount of it.

Everything looking normal, or will they be able to tell I'm rerouting my traffic?

- They will be able to tell what you're doing. Remember, you won't be re-routing your traffic around them, everything you do always goes through them.

Finally, recommendations?

- Forget about Tor, it's not built for torrent traffic. The speeds will be horrendous AND you will be helping to cripple the network so that the people trying to use it for what it was intended for can't use it.

Pay for one of these VPN's http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-tha...3-edition/

Or, better yet, don't do anything. The chances of you being "caught" are far far lower than you imagine. The chances of you being arrested/sued/disconnected are lower still. And the chances of you being successfully prosecuted/sued/disconnected are even lower than that.

Has anyone tested a VPN, by uploading/downloading a file they know is malicious,

- Oh, fuck. I wish I'd read your whole post before bothering with any of the above, so I could have simply ignored it or told you to fuck off and die.

Have you never even heard of Ed Snowden? Have you read absolutely nothing at all about online privacy in the past year? I thought you were asking about filesharing. If you want to attack people, the NSA tracks everything you do online. The police catch hardcore hackers. Nothing in the 'consumer grade' security we cover here will come close to protecting you from the sort of people you're going to find yourself up against if you're setting out to hurt people.

And if you're thinking of uploading that shit to TPB, forget it. They deal with that sort of crap every single hour of every single day. You will almost certainly be spotted and banned before anyone downloads anything, every time you create a new account, regardless of whether they know it's you each time or not.

[TMF89]

- Oh, fuck. I wish I'd read your whole post before bothering with any of the above, so I could have simply ignored it or told you to fuck off and die.

Have you never even heard of Ed Snowden? Have you read absolutely nothing at all about online privacy in the past year? I thought you were asking about filesharing. If you want to attack people, the NSA tracks everything you do online. The police catch hardcore hackers. Nothing in the 'consumer grade' security we cover here will come close to protecting you from the sort of people you're going to find yourself up against if you're setting out to hurt people.

And if you're thinking of uploading that shit to TPB, forget it. They deal with that sort of crap every single hour of every single day. You will almost certainly be spotted and banned before anyone downloads anything, every time you create a new account, regardless of whether they know it's you each time or not. [/b]

Uhhh...poor choice of words. I was talking about files tracked by companies, not viruses or anything like that. Say you got a letter from Such and Such for Such and Such file, has anyone tried down/uploading that same file after using a VPN service, to find out if they would still get contacted? If I was trying to upload a virus to the site, I'd like to think I'm intelligent enough to not go asking about how to do it first.

So if a service like the one mentioned above tried to track me, they would only get as far as wherever the VPN server/IP address is that I was using when I made contact with the file? However if for some reason my ISP looked into it, they could basically figure out who/where I was and what I was doing?

I wound up going with Private Internet Access based on that record of VPNs in the other thread on this forum. I understand the billing issue, but in their quote they say utilizing shared IP addresses makes identification impossible. So I take it that means that they have multiple users using the same fake IP address, thus proving that one particular user did something on that IP address is impossible? Thanks for your information.

Finally, how would I go about learning more about encryption? Mainly just curious at this point.

[NIK]

Uhhh...poor choice of words. I was talking about files tracked by companies, not viruses or anything like that.

I half-suspected that might be the case, which is why I went ahead and posted.

Say you got a letter from Such and Such for Such and Such file, has anyone tried down/uploading that same file after using a VPN service, to find out if they would still get contacted?

Yes, lots of people, that's the point of a VPN. And assuming you choose a legit VPN provider, that you install and configure it properly, and that you're vigilant in using the VPN every single time you download then you won't be contacted again.

So if a service like the one mentioned above tried to track me, they would only get as far as wherever the VPN server/IP address is that I was using when I made contact with the file?

Correct. Assuming that the provider didn't give you up. You only have their word for it that they won't so you're always going to have to go on trust. Which is why I gave you a link to a list of generally-considered-reputable providers.

However if for some reason my ISP looked into it, they could basically figure out who/where I was and what I was doing?

They already know who you are--you're the guy who signed a contract with them who lives at the address they provide service to. As for what you're doing? They don't give a fuck, they just wish you would do more of it, so that you would trade up to the next higher priced package they offer.

...in their quote they say utilizing shared IP addresses makes identification impossible. So I take it that means that they have multiple users using the same fake IP address, thus proving that one particular user did something on that IP address is impossible?

That's where trust comes in. They are being disingenuous with that statement. Sure, it might be impossible to prove that one particular user did something on that IP address is impossible, but it's not impossible to prove that one particular user did something on that IP address and port. They do know that, they physically have to know it or they couldn't send your traffic to you, and they could log it. [Though they say they don't and they might even be telling the truth, I can't tell you one way or the other.]

Finally, how would I go about learning more about encryption? Mainly just curious at this point.

"encryption" is like "surgery" in that it is a word which, unqualified, covers such a vast range of things that nobody can meaningfully answer a question like that. You need to be more specific. If you really have no idea of anything specific you want to know then the wikipedia article on encryption would be a place to start.

[TMF89]

I figured that question about encryption would be a little vague. I'm not completely tech-illiterate, I know what encryption is, why we use it, and a little about how it works. I'm mainly interested in learning about encryption relevant to me, so encryption programs/services aimed at the general consumer. Any advice on getting started learning about that?

Also I came across this page on PIA about setting up Utorrent to use their VPN. If I have my VPN connected, isn't everything going to/from my computer already routed through the VPN? Wouldn't this be redundant? I have a feeling the answer to those questions is (obviously) no, but I'm confused what the purpose of configuring Utorrent further is. Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it.

[NIK]

Use HTTPS instead of HTTP to ensure the traffic flowing between your browser and websites is encrypted. Not all sites support it but, for those that do.

Use TrueCrypt to encrypt your hard drive so that if your computer is ever stolen (by honest thieves or by the police) they won't be able to identity thieve you as well.

Here is an article on encrypting your email http://www.pcworld.com/article/254338/ho...email.html

I could go on but since I have absolutely no idea what it is you're looking for that would be a waste of my time and probably yours too. Maybe you will do a bit of work yourself in figuring out what it is you want to know or maybe somebody else will read your mind and tell you what that is but I'm out of this mugs game.



I don't use PIA and I couldn't be assed spending ages reading through all that but it appears to be an option. ie. you can either use their VPN for everything or you could just use their proxy for your filesharing (and do your web surfing naked because direct connections are obviously faster than ones routed through a VPNs).

[Cocobongo777]

VPN crypts your Internet traffic from your Internet provider and it changes you IP. But your DNS can be leaked!
And TOR is p2p network. While you connecting to TOR network you connect to 3 different IPs and get final Internet access throw TOR EXIT RELAY NODE. There were accidents when TOR relay node was hold by gouverment and they fully controled it's traffic (google sniffering tor relay node and you'll be shocked).

In my opinion, if You want to stay anonymouse you should use bigger complex of protection.

Here are some tips:

VPN+TOR+VPN
VPN+TOR+VPN+PROXY
VPN+TOR+VPN+DEDICATED SERVER
e.t.c.

And don't forget to use bitcoins, when buying VPN... No credit card payments...

[Tech]

The more threads about VPN's the better  Its a cascading avenue of tapologies ...

With Tor u have multiple layers of encryption, you trade privacy for for performance..

VPN is less private, but gives u a good balance of privacy, plus speed still.

[contrail]

Use both, it is for the better. Also, get a VPN in a country outside your own country.