Ok, so every now and then I read about using TOR over VPN or VPN over TOR. Everyone seems to have different ideas, but I never really get the setting.

Instinctively, when mixing TOR and VPN, I think of launching the TOR Browser on a computer which is connected to a VPN.

If I understand things properly, when using a VPN with a regular browser, the data leaves the browser, goes to the VPN server, then to the server of the website I connect to. So my guess is that, using TOR Browser instead of a regular browser, the data leaves the browser, goes first to the VPN servers, and then to the TOR nodes, and on to the website. Is that right? Now, which one is that: TOR over VPN or VPN over TOR?

And finally, whichever one that is, how would one do the alternative option? By configure, for instance, the TOR Browser to connect via a VPN in its settings? I’m confused about that.

Thanks!

    • jet@hackertalks.comEnglish
      6·
      10 months ago

      If you use your VPN to connect to the internet, and route all of your traffic over the VPN, including your tor browser, then that would be TOR over VPN.

      For instance Mullvad is your main connection, then you run tor browser bundle, all of your traffic goes to mullvad first, then to tor. The mullvad client is nice, it allows you to configure split tunneling, so you could say only the Tor browser should use the VPN. Or vice versa. Mullvad is wire guard, and open VPN, so you could use any standard client do the same. But it would require more configuration on your part

      If, you want to do the opposite, and connect to Tor first, and then connect to your VPN, that would be called VPN over ToR. This is probably a very uncommon setup.

      • TomoroOPEnglish
        5·
        10 months ago

        Thanks! It’s all a bit clearer now. Appreciate that!