Using a good proxy server with Tor can help you use Tor to its full potential and even access it in locations where it’s not available. Before we explain the benefits of Tor proxies, we first need to take a closer look at the browser and proxy servers and find out how they work.
The Onion Router, more known as just Tor, is a web browser or software that makes your web traffic anonymous. The primary purpose of this browser is to let you browse anonymously by blocking trackers and protecting you against surveillance.
It works by directing your web traffic through a free, global overlay network that consists of over 6,000 relays. This way, TOR hides your location and usage from third parties conducting traffic analysis and network surveillance. As a result, no one can track and monitor your online activities.
The Tor browser is ideal for people who want to research an opposing litigant in a legal dispute, monitor their competitors, or for anyone who thinks it’s creepy that their government and internet service provider know which websites they visit.
A proxy is a third-party server that acts as a middleman between your device and the websites and services you browse. It accepts your requests to websites and other online destinations, processes them, and sends them to the right destination. It also accepts the web responses before it forwards them to your device.
A proxy server uses its own IP address when sending and receiving web requests and responses on your behalf. This makes all your requests appear as if they are coming from the proxy’s IP address. In fact, you can choose the location of your proxy and make it look like you’re in another country.
At the same time, your actual IP address, location, and other identifying information stay hidden from the websites you visit and the rest of the internet. By concealing your identifying information and replacing it with its own, the proxy server ensures your internet activity stays anonymous and private.
But how do proxy servers relate to the Tor browser, which already offers online anonymity?
Combining the Tor browser with a good proxy server can be useful for various reasons. Here’s how proxies can help you take full advantage of Tor.
Complete anonymity
While the Tor browser is handy for making your online activity anonymous and private, it’s not a fool-proof network. That’s because your personal information, like your IP address, is vulnerable or visible at the point of entry into the Tor network. This means anyone monitoring the Tor network can find your IP and other identifying information. Also, your encrypted data becomes decrypted at Tor’s exit node when reaching the final destination server.
However, using a proxy with Tor will protect your data at both Tor’s entry and exit node. By providing you with a new IP address and location before entering the Tor network, the proxy will make you anonymous even to Tor.
This way, your web requests enter and exit Tor’s network as if they are coming from a different device and location. This is how a reliable proxy can help you enjoy complete anonymity on the Tor network.
Accessing sites that block Tor users
Some web services ban Tor users for various reasons. So, if you want to visit a website or app that blocks you because you use the Tor browser, a proxy will help you access it. With a proxy server, you can mask your Tor activity and trick these websites into believing that you’re not browsing in Tor.
Using Tor in countries where it’s not available
Certain countries or governments block Tor because they want to monitor their residents’ online activity. This is why they may block browsers like Tor that allow people to browse anonymously. But, with a proxy server, you can change your geographical location and access Tor from a location where the browser is available.
Residential and datacenter proxies are both suitable for the Tor browser. You can use residential proxies for online activities that require optimal anonymity and security. This type of proxy server is the most secure one, providing you with real IP addresses from real devices.
On the other hand, datacenter proxies are a better option if you care about getting the highest possible upload and download speed. Tor is significantly slower than other browsers due to the lack of a direct connection between your device and the internet servers.
The most important thing is to choose a reliable proxy server from a premium provider. Only premium proxy providers like IPRoyal offer truly anonymous and safe residential proxies and fast and reliable datacenter proxies.
