VPN vs. Tor, How Do They Stack Up.

Just so we’re all on the same page here is some info you need to know.

Every device that connects to the internet is given a unique number that identifies it.

An IP address is a string of numbers separated by periods. IP addresses are expressed as a set of four numbers — an example address might be 192.158.1.38. Each number in the set can range from 0 to 255. So, the full IP addressing range goes from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255.

Your router has a unique IP address, your computer has a different unique IP address, and so does your smartphone. This way when you visit a website and ask that website to show you a cute picture of a puppy it will be able to process your request and send your device the picture you requested. So it’s kind of like the street address for the internet. It makes sure you get your mail and your neighbor gets their mail.

The problem became that internet service providers figured out that they could scan your mail and sell that information to anyone who would pay. They sold the fact that you looked at that puppy picture earlier to outside marketers. So now you’re getting adds for local dog breeders and local pet smart adds for stores near you.

So the issue is with your internet service provider or different big companies on the internet tracking your IP Address. You have to have an IP Address to use the internet. But you can make it so its a little bit harder to track your identity. Your computer will log into a Tor server or a VPN server and then use their network to continue on to your website. That way the website just knows that it is communicating with a random server and all your inneternet service provider knows is that you are communicating with a VPN/Tor server.

What is the difference between TOR and a VPN?

TOR
- To access the Tor Network you first need to download the Onion Browser. It is free to download and to use. It will allow you to access the regular web and dark web. The easest way to think about the Onion Browser is to think about passing notes in class. Lets say you want to ask your classmate a question, when their birthday is. But you don’t want your friend to know its you because your embaressed you forget. So you write out your question and place it inside three envolopes. You give the first envelope to the person sitting in front of you. That person opens the envelope and it asks them to pass it along to another student. That student opends their envelope and it says to pass it along to a third person. The third person opens the envelope and passes it along to your friend who writes out their birthday. That third person then puts the massage into three envelopes and it makes its way back to you. You open the final letter and read the response. Of course the more students that will help you pass notes the better chance your note wont get taken by your teacher.
- The Onion Browser takes your internet traffic and puts encodes it inside in three levels of encription. It sends your inforation to the first server that unencodes the data all that server can see is instructions to send the packet to a second server. That server can only see its instructons that are to send it off to a
VPN
- A VPN would more be like bribing the class pet to take your not to your friend with the unknown birthday. It is quicker and there is less of a chance one of the students will open up the note. But you have to have complete confidence that fill someone else call the dog he won’t give up your information. VPN are faster but your are putting alll your trust in the company. Some comanies have shut down rather than give out their custumers information. Other companies secure themselves by not keeping any logs that could possible he requested by authority figures. I would recomend going with a VPN with a proven track recorded and that is incorporated in a country that values privacy. Like Sweeden.

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