There are several methods to route PC traffic through Tor. Generally, when you connect to the internet, all your traffic goes through the internet provider. This puts your data privacy in a questionable position. To avoid this, you can either use a good VPN or relay on Tor, the anonymous network on the internet.
Since the Tor network is anonymous so there won’t be any tracking on IP leaks. You can configure and route your PC traffic through Tor to have system-wide network security and protection. The operating system of the PC plays an important role in this as such methods generally depend on the OS. If you are using Windows then here are 5 methods that you can use to have a system-wide Tor network.
Also read: How to Anonymously Publish Untraceable Website with no Censorship?
5 Methods to Route PC Traffic Through Tor on Windows:
OnionFruit
OnionFruit is a gateway to Tor that allows you to connect your PC to Tor just like a VPN. This tool is currently available for Windows only, you can download the executable file from the website and run the instance to install the tool on your PC. Once done, it allows you to connect to the Tor network with a single toggle.
If you’ve used a VPN before then you find it really similar to that. This tool gives you an option to select the country to which you like to connect. Simply pick the country of your choice from the given list and enable the tool. Doing this instantly connects your PC to the Tor network and route your entire traffic through that. There is no need for an account, you can use it anytime anywhere without any data limitation or other restriction.
Whoinx
Whonix is an operating system that runs inside your existing PC OS. Instead of routing your entire PC traffic, this tool provides you a safe space for all your online tasks. The operating system comes with XFCE and CLI builds. The XFCE is for the general public where you get an interface and essentials tools in the operating system. You can also install programs of your choice (Linux) and use them on the Tor network.
The CLI build is for advanced users. Instead of having a GUI, it has a command-line interface where users can configure it to route the traffic of a particular app or the entire system through the Tor network. This tool has two dependencies, Tor Browser and VirtualBox, make sure you have installed both of them before using this tool.
Tails
Tails is another live operating system that provides you an isolated space within your PC. Similar to Whonix, this is also a small Linux-based operating system that is built upon the Tor network. It comes with essential apps along with a Tor Network Map where you can a location to tunnel your network via Tor.
Unlike Whonix, there are two ways to use this tool. You can either install the OS in VirtualBox and use it alongside your current operating system. Or, you can boot it from a CD or USB Drive. Being a bootable tool, Tails can be used on a PC despite the operating system. The Tor network is built into the OS so there is no dependency as well.
Proxy Settings (via Tor)
Another method to route PC traffic through Tor is by configuring the Tor IP into your system. To do that, first, you have to install the Tor browser on your PC. Once installed, open the Tor Browser and go to Settings -> Network -> Proxy Settings. There you find the localhost and port number for the network, note down both of them.
Then, go to the Proxy settings on Windows; you can find that under the Network & Internet Settings on Windows 10. In the Proxy settings, scroll down and activate the Manual proxy setup. Now, enter the same localhost and port that you noted from the Tor browser and save it. That’s it, this is how you can route your PC traffic through Tor.
Note: There is a small downside to this method. Since Tor uses the anonymous network, when you restart it, it uses a different IP. So, if you stop the Tor network, you have to re-configure the IP again every time. Alternatively, you can stay connected to Tor all the time.
IP Table Ruleset (via Tor)
Last, but not the least, you can use IP Tables to route your PC traffic through Tor. Toriptables is an anonymizer script that routes all services, DNS, and traffic through the Tor network. In order to use this script, you have to install the Tor browser first. Once installed, run the Tor browser and then run the script to route your traffic.
This is a Python script that you can easily run via the command line after installing Python on your PC. This script cycles through different IPs in every 10 minutes. Furthermore, if you want to switch the IP manually, you can use tor_ip_switcher script for that.
Closing Words
These are 5 methods that you can use to route PC traffic through Tor. All these methods offer you anonymity on the internet and avoid any type of censorship. These methods force the connections to the internet through the Tor Network and hide all traces of your IP. Also, there are no data caps limitations like VPNs that means you can use it all the time to stay anonymous and secure.
