The Truth About Using A VPN With Tor

Using a VPN with Tor is a controversial subject; many will argue that it can provide enhanced security and functionality while others argue it is redundant and dangerous. This guide aims to take an unbiased look at using Tor with a VPN to help you decide whether it is something that can benefit you and your needs.

The Different Methods of Using a VPN With Tor

VPN Over Tor

VPN over Tor means you connect to a VPN server through Tor. This means that the website you are requesting will see your VPN IP address, this will cause you to lose your ability to connect to .onion websites since your VPN servers are not part of the Tor network. This can give enhanced privacy benefits if you are anonymous to your VPN provider (meaning you did not have to give personal information when paying for a subscription, such as Mullvad), this is because the VPN server is being connected to via the Tor network.

Tor Over VPN

Tor over VPN is the most common and default method of connecting to the dark web with a VPN, this is where you connect to the Tor entry node with a VPN. You will still be able to access .onion websites while doing this. You may want to do this because the VPN can add an extra layer of protection from you and the entry node, meaning if an attacker compromises your Tor connection you still have the extra layer of protection to mask your real IP address.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Browsing Tor with a VPN

Advantages

Firstly, an advantage of using a VPN while browsing Tor is it will give you access to content that specifically blocks the Tor network. Most websites have protections against bots and DDoS attacks, which is why Tor exit nodes often are blacklisted from being accessed. Most of the time, websites block Tor exit nodes not because they are Tor exit nodes but because users of Tor have abused their services with a Tor exit node. When using a VPN over Tor, you are connecting to your VPN server over Tor which still allows you to access content that blocks Tor since you are accessing websites with the VPN IP address.

Secondly, one advantage of using Tor with a VPN is it can provide you with an extra layer of anonymity. When you connect to Tor through a VPN, you are essentially connecting to your entry node with the VPN. If an attacker compromises or gains control of the nodes your connection to Tor is using, a VPN can offer an extra layer of protection against the attacker learning your true IP address. This only applies if the person compromising your connection is not a government who has the ability to subpoena your VPN provider to obtain your IP address or identity.

Lastly, using Tor with a VPN can provide you with additional protection against an attacker who is monitoring your exit node. When you use VPN over Tor, meaning you connect to your VPN provider via Tor, the IP address of your Tor exit node is not visible to the website you are visiting and consequently the exit node has no idea what website you are visiting. Additionally, your exit node will not be able to see any unencrypted communication, such as HTTP, because the connection between you and your VPN provider is end-to-end encrypted. Assuming you are able to trust your VPN provider, using VPN over Tor can greatly enhance your security.

Overview of advantages:

• Access restricted content (VPN over Tor only)
• Extra layer of anonymity
• Protection against exit node surveillance

Disadvantages

Firstly, a disadvantage to using Tor with a VPN is it requires you to have a significant amount of trust in your VPN provider. If you use traditional VPNs, you usually sign up with your personal email address and pay for the subscription with your personal banking information, this means you have fully given your identity to your VPN provider. If you do not trust your VPN provider, using it with Tor can become a security and privacy risk.

Secondly, one disadvantage to browsing Tor with a VPN is it can reduce your network speed. Tor is already slow enough, and using a VPN adds more complexity to the connection process and can consequently decrease your connection speed. This is not largely an issue if you are using any good VPN provider, typically a paid one, that offers good speed and ping.

Lastly, another issue with using a VPN with Tor is the cost is can incur. Tor is good because it is completely free to use, using a VPN with it will take away from this. You can use free VPNs, but this is not recommended from a security standpoint, you should always use a paid VPN as those respect your privacy the most.

Overview of disadvantages:

• Trust in VPN provider required
• Slower connection speeds
• Potential financial cost

Tor Connection Types and VPNs

When Visiting a Regular Website (on the Surface Web)

If you visit a website on the surface web, your connection can be significantly easier to compromise than if you are connection to an .onion website. Due to this, using a VPN (such as VPN over Tor) can protect you from entry or exit node surveillance or compromise.

When Visiting an Onion Website (.onion Domain)

If you visit an .onion website, your connection is much harder to compromise as your connection to the website is fully encrypted by Tor. You also do not have an exit node, meaning no nodes are able to view unencrypted traffic. The method Tor uses to connect you to an onion website provides a great deal of security that a VPN cannot really add to, using a VPN is not entirely necessary. If you do chose to use a VPN, you must connect to the VPN server then Tor as VPN over Tor will not allow you to access .onion websites. Using a VPN can give you an extra layer of security if you have a very high threat model, although it largely is redundant due to just how secure your connection to an onion website is. Any threat actor who is able to compromise your connection to an .onion website will have a very easy time requesting logs from your VPN provider.