TOR: Turn a Raspberry Pi into The Onion Router. Keep your privacy online

TOR: The Onion Router is software that enables you to use the internet anonymously. By setting up TOR on a Raspberry Pi you can create a network router that scrambles all of your internet connection.

Turning a Raspberry Pi into a TOR Router has suddenly become much more appealing in the US. A recent change in law enables ISPs to track customer usage and use it to sell advertising.

Father Robert Ballecer on Know How explains why this is important.

The way that they justified this change in rules was: ‘well it’s not fair’ because some businesses are bound by these security laws and privacy policies. Whereas Google and Facebook can sell your information to anyone.’

Here’s the difference: if I don’t like Google’s privacy policy; I don’t use Google. If I don’t like Facebook’s privacy policy; I don’t use Facebook. Which I don’t. Because I don’t like their privacy policy. I have no other option than to use Comcast. There is literally no other broadband provider.

Turn a Raspberry Pi 3 into a TOR network router

Know How uses a Raspberry Pi 3 to set up a TOR network router. They choose a Raspberry Pi 3 specifically because it has built-in wireless networking (the Pi Zero W would work well in this regard too).

The Raspberry Pi connects to the TOR network. All you have to do is then connect the Raspberry Pi to your broadband network, and connect your device to the Raspberry Pi.

The instructions are reasonably clear and Know How has show notes available for download. The build is based on the RPI-Wireless-Hotspot software script by Harry Allerston.

This software enables you to configure a Raspberry Pi to act as a WPA encrypted hotspot and select from a series of DNS providers.

The build is based on the RPI-Wireless-Hotspot software script by Harry Allerston. This software enables you to configure a Raspberry Pi to act as a WPA encrypted hotspot and select from a series of DNS providers.

More information is available on GitHub.

Subscribe and never miss an issue

Get a a brand new Raspberry Pi Zero W, a case for it, and a selection of adapter cables with a twelve-month print subscription to The MagPi!