NordVPN specifically offers an “ Onion over VPN” service that will automatically connect you securely to the Tor network.

To get the best experience with all the privacy advantages, you should instead connect to Tor ONLY once you’re already connected to your VPN. If you connect to Tor first, then your VPN, you’ll end up removing the privacy protections of using Tor over a VPN and still have the slowdown from using Tor. One key thing to note is that you should only ever start your VPN then connect to Tor, rather than the other way around. Accessing Tor over a VPN also hides your home IP address from the Tor network, the entry node only sees the IP address of the VPN server. Your ISP can tell that you have connected to a Tor entry node and how much data you are sending and receiving, but not what web or onion service you’re connecting to.Ĭonnecting to Tor through a VPN prevents your ISP or anyone else from knowing that you’re even accessing Tor. When you connect to Tor, your ISP is able to tell, in the same way that it can tell you are connected to any VPN. The IP address an onion service is always hidden. Onion services can only be accessed through their onion addresses, which are only available through an encrypted distributed system. An onion service, formally known as a hidden service, can only be accessed through the Tor network.

When connected to the Tor network, normal websites can be accessed, hidden onion services are also accessible. The middle node is called the “Relay” node, it is designed to stop the entry and exit nodes from being able to directly communicate with each other, making it more difficult to associate requests with users. the final node is called the “Exit” node, it only knows what website or hidden onion service you’re connecting to. One “Entry” node is used to first connect to the network, it only knows your IP address. To access the Tor network your browser connects through three randomly selected Tor nodes. Most people access Tor through a specially modified Firefox browser called Tor Browser. Your data will be encrypted twice as the VPN will add an extra layer of protection when your data travels through the Tor network.Tor is a privacy network based on a similar concept to a VPN but with many extra privacy and anonymity features. So by using a VPN while using the Tor network, you can enhance your security. Other apps and websites will pass through regular internet connection. On the other hand, if you use just Tor, it will encrypt only traffic that passes through the Tor browser. Likewise, it will also hide the fact that you are using the Tor network from your ISP. But when you connect to a VPN before you visit the Tor browser, the VPN will assign you a different IP address and make you invisible online using robust encryption algorithms.Ī VPN will secure your whole device, which means anything you do on the internet will pass through the VPNs encrypted tunnels. When you use just Tor, there are chances of your identity getting exposed at the entry or the exit nodes. This way, you can be assured that you will completely stay away from all kinds of snoops and surveillance online.

Though both can be used individually, you can use them both together for enhanced security and privacy. VPN and Tor are both anonymity tools and you can use them for security and privacy online. But when you use NordVPN, you can use any browser like Chrome or Firefox and obtain the security of both VPN and Tor.ĭo you wish to know more? Check out our detailed review of NordVPN to know more about its features and the number of parallel connections allowed. In general, if you wish to use the Onion network, you will have to use only the Tor browser. This in turn will hide your IP address even from the entry node. This is done by replacing your IP with that of the VPN’s.

When you browse the web using NordVPN’s Onion over VPN feature, your whole web traffic will be encrypted right from the entry node. NordVPN possesses excellent unblocking capabilities and works well with BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Showtime, Sky Go, Sling TV, Amazon Prime Video, and more. In addition to the Tor browser, NordVPN is compatible with Android, Windows, macOS, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, and routers. This shows that you will not run out of servers to connect to. NordVPN has over 5400 servers in around 60 countries. In addition to the Onion over VPN feature, NordVPN also comes with Double VPN and CyberSec security features.

Safest vpn for tor browser