OS or router level TOR network setup

Question

I like the idea of proxies and TOR, but I find their application limited when it is just an application specific proxy setting or a browser specific proxy setting.

I would like all traffic in my OS to go through a TOR network. I would like to know various methods of how to achieve this, I imagine this could be done via software or configurations in the OS, or configurations in the router, or bridging a connection through ANOTHER local computer that routes the bridge connection to the TOR network. The last solution seems kind of redundant.

I would appreciate the insight!

Answer 1

Just some caveats to keep in mind:

• Tor is run by volunteers. You really should only pipe traffic through that is necessary. Doing p2p transfers and such can hurt the network. Consider running a relay node in the network if possible to contribute your bandwidth.

• Tor is far less effective at anonymity if the data you are sending over it contains unencrypted identifying information. The exit node that your traffic traverses can sniff your traffic. For HTTP over TOR it's best to first filter traffic through an anonymizing proxy like Privoxy that strips various headers and such from your traffic. Javascript if enabled can also reveal identifying details. So to really make the use of Tor you need cooperation from your client. Just simply piping everything over Tor won't do most of what else is needed to maintain your anonymity.

Answer 2

DD-WRT is a great tool. You can set a proxy on the router using Squid. Check it out here