yes or no ?:anonymous browser

am thinking ,(thinking ONLY) of trying,maybe using an anonymous browser,no special reason other then to hide IP.

good idea,
bad idea??

 

If you have a router, it already hides your real IP. I wouldn't trust a browser for anonimity, but perhaps a test run with an inexpensive VPN?

 

but perhaps a test run with an inexpensive VPN?





inexpensive VPN?

 

No it doesn't hide your real IP address. The router assumes your public IP and your home computer just gets an internal IP address assigned by the router. It's still the same IP address your ISP gave you, and everything you do through the router is still attached to your public IP address.

You can use a browser or a VPN service. If you are just trying to change your IP address that isn't anonymity. Can you tell us what you are trying to accomplish?

 

I want to surf and post completely with anonymity. Why is this so costly? Remember the US constitution (pre-patriot act) protects (anonymous) free speech.

EDIT: What I am referring to is the data mining (which includes where/time one browses). The US government can find out this info even on anonymous services (at present a search warrant is needed but this impediment never stopped them before if they really wanted to 'get' you.

Until the time comes where internet capable phones are cheap enough to be disposable real anonymity will have to wait (these will turn up on the black market and will be unregistered to the user.)

 

Tor is free, just always use SSL. It is really slow though, use xerobank if you can pay and need fast, Tor is fine for many though if you know the difference between anonymity and security. Tor hurts security unless you know how to properly use it.

 

I really, really, REALLY hope this is just a joke. (Meaning, you don't equate 'free' and 'cost' in this context.)
You never know, this being a global forum.

 

If you run as a Tor relay and leave your connection on 24/7 they wont be able to tell when you are surfing and when you are running as a relay.

 

You may want to check with your ISPs TOS, and see if they allow server activities, otherwise this might bring unwanted attention on your activities before you started to relay traffic for the tor network!

 

Most large ISP's have discarded the broad "operating a server" language because so many applications, web and desktop, can easily be classified technically as using server technology. Especially within the last 2 years you've seen ISP's modify their TOS and quietly let go of the old language.

 

Be very careful in setting up a Tor server using your own internet connection, while the thought of helping people beat censorship/help anonymity of web users, the darker side is people will abuse Tor, from kiddies wasting bandwidth on bit torrent to carders and scammers or worse. Altermately you will be responsible to what ever passes through it. You'd be safer to run a VPS (virtual private server) running either TOR or I2P and then SSH tunnel through it.

Also be aware of anonymous browser that are nothing more than reskinned firefox browsers using free add-ons like no-script/show ip and then running on a public TOR network, then charging you to download something that was free in the first place ie, http://www.anonymeister.com/anonymous/. Use trusted solution like XB browser that uses the TOR network or Jodonfox which uses the JONDO/AN.ON (Jondo, commerical paid JAP network; AN.ON, free JAP network).

 

People running Tor relays don't have all THAT much to worry about from a legal perspective. People who run Tor exits have orders of magnitude more to worry about. As far as a moral perspective (you are probably helping people do bad things), you can either look at it as

A: I am helping people do bad things

or

B: The fact that my Government is so oppressive to those who do not do bad things is requiring me to help people do bad things in order that I can help good people do good and neutral things with out being unjustly prosecuted.

I prefer to shove the moral qualms over to the government, they are better at disregarding morality than I am.

JAP is horrible anonymity I don't suggest anyone use them. Tor, Xerobank and I2P are the only three networks I would ever suggest:

Tor for surfing the internet and posting on forums etc anonymously

Xerobank for downloading torrents anonymously

I2P for adding anonymity to Java programs, and other programs that require built in anonymity features.