Speed up FireFox when using TOR

27
2013-07
  • Questioner

    After reading this question about surfing the web anonymously, I tried TOR with Firefox and it seems to be changing the original IP, but Firefox is really slow!

    I have a good network speed, and I've never waited more than 3 seconds for a page to load, but with TOR activated I feel that for Google to load it's like eternity.

    So, is there any configuration or workaround concerned TOR to speed up things a little?

    [EDIT]

    since it has to be like that, are there any alternatives to TOR out there?

    • Answers
  • Col

    Unfortunately because of the way tor works by routing your traffic through multiple nodes in the tor network your speed is dependant on the slowest point in its journey.

  • dole doug

    I forget the exact term in TOR, but is about changing you identity(You have that on right click menu). This means that TOR will connect you to a different server, which can have a better speed or may be closer to your location.

    Do that several times, until you find a faster server to connect at. Ofcorse, you also can choose what server to use.

    maybe offtopic, but is nice to know: In case you didn't hear about Pirate Party, they are already in UE parliament and they fight for privacy on the internet. read about Pirate Party new TOR nodes in order to help free speech in Iran

    Good luck

  • serk01

    You can also try DuckDuckGo as your search engine which now operates a TOR exit enclave which should speed up you results through TOR. Read here http://www.gabrielweinberg.com/blog/2010/08/duckduckgo-now-operates-a-tor-exit-enclave.html

  • studiohack

    Col is right. I would try a VPN service instead, such as hotspot shield

  • Diogo

    You can try this: Hacking Firefox for Maximum Performance with Tor.

    It should speed it up some. Not much but some.

  • haMid

    I tried TOR with Firefox and it seems to be changing the original IP

    that is the whole idea behind using a web proxy.

    but Firefox is really slow!

    and that is the disadvantage of using a web proxy.

    as they say: you can't have your cake and eat it. :)


    • Related Question

    privacy - Do you rely on Tor?
  • Chris Bunch

    Tor is good for some amount of anonymity (nothing is perfect of course), but is there a specific task that you find Tor indispensable for? Surely one could follow the various tips that this question outlines, but are there any very focused tasks that Tor is ideal for?


    • Related Answers
  • John T

    I think the Overview covers it pretty well, specifically "Why we need Tor". My information is nobody else's business, unless of course it's illegal information.

  • ultrasawblade

    One perfectly valid and useful business case for Tor is accessing a competitor's website to check prices.

    While it is unlikely, it is possible a competitor might recognize your IP as coming from your business and possibly send you a page that is not the same page directed towards the rest of the public.

    At the very least it would know you accessed its site and if you do so on a schedule, it might change its pricing strategy accordingly. For example if you are always checking prices on a Tuesday it might roll out price changes on Wednesday, rendering your information useless.