[Lifer999]

im curious of what ive read online compared to what ive heard people say, (dunno if that makes sense).
can someone with the correct knowledge please explain to me when your on the tor browser should you or should you not use a VPN?
thanks

[Pr0m3th3us]

Its doesn't make much of a difference. Plenty of threads about this.

[Bastille]

im curious of what ive read online compared to what ive heard people say, (dunno if that makes sense).
can someone with the correct knowledge please explain to me when your on the tor browser should you or should you not use a VPN?
thanks

It depends on the VPN, and also depends on what you're browsing.

Clear web without VPN : not recommended, only 3 nodes are required in this configuration, it's rare but someone could control both entry and exit nodes, such as gov. Besides exit nodes can sniff the traffic if you're browsing no encrypted web pages (HTTP).

Clear web with a VPN : like with any web web browser, works for anonymity as long as you choose the right one (see below)

Dark web without VPN : better than clear web without a VPN, because in this configuration you're going through 2 circuits of 3 nodes that converge via a rendezvous point. But there are also small chances that the traffic can be correlated

Dark web with VPN : better, but once again, depends on the VPN you're using

So far, the best VPN is Mullvad : no log politic

[DramaKing]

im curious of what ive read online compared to what ive heard people say, (dunno if that makes sense).
can someone with the correct knowledge please explain to me when your on the tor browser should you or should you not use a VPN?
thanks

It's pointless and generally not recommended. I think that Proton uses with its servers, so that's an idea.

[ginxforce]

__________________ [warn]

[SIM-5632523]

Unless TOR is prohibited in your country, doesn't make sense to use VPN before TOR. Traffic correlation attacks are incredibly hard and costly.

[SIM-5635902]

That’s a great question, and I’ve looked into it a lot too. From what I’ve learned, using a VPN with Tor depends on your goal.

If you're trying to hide Tor usage from your ISP, then connecting to a VPN first, then opening Tor (VPN → Tor) is usually the safer bet. It adds privacy but can be slower.

On the other hand, Tor by itself is already secure and anonymous, so you don’t need a VPN unless you're trying to avoid detection or get around blocks.

I’ve seen mixed info online, so I’d love to hear if anyone’s actually tested both setups and noticed a difference in speed, access, or security. Thoughts?

[ʀ00ȶʐɨʟʟǟ]

For me the best option to somehow obfuscate your traffic and confuse our ISP that you are using tor is to use Bridge nodes (or bridge relays) are non-public Tor entry points. They’re used when access to the Tor network is blocked—like in countries with heavy censorship. Unlike regular relays, bridges aren’t listed in the public Tor directory, making them harder to detect and block. your traffic gonna look legit and the bridge node will use tor.

- Launch Tor Browser
If it’s your first time, click “Configure Connection” before connecting.
- Enable Bridges
In the Connection Settings, scroll to the Bridges section.
- Choose a Bridge Option:
- Use a built-in bridge (e.g., obfs4 or Snowflake).
- Or select “Provide a bridge I know” to manually enter bridge addresses.
- Get Bridge Addresses:
Paste the bridge lines into the settings and click Connect

[Lifer999]

thats the one right there, thanks for your time. i appreciate your help.

[vasper]

necessary, the most basic minimum is vpn + tor + vpn

[SIM-5669054]

Use a VPN only after Tor. It is recommended to use a secure operating system that protects your privacy.