[Guide] How to access the net anonymously - Overclock.net

DigitalSonata · 11-17-07

In this guide I will go over my knowledge of how the net works, and how to browse the it without leaving a trace, or giving away any information about yourself.

Table of Contents

1. How you get data from the web

A. ISP

B. IP

C. DNS

D. Content Servers

E. How they work together

2. Tracking

A. What do you mean?

B. Why?

C. IP

D. Cookies

E. Domain Referrers

F. User Agent

G. Hostname

H. Google

3. How to circumvent tracking

A. OpenDNS

1. What / Why

2. Configuration

B. Firefox

1. What / Why

2. Addons

3. Addon Configuration

4. Tweaks

C. Tor

1. What / Why

2. Configuration

D. Hostname

1. How to change it

E. Google

1. Scroogle

2. Firefox Search Button

DigitalSonata · 11-17-07

1. How you get data from the web.

A. ISP

An ISP (Internet Service Provider) is a link to the internet, many types exist, but the most popular are Cable (Coaxial, using your "Cable TV" lines), and DSL (Digital Subscriber Line).

B. IP

When you use an ISP's service, you usually get a modem (Cable or DSL, or even 56k back in the day). This modem will assign itself a set of numbers (Ex: 255.255.255.255), this is your external IP (Internet Protocol address). Your modem then assigns IPs to your computers, these are internal IPs (Ex: 192.168.0.101). All computers that are connected to the internet have an IP.

C. DNS

DNS (Domain name system) is the way that those IPs get changed into web adresses (Ex: www.overclock.net) and back again. It would be pretty hard to find anything on the web if you had to know the IP of each website you wanted to go to, so your ISP (and other people) has servers that record IPs of websites, and their corresponding names (Domains).

D. Content Servers

Content servers are what gives your ISP the data (webpage), to give to you. They usually are very powerful, and can server many users very quickly.

E. How it all works together

Here is what happens when you request a webpage.

Your computer asks your ISP for the webpage

Your ISP asks its DNS servers what the IP of the website you need is

Your ISP contacts the content server (the website) and requests the data

Your ISP then forwards the data back to you

Your computer displays the webpage

DigitalSonata · 11-17-07

2. Tracking

A. What do you mean?

Tracking, is in essence the act of keeping a log of your activity on the internet. Almost everywhere you go, data is collected, and a profile of you builds up.

B. Why?

Various companies want to build profiles of people to figure out how they can market items, or services to you more effectively. There are other reasons for tracking, but I will not discuss them here as I feel it would near infringing on the "No Politics" rule

C. IP

One of the easiest ways to track you, is with your IP. Each time you access a webpage, your IP is recorded and attached to other information on you.

D. Cookies

Cookies are files stored on your computer and content servers that identify you. They are used for authentication purposes most of the time, but they can be used to track you if exploited correctly.

E. Web Referrers

When you click links, or are forwarded, your browser sends a referrer link to the server, telling it where you came from. This can also be used to track you if the data is used malicously.

F. User Agent

A User Agent is a string of text sent to the content server telling it what browser your using, what OS your running, and other information. This can be used to help build your profile.

G. Hostname

1. All computers have a "name", this is your hostname, some applications can reveal this to the web, and if your hostname contains sensitive information such as your first name, you could be in trouble.

H. Google

1. Google tracks most of the web to provide better search results. This makes me uneasy, and I'd rather not take part in it.

DigitalSonata · 11-17-07

3. How to circumvent tracking

A. OpenDNS

1. OpenDNS is a free, open DNS server that is faster and impartial. You can use this to avoid appearing on your ISP's logs.

2. Info on how to set it up can be found here

B. Firefox

1. Firefox is a browser, like Internet Explorer or Safari, but it can be configured to be anonymous through the use of addons.

2. Addons you will need to browse anonymously.
Foxyproxy - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2464

NoScript - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722

RefControl - http://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/953/

Permit Cookies - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/44

User Agent Switcher - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59

Fasterfox (Optional, but recommended) - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1269

3. Addon Configuration

Foxyproxy - Has a setup guide, right click on it in your status bar to change options.

No Script - It will be on by default, in the bottom bar, to allow javascript for a site, click the S icon in your bottom bar.

Refcontrol - Right click the icon with two pages in your bottom bar, go "Default for sites not listed", change it to "Block".

Permit Cookies - You must disable cookies in Firefox to effectively use it, go into Firefox's options, go to privacy, then uncheck "Accept cookies from sites". When you need to allow cookies (forums ect), click the C icon in your bottom bar.

User Agent Switcher - By default, this addon will default back to using the Firefox user agent. We want to use the IE User Agent to remain in the biggest population of users, thus remaining more anonymous. Right now there isn't a clean way to keep the same setting for your User Agent through startups, so you will just have to remember to set it to IE each time you start Firefox.

Fasterfox - Mostly setup by default, to speed up browsing, right click the FasterFox icon and go to Options, then FasterFox, check "Enable Enhanced Prefetching"

DigitalSonata · 11-17-07

C. Tor

1. Tor is a network of proxies that work like an onion, as your data goes through different layers and will be very difficult, if not impossible to track or trace. You can download it here.

2. TorButton will configure Firefox to use Tor when you click it on, to "Torify" other applications (messengers, ect) see this page.

D. Hostname

1. How to change it

A. Windows - see this page.

B. OSX - Go to System Preferences -> Sharing -> Computer Name, enter a new name and your good to go.

C. Linux - see this page.

E. Google

1. Use Scroogle!
2. Change your default search engine in Firefox to Scroogle, go to here.

DigitalSonata · 11-17-07

Ending notes

1. You can check if you have everything working correctly at http://torcheck.xenobite.eu/

2. Even (or explicitly) when using Tor, do not transmit sensitive data (bank login info, ect) over the net unencrypted, as there have been a few reports of people setting up fake Tor nodes and harvesting this info.

3. Don't use Tor to mask P2P activity, the network is already under strain and you will most likely be kicked off whatever node your using pretty quickly anyway.

4. Just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you!

5. Feedback is greatly appreciated!

vertigo08 · 11-17-07

Or if you're lazy

http://proxy.org/

DigitalSonata · 11-27-07

bump? anyone got anything I could put in to improve this?

**RonindeBeatrice** · 11-27-07

http://www.browsar.com automatically purges itself of data when exited. Useful if you want to browse the pron without leaving a history, or if you use a public kiosk machine to do private web-transactions.

GA_SLI · 11-27-07

You could always piggyback onto your neighbors unsecured network.

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[Guide] How to access the net anonymously

11-17-07	#7 (permalink)
vertigo08 New to Overclock.net Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 162 Rep: 11 Unique Rep: 9 Trader Rating: 0	Or if you're lazy http://proxy.org/

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