How to block my ISP from knowing that i download Archived. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. How to block my ISP from knowing that i. No matter what you do with your browsing history or what proxies you use, the data will still be downloaded from somewhere to your ISP then gets sent to you. So everything that comes from the internet, any websites you visit, anything you download, first goes through your ISP, so they know all.
Dear Lifehacker,
I've read that my ISP keeps logs of my activity and I'm concerned that private data is being saved on their servers. How concerned should I be, and how can I ensure they don't see everything I do?
Actually finding things to download is pretty much the main skill in knowing how to pirate stuff. But finding links to direct downloads is a lot different from finding torrents. Jump to How to Torrent Without Your ISP Knowing - Anonymous Torrenting Downloading content from the Internet might seem very simple.
Sincerely,
Paranoid Browser
Dear PB,
According to the TorrentFreak article you mentioned, you can already get an idea of what is and isn't logged. Here's a quick summary of who retains what and for how long:
This is just a short list of IP logging practices and is far from complete. If you really want to find out how long your ISP retains logs of your activity, you'll want to give them a call and ask. From the looks of it, some ISPs are very forthcoming with this information and others are not. If you want to protect yourself and come close to ensuring your ISP doesn't really know what you're doing online, you'll have to anonymize your activity.
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A lot of people probably assume that if you're browsing anonymously it's because you're doing something illegal, but there's plenty of content on the web you may not want to risk letting out in the open. Not only is it possible that it'll be logged by your ISP, but with free-flowing data your activity is potentially open to anyone on your network. In the past, we've seen how easily Firesheep can sniff out usernames and passwords on public Wi-Fi and that's just one example. Protecting your activity is not just important because you want to avoid any tracking your ISP may employ, but more so because your private data can be compromised if you're not careful. While it's unlikely a hacker is going to steal your Facebook credentials—or anything else—while you're signing in at Starbucks to update your status, when easily-preventable bad things happen you're not going to be comforted by statistics.
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![]() Browse Securely With HTTPS
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First things first, you should be using HTTPS. If a site offers HTTPS, just go to https://www.thewebsite.com instead of just plain old http. If you want to make things even easier, you can just install the Firefox and Chrome extension HTTPS Everywhere and it'll take care of the problem for you.
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Browse Anonymously With Tor
HTTPS just encrypts data as its transfered, but it doesn't completely anonymize your activity. That's where Tor comes in. Tor was designed to help you browse the web without leaving a trace, as it funnels your traffic through a series of virtual tunnels. Tor offers a great, detailed overview of how it works and what it's used for, but here's the part you'll want to know (if you don't already):
Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. It also enables software developers to create new communication tools with built-in privacy features. Tor provides the foundation for a range of applications that allow organizations and individuals to share information over public networks without compromising their privacy.
Individuals use Tor to keep websites from tracking them and their family members, or to connect to news sites, instant messaging services, or the like when these are blocked by their local Internet providers. Tor's hidden services let users publish web sites and other services without needing to reveal the location of the site. Individuals also use Tor for socially sensitive communication: chat rooms and web forums for rape and abuse survivors, or people with illnesses.
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To get started with Tor, just follow these steps:
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Just using Tor is not enough to keep you truly anonymous. You need to avoid installing/using browser plug-ins, always use HTTPS (as recommended above), and do not open any documents you download while connected to Tor (or while online, for that matter). Tor also suggests that you use a bridge relay if you don't want anyone on your network to find out that you're using Tor, but that may or may not be a concern in your particular case. If you use Tor and heed these precautions, you shouldn't have to worry too much about anyone tracking your activity.
If Tor's not your thing, you have a few other options. Reader Briareos suggests using an off-shore VPN service that doesn't log your access, like BolehVPN. I'm always a little wary of trusting a company with privacy concerns, but in this specific case I'm probably being a little overly-paranoid. Reader Trolls4Breakfast suggests Cocoon, which is another option in the form of a browser extension for Firefox, Internet Explorer, or your iPhone/iPad.
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But what if you're just somewhat paranoid about specific activities? If you're a BitTorrent user you can anonymize your traffic with BTGuard. If you just want to have a private chat, you can download TorChat.
How to Completely Anonymize Your BitTorrent Traffic with a Proxy
BitTorrent isn’t the quiet haven it once was. These days, everyone’s looking to throttle your…
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Ultimately, your ISP is going to have some idea of your online activity no matter what you do, but with these methods you'll be anonymous enough to avoid any problems. Happy anonymous browsing!
Love,
Lifehacker
Photo by erwinova (Shutterstock).
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Short Bytes: BitTorrent is an easy method of sharing and downloading the content of our choice. But, the increase in illegal downloads has forced law enforcement to keep a close eye on happenings in the BitTorrent. So, the use of services like VPN and proxy servers is heavily recommended for torrent downloading. In the recent times, apart from legal services like Netflix and Hulu, many illegal movie and TV streaming sites are also becoming popular. That also makes downloading content anonymously even more important.
Hide Torrent Traffic From IspBitTorrent is one of the most common protocols for transferring large files like videos, movies, games etc. Various surveys keep telling us from time to time that BitTorrent is responsible for about 50% of all the internet traffic. However, the increasing use of BitTorrent networks for downloading and sharing illegal content has forced the law enforcement to keep a close eye on BitTorrent users’ activities.
The direct impact of the law enforcement’s actions can also be seen on the shutdown of many popular torrent websites. Many sites like KickassTorrents and Extratorrents have been forced to shut down their doors but other sites continue to florish and serve the needs of pirates. If you’re a torrent user, you might be familiarised with some of these developments that I’m mentioning here. It has also prompted the rise of many new torrent sites and services.
Download game android iron man 3 apk+data mod. There’s no denying the fact that torrent downloads aren’t safe like before. Even if when you’re downloading legal content like open source Linux operating systems, in some countries, government agencies are continuously watching you. Many offices and schools also block torrent sites and torrenting traffic. This becomes even more frustrating when you’re trying to grab some legal stuff with the help of this P2P file sharing medium.
So, what to do? I’ve written a couple of articles in the past around this issue. For example, I’ve recommended the best VPN services that you can use for hiding your IP. But, here, I’ll be directly answering this question. There are some more popular ways to go invisible and anonymize your torrent downloads. Using appropriate tools and services like, you can continue downloading torrents without any worry.
Using VPN and proxy services for anonymous download
Just in case you don’t know how a Virtual Private Network (VPNs) works, you can read our detailed article on the same. A VPN lets you bypass different geographical and ISP restrictions. As it encrypts all your web traffic and gives you a new IP address, it’s impossible for anyone to sniff your web traffic. This way law enforcement can’t track you.
When you use a VPN, the encryption process takes place before your data is transmitted to your ISP. But, why isn’t VPN so popular? Why isn’t VPN services being used by everyone around us? The actual reason could be people’s unawareness that doesn’t make privacy a chief concern. There are some more myths hovering the VPN services that must be busted.
Private Internet Access, ExpressVPN, IPVanish are some of the good VPN services that you can try out. There are other options too.
It must be noted that apart from your BitTorrent client, a VPN service tunnels your entire traffic and clocks it. It can also let you watch location restricted content on services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, etc.
There are some good proxy services too, like BTGuard or HideMyAss, which allow you to hide your IP address from the public. It works with all major BitTorrent clients. Please note that if you’re going ahead with a proxy software, you won’t get the benefit of encryption. Also, a proxy simply anonymises the traffic of a single application. You can read about the differences in detail in another article.
After setting up your VPN or proxy, you can visit sites like DNSLeak to test if your DNS is leaking. By visiting sites like iPleak.net, you can further confirm your privacy.
If you’re looking for recommendations, I’ll advise you to go with Private Internet Accessor ExpressVPN. These are paid services, but it’s wise to afford few dollars to shield your digital life. In the coming days, I’ll be writing a detailed article on how to choose a VPN service to help you out.
Another method that’s regularly shared online for secure torrenting and hiding your IP is using Tor web browser. But, very often people try to configure their BitTorrent applications like uTorrent or Vuze to proxy their traffic via Tor and end up inviting trouble. Many clients ignore your manual proxy settings as they use UDP for talking to the servers but Tor socks proxy only supports TCP.
There are other reasons as well using which a peer might learn your real IP address. Moreover, if your BitTorrent communication isn’t encrypted, the Tor exit relay can observer your traffic as well. Even Tor Project advises against using Tor for bittorenting due to these security concerns.
Did you find this article on the benefits of anonymising torrent downloads helpful? Don’t forget to share your views.
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December 2020
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