Data packets pass back and forth between the two, enabling you to view and interact with the website.Įach data packet consists of the data itself (the payload) and a header with additional information, including data about your web browser, and the IP address of the source and the destination. When you visit a website without using Tor, your computer establishes a direct connection with the computer hosting the website. Meanwhile, the only thing the website can see is that it is connected to the final Tor computer in the path.Īs a result, there is no way to identify you based on the connection between your computer and the website. No computer in the network knows the entire path. Each of those computers only knows which computer gave it data and which it gives data to. The connection between your computer and the website passes through three random computers in the Tor network. When you use Tor to visit a website, things get more complicated. Information Shared with Websites – Source: That information can be used for tracking what you do online and possibly identifying you. It can see your computer’s IP address, the operating system you are using, the web browser you are using, and more. The problem with this is that when you do it this way, the website can see all sorts of information about you. When you visit a website normally (without using Tor), your computer makes a direct connection to the computer where the website is located.

Tor network diagram