In this guide we will install the Tor Browser and enable other programs to connect to the internet via the Tor Browser proxy.
Overview
We will first install OpenVPN and configure it to connect to Mullvad via the Tor Browser. Last step is to configure Firefox (or other programs) to connect to Mullvad using our SOCKS5 proxy
The end result is that Firefox connects via Tor to Mullvad ("VPN through Tor"). Mullvad will be the exit node.
The Tor Browser itself will only use the Tor Network.
Programs not configured to use Mullvad's SOCKS5 proxy will connect directly to the internet without using any VPN or Tor at all.
Set-up instructions
Windows
- Install OpenVPN (OpenVPN installation guide)
- Download the Tor Browser for Windows
- Verify signatures
- Install the Tor Browser
- Open the Tor Browser folder on the desktop
- Navigate to Browser -> TorBrowser -> Data -> Tor
- Open torrc-defaults with Notepad and change CookieAuthentication 1 to CookieAuthentication 0
- Save the file
- Download an OpenVPN configuration file from our website, making sure you select Windows as Platform and under Advanced settings select Port: TCP 443 (Tor only works with TCP, not UDP).
- Extract the zip file to your desktop
- Open the OpenVPN configuration file with Notepad
- Add the following entries to it:
route-nopull
route 10.8.0.1 255.255.255.255
socks-proxy 127.0.0.1 9150
- Save the changes and then copy the files into C:\program files\openvpn\config\
- Start the Tor Browser
- Right-click on the OpenVPN GUI icon and select Run as administrator
- Click Yes for the Pop-up requesting permission for making changes
- Right-click on the OpenVPN icon in the systray and select the Mullvad profile and then click on connect
- Open Firefox and then go to ifconfig.co to check your IP
- Follow our SOCKS5 guide and then reload ifconfig.co to verify that the IP address is showing one of Mullvad's IP addresses
macOS
- Download and install TunnelBlick
- Log in on our website and go to the OpenVPN configuration file generator
- Select macOS as platform
- Select Advanced Settings > Port > TCP 443 (Tor only works with TCP, not UDP).
- Select a country and click on Download zip archive and then save it to your computer
- Right-click the downloaded and extracted Mullvad.tblk file and select "Show Package Contents"
- Open the OpenVPN configuration file (mullvad_xx.conf) with TextEdit
- Add the following entries to it anywhere in the file:
route-nopull
route 10.8.0.1 255.255.255.255
socks-proxy 127.0.0.1 9150
- If there is a line that says "tun-ipv6" then remove it
- Close TextEdit (the file will save automatically)
- Double-click on Mullvad.tblk and add the configuration to Tunnelblick
- Download and install the Tor Browser.
- Use Finder and go to the Applications folder
- Start Tor Browser one time to verify the integrity and then quit it
- Right-click the "Tor Browser" application and click "Show Package Contents"
- Go to the subdirectory Content > Resources > TorBrowser > Tor
- Edit using TextEdit torrc-defaults and change CookieAuthentication 1 to CookieAuthentication 0
- Close TextEdit (the file will save automatically)
- Start the Tor Browser
- Select Connect Mullvad from the Tunnelblick icon in the macOS menubar (it will warn that the IP did not change, this is normal)
- Install Firefox (or other web-browser that supports SOCKS5 proxies)
- Open Firefox and then go to our Connection check to check your IP
- Follow our SOCKS5 guide and then reload the Connection check to verify that the IP address is showing one of Mullvads IP addresses
Linux
- Install OpenVPN (OpenVPN installation guide)
- Download the Tor Browser for Linux
- Verify signatures.
- Unpack the Tor Browser (
xz -d tor-browser-linux*.xz && tar -vxf tor-browser-linux*.tar
) - cd into "tor-browser*/Browser/TorBrowser/Data/Tor"
- Edit torrc-defaults and change CookieAuthentication 1 to CookieAuthentication 0
- Save the change.
- Download an OpenVPN configuration file from our website, make sure you select Linux as Platform and 443 TCP as Port (Tor only works with TCP, not UDP).
- Extract the zip file
- Edit the OpenVPN configuration file
- Add the following entries to it:
route-nopull
route 10.8.0.1 255.255.255.255
socks-proxy 127.0.0.1 9150
- Save the changes
- rename the configuration file to something easy to identify like mullvad_tor.conf
- Start the Tor browser
- Start OpenVPN using the mullvad_tor.conf
- Open Firefox (not the tor browser) and then go to our Connection check to check your IP
- Follow our SOCKS5 guide and then reload the Connection check to verify that the IP address is showing one of Mullvads IP addresses