A Simple Guide - What Is Darknet and How To Access It
What does the dark net represent? Darknet, also known as the dark web, is an area of the internet that cannot be visited by using a regular browser. Now, to a lot of people, this is a mysterious, yet tempting place they want to access.
The dark web constitutes a tiny part of the deep web. But what is the deep web then? It is made out of intentionally hidden services and sites. Both the users and owners of the dark web are hiding their identities.
Even though not every single thing on the dark net is illegal, out there you can obtain items and things that are generally not legal. So if you would like to enter this world of the unknown, then take a look at these steps below.
Smart Ways To Access Dark Web
Opt For Tor Browser
One of the most efficient ways to access this area of the internet is through Tor Browser. There are a lot of places where you can download it free of charge. It would be recommendable to hide the Tor Browser download by employing a VPN and your current incognito mode.
So what is actually Tor Browser? It is a browser that enables you to browse both dark and clear web. All your traffic is instantly routed through the Tor Network. Just be sure to download it directly from the official site.
Every other source isn't reliable enough due to the fact that you can potentially download spyware, malware, and many other hazardous things. Additionally, this browser is only available on Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android.
Android & Dark Net
What about this? In order to access Darknet on Android, you need to invest a little bit of time and effort, because this entire process is a bit complex because you must avert the data that your mobile phone sends to the Tor network. There are some steps that have to be taken.
First, you must download an application that's called Orbot. It represents a proxy app that allows data sent from your smartphone to go through the Tor network, anonymizing the traffic. Additionally, it lets you have a dynamic IP address that changes every couple of minutes.
So, now that you’ve downloaded it, you should launch it and click start. Once you’re connected to the network, the color of the onion will become yellow. Now that you’re connected, in order to properly browse the web, you can utilize either Orfox or Orweb.
Both of these tools are actually browsers that enable you to visit the "regular" web and dark web.
Adding More Tips & Tricks Below
Don’t Forget VPN
Keep in mind, that sites and internet providers can figure out when Tor is being utilized because Tor node IPs are public. Even though sites are not able to recognize you and ISPs cannot decrypt your internet traffic, they can still see that someone is using Tor.
And that's something that can raise lots of suspicions. Therefore, it would be recommendable to either employ Tor Bridges or VPN if you want to utilize Tor privately. Furthermore, if you live in the USA, then you should most definitely use a VPN because everything is going to be a lot more reliable and quicker.
It's worth mentioning that when you're utilizing a VPN for the dark web, the ISP is not going to be able to see that you're connected to a Tor node.
Install a VM or Disposable OS
Those who are pretty familiar with the dark net will tell you that it would be advisable to browse the dark web by employing virtual machine software instead of using Windows that’s been previously installed on your computer.
How come? Well, that’s because it is a lot easier to have malware in a virtual environment that can be completely controlled. Luckily, there are a plethora of options when it comes to virtual machine software that you can choose from. They include:
- Oracle VM Virtualbox
- Red Hat Virtualization
- VMware Fusion and Workstations
- Xen Project
- Microsoft Hyper-V
- Citrix XenServer
There are many others, however, we just mentioned the ones that are currently the most popular. Now, you can also use a disposable operating system that you can easily get rid of if something goes wrong. All you need to have is an 8GB thumb drive, an installation package, and a few minutes of your time.
As you can see, you need to be extremely careful when it comes to the dark net, otherwise, you may run into trouble. That’s why you should read everything that’s been written here and carefully follow every instruction.
Check the comment section for additional information, or share what you know or ask a question about this article, by clicking the 'View or Write Comment' button below.
Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.