Installation – TorBox on a Cloud

Your feedback matters to us! Already some time ago, we received requests like these:

It would be great if there is a vpn option […]. The goal is to remote access torbox from anywhere and go in tor network.

Is it possible to set up a vpn server on the same RPI3 to connect to it from outside and be redirected to tor by TorBox?

Obviously, a virtual server hosted by a provider is needed to install TorBox on a Cloud. As a starting point, you can here a list of possible providers and if they accept running a tor installation. Usually, Virtual Private Servers (VPS) running Debian (recommended) or Ubuntu are the solutions with the lowest price tag. Following, we explain how to install TorBox on a Cloud using one of our installation scripts.

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IMPORTANT: THE USE OF THE INSTALLATION SCRIPT WILL CHANGE THE ENTIRE CONFIGURATION AND WIPE YOUR EXISTING INSTALLATION
Use the installation scripts only on a fresh, unused installation.

Under Debian, log into your server as root. With Raspberry Pi OS and Ubuntu, log into your server, create a user account called torbox and log into this account. Then download and start the installation script:

cd
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/radio24/TorBox/master/install/<script>
chmod a+x <script>
./<script> --on_a_cloud

Syntax : <script> -h|--help] [--randomize_hostname] [--select-tor] [--select-fork fork_name] [--select-branch branch_name] [--on_a_cloud] [--torbox_mini] [--step_by_step] [--continue_with_step]
Options: -h, --help     : Shows this help screen ;-)
         --randomize_hostname
                        : Randomizes the hostname to prevent ISPs to see the default
         --select-tor   : Let select a specific tor version (default: newest stable version)
         --select-fork fork_owner_name
			            : Let select a specific fork from a GitHub user (fork_owner_name)
         --select-branch branch_name
                        : Let select a specific TorBox branch (default: master)
         --on_a_cloud   : Installing on a cloud or as a cloud service
         --torbox_mini  : Installing TorBox mini on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
         --step_by_step : Executes the installation step by step
         --continue_with_step"
                        : Continue the installation with a certain step

Use for <script> run_install.sh, run_install_on_debian.sh or run_install_on_ubuntu.sh depending on the operation system on the server. The installation process runs almost without user interaction. However, macchanger will ask for enabling an automatic change of the MAC address – reply with NO! If you used the install script locally, via VNC, or an SSH client on a public IP, then you have to continue with the same method as user torbox for the first start-up dialogue after the reboot at the end of the installation because, at this stage, OpenVPN is not yet configured. That’s exactly the next step: to configure the OpenVPN server. In the end, an .ovpn file will be created in the TorBox’s home directory, which you must download on your client. After the installation, the first start-up dialogue continues with the configuration of the TorBox. TorBox will only connect to the tor network after fulfilling the first start-up dialogue. We recommend selecting the Internet source if asked and not skipping this step.

After installing OpenVPN Connect on the client, it can connect the client with your TorBox via VPN. After this point, you can also use your web browser to reach the TorBox menu with the following address: http://192.168.44.1. As a reminder, using the web browser is only possible from a device using the local network (via OpenVPN connection) to connect with TorBox because the connection between the browser and TorBox is not encrypted.

After a successful connection, all data traffic from the client device will be routed via a VPN tunnel to your VPN server on the TorBox on a Cloud, which will route the traffic through the Tor network. You can generate and give additional .ovpn files to others, who then can use your TorBox on a Cloud as a service but cannot log into it as long as he doesn’t have the necessary passwords and/or SSH keys. However, every client has to have their .ovpn file. Once installed, you can use entry 20 in the Configuration sub-menu, which will show you the following sub-menu:

TorBox's OpenVPN management sub-menu
TorBox’s OpenVPN management sub-menu

Security Settings
Even if the client is now routing the packages via TorBox’s OpenVPN server through the Tor network, you should take time to adjust some security settings. As with every other TorBox installation, you should immediately change the passwords in the Configuration sub-menu (check out the red-marked menu entries here). If you want to reach the TorBox with an SSH client via the Internet, then we advise generating an SSH key with entry 2 in the Configuration sub-menu, downloading the private key to your client device, and, after testing, disabling the SSH password identification with entry 5 in the Danger Zone. Because connecting the TorBox from a client via OpenVPN is considered coming from a local network, you may want to disable SSH access from the Internet in the Configuration sub-menu.

What can I do if the website doesn’t accept tor connections?
Theoretically, on a local TorBox with which WiFi connects the client device, tor can be temporarily bypassed by a local VPN client (VPN over Tor), which, however, cancels out any security and anonymity advantages Tor has to offer (see more here). With Tor on a cloud, that’s impossible, and unfortunately, the specific website is not reachable. However, there is the possibility of excluding specific domains from routing through tor by using entries 1-3 in the Danger Zone. As the name of the sub-menu already implies, this comes with risks.