The oRouter Is A Tor-Powered Linux Box That Secures Your Internet Connection
Longtime TechCrunch Disrupt NY hackathon participants, Kay Anar and Gilad Shai showed off their hardware hack today called the “oRouter”
– a Linux-powered, Raspberry Pi-like computer offering secure Wi-Fi
access via the Tor network. The idea is to offer an affordable
alternative to downloading the Tor software to your computer, as well as a way to more easily connect to Tor over mobile devices like an iPhone.
Kay says the idea for the project actually came to him via a
non-technical friend, who had asked him if there was something she could
just plug into the back of her computer in order to secure her
connection from snooping. An answer wasn’t readily available.
The oRouter uses off-the-shelf components purchased at Radio Shack,
including a low-power single board computer from Texas Instruments, and
low-power USB Wi-Fi dongles. The device only requires 5 volts of power
to run, which allows it to pull juice from something as simple as a
portable charger, for example. The version of the oRouter demoed at the
Hackathon today supports up to 32 simultaneous connections.
As an end user, the process of using the oRouter is designed to be
exceedingly simple. It’s zero configuration, meaning that you plug it in
and then connect to the Wi-Fi network it provides. Unlike the Tor
download, it requires no additional software in order to work. Once
connected, as you browse the web and use online services, you’re
actually using Tor (via Wi-Fi), thereby securing your communications
from eavesdropping. In addition, for an extra layer of security, the
oRouter’s MAC address (hardware address) changes every 10 minutes.
In the future, more advanced configurations may be made available for
technical users, which would allow them to tweak the settings for their
own needs.
While originally intended to just be a hack, the two teammates are
now considering taking the project further, possibly raising funds via
investors or crowdfunding, in order to put the oRouter in production and
start selling.
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