Tor Network Integration
Trezor Suite integrates Tor (The Onion Router) to protect user privacy by anonymizing network traffic and masking IP addresses from third parties.What is Tor?
Tor is a privacy network that anonymizes internet traffic:IP Masking
Hides your real IP address from servers
Traffic Encryption
Encrypts data through multiple relay nodes
Censorship Resistance
Bypasses network restrictions and firewalls
Location Privacy
Prevents geographic tracking
How Tor Works in Suite
Suite can route all network traffic through Tor:Enabling Tor
Desktop Application
Built-in Tor support:- First Time Setup
- Quick Toggle
- Go to Settings → General
- Toggle “Enable Tor”
- Wait for Tor to bootstrap (30-60 seconds)
- Status indicator shows connection
Web Application
Requires external Tor:When using Tor Browser, access Suite at the .onion address for end-to-end onion routing.
Tor Status States
Suite displays current Tor connection status:Status Indicator
Visual feedback in Suite UI:| Status | Icon | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disabled | ○ | Gray | Tor off, direct connections |
| Enabling | ◔ | Yellow | Starting Tor |
| Bootstrapping | ◑ | Yellow | Building circuits (0-100%) |
| Connected | ● | Green | Tor active, traffic anonymized |
| Error | ● | Red | Connection failed |
Tor Controller
Manages Tor process and circuits:Identity Management
Create isolated circuits for different operations:Onion Services
Suite available as hidden service:.onion Address
Access Suite through Tor network:Benefits
End-to-End Encryption
End-to-End Encryption
Traffic encrypted from browser to Suite server, no exit nodes involved
No Exit Node Trust
No Exit Node Trust
Onion services don’t use exit nodes, eliminating that trust requirement
Censorship Resistance
Censorship Resistance
Cannot be blocked by IP address filtering
Location Hiding
Location Hiding
Server location completely hidden
Tor with Blockchains
Blockchain connections can use Tor:Custom Backends
Route blockchain requests through Tor:Default Backends
Trezor operates Tor-enabled blockbook instances:- BTC: Onion address for Bitcoin blockbook
- Other coins: Similar onion endpoints
- Automatic routing when Tor enabled
Privacy Benefits
Query Privacy
Blockchain servers cannot see your real IP
Balance Privacy
Account queries not linked to your location
Transaction Privacy
Broadcasting transactions anonymously
Discovery Privacy
Account discovery doesn’t reveal identity
Tor Bridges
Bypass Tor blocking in restricted networks:Bridge Types
- obfs4
- meek
- snowflake
Obfuscated bridges that look like random traffic
Configuring Bridges
In Desktop application:Performance Considerations
Speed Impact
Tor routing affects performance:| Operation | Normal | With Tor | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page load | Fast | Slower | 2-5x |
| Blockchain sync | Fast | Slower | 2-4x |
| Transaction broadcast | Fast | Moderate | 1.5-3x |
| Rate fetching | Fast | Moderate | 2-3x |
Optimization
Circuit Reuse
Circuit Reuse
Reuse circuits for similar requests to avoid rebuilding
Connection Pooling
Connection Pooling
Maintain persistent connections through Tor
Request Batching
Request Batching
Combine multiple requests when possible
Caching
Caching
Cache responses aggressively to reduce Tor traffic
Security Considerations
What Tor Protects
Network Level
- Hides IP address
- Encrypts traffic
- Prevents tracking
- Bypasses censorship
Application Level
- Private blockchain queries
- Anonymous transactions
- Hidden balance checks
- Masked account discovery
What Tor Doesn’t Protect
Troubleshooting
Tor Won't Connect
Tor Won't Connect
- Check firewall settings
- Verify Tor ports not blocked (9050, 9051)
- Try bridges if in restricted network
- Check system clock is accurate
- Review Tor logs in Suite
Slow Connection
Slow Connection
- Tor adds latency, this is normal
- Try different bridges
- Check network bandwidth
- Consider if privacy worth speed trade-off
Bootstrap Stuck
Bootstrap Stuck
- Wait up to 2 minutes
- Restart Tor
- Check internet connection
- Try bridges
- Clear Tor data directory
Circuits Failing
Circuits Failing
- Request new identity
- Restart Tor
- Update Tor binary
- Check for ISP interference
Tor Data Storage
Tor data locations:Desktop
- Tor binary
- Configuration files
- Circuit state
- Cache data
Logs
Tor logs available for debugging:Implementation Details
Request Manager Integration
Redux Integration
Best Practices
For Privacy
- Enable Tor for all Suite usage
- Use .onion addresses when available
- Combine with CoinJoin for transactions
- Don’t mix Tor and non-Tor usage
For Performance
- Accept slower speeds for privacy
- Use bridges only when necessary
- Keep Tor running (don’t toggle frequently)
- Cache data when possible