How Does Onion Routing Work?

There are a few different types of onion routing that are used for different purposes. onion routing can be used to secure communications between two parties, or it can be used to allow access to services that are otherwise censored or blocked. onion routing can also be used to anonymously publish information.

To use onion routing, two things are required: onion routers and onion-compatible software. Onion routers are special kinds of servers that are designed to route onion-encrypted data. They are typically operated by volunteers who wish to help keep the internet secure and anonymous. There is a limited number of onion routers in operation, so it is important to choose them carefully. Some onion routers are faster than others, and some may be more reliable.

Technical Definition of Onion Routing

The basic concept behind onion routing is to route traffic using a high number of paths. The idea being that the more paths you use to route traffic, the more difficult it is to trace the origin of the traffic and search request. To achieve this, every router is given multiple routing tables.

One example of onion routing is web proxies. A proxy acts as an intermediary between the client and a server. The proxy makes and receives requests to and from a server on behalf of a client. When the proxy makes a request to the server, the client sends the request to the proxy. The proxy then routes the request to the server. The proxy then returns the response to the client.

Imagine a router as a traffic director for data. It uses routing tables to figure out where to send information. These tables are like maps stored in the router’s memory.

Each map (routing table) has different sections (layers) with specific information. One section tells the router which way to send data (like a street address), and the other section tells the router how to connect to other routers (like a map of cities).

To find the right information in the map, the router uses a sequence number. This number is like a page number in a book.

When the router is turned off and on again, it needs to look up the map again because the information might have changed. This can sometimes take a long time, which is why routers might take a while to start up.

Learning about routing tables can be complex, but understanding the basics can help you appreciate the intricacies of network communication. By continuing to explore this topic, you’ll gain valuable insights into the digital world that surrounds us.