GL-E750 can't no more connect to Tor

Technical Support for Routers VPN, DNS, Leaks
1

Hello,

I suck at hardwre, software and English is not my native language. So I'm going to make mistakes in the way I express myself and pass on the information I need to solve my problem, and despite my best efforts, I'm going to have great difficulty understanding you most of the time.
Thank you for your patience.

Router: GL-E750
Firmware: 0319release3
Version: 4.0
Connection router->pc: ethernet and/or wifi

Here are the two messages sent to the seller without any response to date.

I can't connect to Tor!*

What can I see on the screen (from the computer connected to the router via ethernet) ?

  • Initilization tor configuration” and, on the right and in orange: ”internet.
    connecting”.

  • Very occasionally, on the left of the screen, the diote to the right of “Tor” appears for a second or two, but NEVER turns green.

I have :

  • changed VPN server several times with no change (Tor doesn't connect)
  • VPN works perfectly without Tor
  • reset the firmware
  • reset the router (press “reset”)

I've noticed some changes in the “menu_btnsettings” menu (menu_system): the drop-down list of options no longer proposes changing the IMEI but

  • tor (On∕Off)
  • menu_ovpnclient (On∕Off)
  • menu_wgclient (On∕Off)
  • btnsettings.no-func_babel ... which I don't understand!!!!

I have, of course; tried different configurations, with button up or down and, on screen “core_enable” or not in the Tor submenu.

What's going on and what can I do?

Hello,

I'm still waiting for a solution to the malfunction reported in my previous e-mail.

I've just tried to connect to Tor, but to no avail. As for several days now, the process starts - initialization tor configuration / diote orange more than intermittent / connecting - but NOTHING more.

None, as in the first few days of using the router, progress message when creating the Tor circuit - 5% ... 38% ...

After a while, my computer's hard disk overheats (the fan kicks in), proof that it's working, but ... for nothing.

As you can imagine, I tried several times to reset the hardware and software, but to no avail. The first automatic software update went off without a hitch, but today I'm leaning more towards a software fault (new update confirmed by various small changes in the layout and management options of the button on the left of the router (Tor on/off)).

Best regards,

Still no progress today (25/06).

VPN+Tor
I let the connection attempt (to Tor) run for over half an hour, but ... nothing. The process seems to stall in the early stages.

VPN=Tor worked very well during the first two weeks of use, and I regularly changed both my Mac and IMEI addresses.

I really don't understand what could have caused this problem.

P.-S. There's been a Tor update lately (17/09) :
Full changelog

The full changelog since Tor Browser 13.5.3 is:

All Platforms
    Updated NoScript to 11.4.37
    **Updated OpenSSL** to 3.0.15
2

If is the Tor software works in the laptop in your network?

Tor does not need to change the IMEI or MAC address. Probably only can enable the Tor without VPN. If it cannot work sometimes, maybe the ISP does not allow it in some countries/regions.

4

YES, Tor browser works perfectly well.
If the router is in “simple” VPN mode, I can use Tor without any worries. As I said before, during the first two weeks of use I had no problems and could connect via VPN (without Tor) or via VPN+Tor (independently of the Tor Browser).

I'd never tried using Tor on its own, but just like when the VPN is on, the Tor launch freezes within the first few seconds. So the problem isn't with the ISP.

5

That sounds more like an issue with the VPN provider itself, doesn't it?

6

No, no worries if I don't use the router.

7

VPN apps on devices (like a PC) work mostly different than on a router. So it could still be some ISP/VPN issue.

8

I understand (thanks for your answers) but EVERYTHING was fine for the first two weeks.

I use Qubes and Mullvad.

9

But nothing changed during these 2 weeks?

10

As I have done almost every day since I started using this product, I changed the position of the outer knob (from top to bottom or vice versa), because then I could change the IMEI. The very next day, when I turned the router back on, I noticed that Tor's launch blocked :frowning:

Please note that the last automatic firmware update went smoothly on 06/09.
Also note that the management interface varies from hour to hour (see previous message) !!

11

If you assume that the update could be the issue, try to downgrade to the previous version.
You will find the update files here: GL.iNet download center

1 Like
13

NO, everything went smoothly during the update and in the hours that followed. I don't see any direct link with the persistent malfunction I've been experiencing for almost two weeks now.

Some minor changes in the management interface (the functions proposed for the external button, the title of certain sub-menus) make me think of a software bug rather than a hardware problem, but I don't have the necessary expertise to know what it is.

On the seller's advice, I reinstalled blue-merle yesterday, but again, no improvement.

14

Unfortunately, this is nearly impossible to troubleshot remotely, too many different reasons.

It could be some VPN issue, some IMEI / carrier issue, some TOR issue ...

15

THANK YOU to both of you, @bruce & @admon, for your answers :slight_smile:

The cause(s) can indeed be of different origins. I'm going to contact technical support by e-mail, apart from them I can't think of anyone who could guide me in my research.