01 June, 2007

The complete guide for using OpenPandora outside US with Tor

Since Pandora started blocking users outside US some solutions where proposed, but only one made to the top - Tor.

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Tor can help you anonymize web browsing, by bouncing communication around a distributed network of servers called onion routers.
This is nice, but how this helps?
If the communication is bounced over network of servers and the last server that forwards communication located in US, Pandora will think that the user himself is located in US and will not block him.

So what we need is to force last server to be in US and use Tor only for communication with Pandora. This is done in four simple steps:
  1. Install Tor.

    Got to http://tor.eff.org/download-windows.html.en and download just Tor (marked for experts only), or use this link http://tor.eff.org/dist/win32/tor-0.1.2.14-win32.exe.
  2. Update torrc file.

    Open torrc file from Start->Programs->Tor and add paste at the bottom

    StrictExitNodes 1
    exitnodes desync,whistlersmother,lefkada,bettyboop,croeso,TorLuwakOrg,nixnix,inap1,redpineapple,cronic,sasquatch,slowturtle2


    This will force the last server to be located in US.
  3. Create tor.pac file. I have created it directly under c: drive (c:\tor.pac).
    Start by creating new text file. Open it in Notepad and paste

    function FindProxyForURL(url, host)
    {
    if (shExpMatch(host, "www.pandora.com")) return "SOCKS 127.0.0.1:9050";
    return "DIRECT";
    }


    Rename it tor.pac.

    Alternatively you can download my tor.pac from here: http://openpandora.googlepages.com/tor.pac.
  4. Set tor.pac to be used for automatic configuration in Internet Explorer.

    Open Internet Explorer. Go to Tools->Internet Options.
    Select Connections tab.
    Open Lan Settings by pressing the button.
    Check/Select 'Use automatic configuration script'.
    Write in Address "file://" following the tor.pac file name with full path. I wrote "file://c:\tor.pac" (without the quotation marks).

Now you activate Tor from Start->Programs->Tor->Tor and run OpenPandora. It will take some time until Pandora will load, but when it loads the music never stops.