General anonimity/privacy question when using TOR

[force44@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I copy below a part of the FAQ of JAP, my question is "Does it apply also to TOR?". In other words, what is better to improve a TOR user's anonymity: Stay connected a long time (or never disconnect, if he uses a cable, DSL etc connection), or often disconnect (to change his IP, for example) ?

Thank you!


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From http://anon.inf.tu-dresden.de/fragen/konzept_en.html#K7

Why does frequent connecting and disconnecting of the internet connection reduce the level of anonymity?

Someone observing your computer would know when you are connected to the internet or to the anonymization service. If this observer also observes the first mix in the anonymization service, he would see connections and disconnections there as well. He could then draw conclusions as to which user is visiting which website.

Let us assume the following example:

    * It is known that a user is downloading a large file (for example, 50MB).
    * It is also known that another user is only surfing.

The observer also sees that one of them frequently connects and disconnects from the internet while the other is constantly connected. Then it's clear that the one who is constantly connected is downloading the file and the other one is the one surfing. Somit ist klar, wer von beiden die Datei herunterlÃdt und wer nur surft.

The problem remains even with many users. Statistical averages can be made of people who were logged in at the same time. Thus it becomes relatively easy to determine who did what at what time.

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