VPNs
-
@Oppidum If you don’t mind sharing, what VPN provider are you using, and are you happy with their service? I’ve been shopping around, and one of the things that appeals to me about NordVPN is their “kill switch” feature which supposedly prevents IP leaks automatically.
-
@mikk1, unfortunately I don’t have a VPN that I recommend…
I had a terrible experience with one highly-rated, security-conscious, subscription one, which I described in detail a number of years ago on the FW Technology subforum. I can’t recall the name.
I also have used Witopia on and off. Based in Virginia just a few miles from some highly official sites, it is perhaps not private-private as far as really being Private, but it does a good job of being reliable, easy to connect to, with lots of international nodes, rarely disconnecting, good chat support, not too expensive, provides the latest connection options, doesn’t bug subscibers with unnecessary emails, etc. I don’t do downloading, sharing, iffy stuff, sensitive reporting, etc., so I am okay with the possible tradeoffs in using them versus being extra-safe with something that is more geared to real cloaking but is more complex to manage.
However, I might try another service, since a node that I had used a fair bit isn’t working now. It’s been on my to-do list to look into.
For some reason, it’s hard to get an impartial, Consumer-Reports sort of grasp of the VPN market, because so many rating sites are biased and work for commission, and even the more impartial articles (such as on Lifehacker and various major technology magazines/blogs) only mention a handful of providers when they compare and contrast VPNs, and usually those articles are years old anyway.
I did a lot of research (at the time, which was several years ago now) before I selected and joined the one that ended up letting some kind of menace in and screwing my computer up (which I mentioned at the beginning of this post), so I don’t trust online ratings in this area much.
Also, there is a vaunted VPN comparison chart on the internet that is recommended a lot, I think even by sites like Brian Krebs’, but I found a number of mistakes and omissions in that chart about VPNs that I had already researched and been signed up for, so I gave the chart up, after initially being so glad that someone had put together an overview of all the providers.
We had some threads on FW Technology about VPNs that people liked. There are a few main ones that most people seemed to go for. Maybe “hide my a__” was one of them.
Which have you used, and liked or disliked?
-
I’m using PIA vpn service and it has worked well for last 3 years.
I have nothing to compare it with since it has been the only VPN I have ever used.
So, take it with a grain of salt.
-
Just to explain why Mikk1 started off the thread asking this question of me specifically – this was a brief side conversation within a different thread (on the Support forum) and the moderator forked it over here to the Technology forum to make it its own topic.
-
I think that it was PIA, as marcopolomle mentioned, rather than Hide My As_, which a lot of people at FW had said they were using.
-
Here is the ‘vaunted’ chart I mentioned earlier, which I actually found not to be very accurate about a couple of VPNs that I had signed up with and/or researched.
-
I use windscribe {free} and proxpn {$39 lifetime}. On my phone I use tunnel bear and got invited to proton. Both windscribe and proxpn are slow at times. Windscribe has a firewall switch that disconnects so it too won’t leak.
-
After getting dizzy looking at the Big Chart, I went with Azire. Only on month 4, but I’ve been pleased, and haven’t hit any slowness yet … but I’m not torrenting or doing any kind of video.
-
After seeing this article, I’m feeling like it is kind of pointless - no way to verify that you are actually getting the services you’re paying for:
https://thehackernews.com/2017/10/no-logs-vpn-service-security_8.html
-
After seeing this article, I’m feeling like it is kind of pointless - no way to verify that you are actually getting the services you’re paying for:
I agree that the industry is akin to Congress and used car sales, but you can verify some things, just not everything. Availability and reliability are much more important to me than logging and record keeping. If you really want to guarantee a lack of logs, and no record keeping, wait for the new VPN service from the USPS.
-
Create your own VPN and slip it into someone’s house.
-
This post is deleted!
-
@fasttimes said:
“Create your own VPN and slip it into someone’s house.”How did that go by without a comment?
-
@honkinggoose said in VPNs:
@fasttimes said:
“Create your own VPN and slip it into someone’s house.”How did that go by without a comment?
We were left speechless?
-
@honkinggoose said in VPNs:
@fasttimes said:
“Create your own VPN and slip it into someone’s house.”How did that go by without a comment?
After a lot of research I have found the answer:
How to Setup a VPN Server with Tomato VPN + OpenVPN
https://learntomato.com/how-to-download-install-setup-openvpn-with-tomato/
https://learntomato.com/how-to-setup-a-vpn-server-with-tomato-openvpn/
https://www.howtogeek.com/60774/connect-to-your-home-network-from-anywhere-with-openvpn-and-tomato/
https://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/documentation/howto.html
-
After a detailed research I (finally) found the only unbiased review site:
https://thatoneprivacysite.net/choosing-the-best-vpn-for-you/
This is based on the personal experiences of people I know on Reddit and other sites.
https://www.reddit.com/r/vpnreviews/
https://www.reddit.com/r/vpnreviews/comments/64zx0l/vpns_that_do_not_leak_test_results_2017/
-
@marcopolomle - did you sign up for any of them? If so, which one and what are your impressions if you don’t mind sharing?
-
This post is deleted!
-
This post is deleted!
-
@marcopolomle - did you sign up for any of them? If so, which one and what are your impressions if you don’t mind sharing?
I am still researching which is mind boggling.
On more research I have come to the realization that no VPN is even close to what they advertise. You can read about it here:
The impossible task of creating a “Best VPNs” list
Most VPN Services are Terrible
The Problem with the Tor Network and Commercial VPNs
IPv6 Leakage and DNS Hijacking in Commercial VPN clients
https://thatoneprivacysite.net/vpn-section/So, in a nutshell, decide based on your requirements but know what you are getting.
DO NOT expect a commercial VPN to provide you anonymity but just use it to be safer on the net especially while using public WiFi.
Personally, I’m leaning towards VyprVPN or continuing with PIA.
Unless you know coding and want to try out likes of Algo or Streisand etc, there aren’t many good options.
-
Can someone ELI5 (Explain Like I’m 5
) what/why you’re all using VPN?
Does it run faster? Afraid of cheeto-face spying on you? Streaming illegal video?Thank you!
-
@mom2jel Only speaking for myself, I’m looking at it strictly from a safety/security/privacy perspective.
Right now, if I post a message that really offends someone/crosses a line and they decide they want to sue me, they’re going to get a subpoena that asks the website where I said something nasty to reveal my IP. That IP is going to lead to my provider, who will then lead them to my door. With a true “no logs” VPN, that could never happen. The trail would lead nowhere. There’s also the security advantage - much harder to get attacked if none of the nasty people can even see your true IP address. Third, I’m not really thrilled that my provider can now log and monetize the history of everything I do online. I don’t do anything funky and disclosure wouldn’t likely harm me, but should Yahoo/Comcast/AOL, whatever ISP, really be allowed to sell data telling someone that I google for “sinus infection cure” an average of five times a year and I’m therefore a poor health risk and a great target for banner ads for cold relief products? Again, with a VPN, that trail leads nowhere and nobody knows my business except me (and, debatably, the VPN provider if they don’t keep their word).
-
Can someone ELI5 (Explain Like I’m 5
) what/why you’re all using VPN?
Does it run faster? Afraid of cheeto-face spying on you? Streaming illegal video?Thank you!
I’ll give an analogy:
Not using a VPN is akin to leaving your door open where anyone (including bad guys) can simply walk into your home but by using a VPN your door opens into a secure area where only good guys are allowed.
You can read about it all here where everything about internet security is very well explained.
-
Okay, I have Windscribe installed on my Windows pc with extensions added for Chrome, Opera & Firefox.
I’d rather put it on my Netgear Nighthawk modem/router, but I don’t see how to configure it for free.I’m assuming that my Chromebooks & Chromebox aren’t actually on VPN with only the extension, correct?
Thanks for the help!
-
This post is deleted!
-
PIA changed ownerships, stay away from that one until we can figure out what’s what.
Most of the VPN on the market aren’t as advertised, dedicated ip are actually shared with muti-users, passphrases are usually simple words that are easy to crack. I wouldn’t trust any of them for real privacy. But considering reliability and ease of use, the top one’s are ok for general protection.
Reference: https://gist.github.com/kennwhite/1f3bc4d889b02b35d8aa
