SIGforum
Anyone use a VPN Private Internet Service?
July 09, 2017, 04:16 PM
SIGWolfAnyone use a VPN Private Internet Service?
For personal use on your desktop or laptop?
What server do you use?
July 09, 2017, 06:04 PM
VanwallI have been using Private Internet Access for over a year.
Zero issues. You can connect 4 or 5 devices on one account (not sure about exact number).
I have connected with pc running win7 and my iPhone and iPad.
You can select your server auto, which for me is Midwest US or a server in the country of your choice.
July 09, 2017, 06:05 PM
FRANKTSome of the fairly recent congressional activity caused me to look into them. Norton offers the service and the pricing isn't really too bad but I haven't yet taken the plunge.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"And it's time that particularly, some of our corporations learned, that when you get in bed with government, you're going to get more than a good night's sleep."
- Ronald Reagan
July 09, 2017, 06:18 PM
bigdealTunnelbear.com gets excellent reviews and has a well executed Google Chrome plug in. When I was shopping VPN's it was my top pick.
-----------------------------
Guns are awesome because they shoot solid lead freedom. Every man should have several guns. And several dogs, because a man with a cat is a woman. Kurt Schlichter
July 09, 2017, 06:21 PM
lkdr1989+1 PIA, you can even pay with gift cards (be aware it's not a straight $1 to $1 credit, I think around $1 to $0.75 or so).
...let him who has no sword sell his robe and buy one. Luke 22:35-36 NAV
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves." Matthew 10:16 NASV July 09, 2017, 06:26 PM
SIGguy229I use ExpressVPN; $30/6 months. I use it on my laptop, iPhone and iPad...especially when using "public" wireless networks, but also run it at home. One license works on all of your devices. I still can download movies, stream tv shows, use Skype with little noticeable change in speed.
July 09, 2017, 07:23 PM
fvyellowbirdI used Strong VPN while in Germany for 3 years. I'd do it again, great customer service the few times I needed it. Not too pricey.
Hell, is other people! J-P S July 09, 2017, 08:44 PM
1gkekPIA for a few months now. Very satisfied.
July 09, 2017, 09:48 PM
ChachAnother PIA user here. No issues, multiple fast connections, mobile friendly, and you can easily change the server country to appear like you're anywhere from the US to Turkey. Meaning if you want to watch something on BBC.uk website (which usually blocks US ip's) you can just select a U.K. server and watch said programme without issue.
Well, one issue. Bank of America's website & Apps don't allow access when using a VPN somehow. Have to turn it off whenever I want to access my account.
July 09, 2017, 11:06 PM
SR025PIA for about 7 years with zero issues. Works on all my devices.
July 10, 2017, 12:01 AM
Balzé Halzéquote:
Originally posted by bigdeal:
Tunnelbear.com gets excellent reviews and has a well executed Google Chrome plug in. When I was shopping VPN's it was my top pick.
I use tunnelbear. Great product. Super easy to use, effective, and very reasonably priced.
~Alan
Acta Non Verba
NRA Life Member (Patron)
God, Family, Guns, Country
Men will fight and die to protect women... because women protect everything else. ~Andrew Klavan
"Once there was only dark. If you ask me, light is winning." ~Rust Cohle July 10, 2017, 10:20 AM
henryazI have used PIA for two years now, and it is a superior product. The first thing I learned, though was not to use their client software. It sucks, compared to just setting up OpenVPN clients. And PIA provides the OpenVPN config files and certificates for all of their server locations. On the Mac, I use Viscosity as a client. On iOS, I use the free OpenVPN app as a client. Each of those imports the OpenVPN config files easily, and off you go.
PIA is $40/year, which is a bit high for me, for the frequency with which I use it. So, this past spring, I took an opportunity to grab a lifetime subscription to VPNSecure, being offered at $39. I see current offers @ $49, so apparently it is still being sold that way. If you go to their web site, you do not see any lifetime choices. Just Google for "VPNSecure lifetime" and you should find links from reputable sites, like EnGadget.
VPNSecure was a bit more difficult to get set up using OpenVPN clients. I had to dig a bit for the OpenVPN config files, and then modify them slightly with a text editor, but it is fairly straightforward. I just compared them to the PIA ones, and saw what changes needed to be made.
I have both PIA and VPNSecure servers set up in my clients, and while PIA has many more locations, and servers behind those sites, both connect and work well. I also run an OpenVPN server at home, so I can connect back to my home network if necessary.
July 10, 2017, 11:22 AM
mbinkyI have been using PIA for a little over a year and have been happy. And thanks to henryaz it's even better now
I use the PIA client on my Mac and it has been fine but the PIA app on my iPhone and iPad has been "buggy". I just added the OpenVPN Connect app on those two and so far it is much smoother. I might try Viscosity on my Mac just to see.
Thanks!
July 10, 2017, 11:32 AM
nhtagmemberso what are the benefits of a VPN over just a straight internet connection? You still need a local service provider to give you access do you not?
[B] Against ALL enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC
July 10, 2017, 12:09 PM
Aeteoclesquote:
Originally posted by nhtagmember:
so what are the benefits of a VPN over just a straight internet connection? You still need a local service provider to give you access do you not?
It hides the origin of the connection.
You essentially make a (virtual) private connection between you and a server in another location. All of your interaction with 'net first goes from you to the server, and then from the server out to the net. Anyone on the outside looking in just sees the server, the people behind it are hidden.
The connection between you and the server is encrypted. Your ISP sees that there's traffic between you and the server, but because the traffic is encrypted, they have no idea what that traffic is doing.
July 10, 2017, 12:15 PM
lkdr1989henryaz, is the OpenVPN app on ios you're referring to, this one:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/ap...ect/id590379981?mt=8quote:
Originally posted by henryaz:
I have used PIA for two years now, and it is a superior product. The first thing I learned, though was not to use their client software. It sucks, compared to just setting up OpenVPN clients. And PIA provides the OpenVPN config files and certificates for all of their server locations. On the Mac, I use Viscosity as a client. On iOS, I use the free OpenVPN app as a client. Each of those imports the OpenVPN config files easily, and off you go.
PIA is $40/year, which is a bit high for me, for the frequency with which I use it. So, this past spring, I took an opportunity to grab a lifetime subscription to VPNSecure, being offered at $39. I see current offers @ $49, so apparently it is still being sold that way. If you go to their web site, you do not see any lifetime choices. Just Google for "VPNSecure lifetime" and you should find links from reputable sites, like EnGadget.
VPNSecure was a bit more difficult to get set up using OpenVPN clients. I had to dig a bit for the OpenVPN config files, and then modify them slightly with a text editor, but it is fairly straightforward. I just compared them to the PIA ones, and saw what changes needed to be made.
I have both PIA and VPNSecure servers set up in my clients, and while PIA has many more locations, and servers behind those sites, both connect and work well. I also run an OpenVPN server at home, so I can connect back to my home network if necessary.
...let him who has no sword sell his robe and buy one. Luke 22:35-36 NAV
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves." Matthew 10:16 NASV July 10, 2017, 02:19 PM
nhtagmemberthanks for the explanation - sounds reasonable and a good security feature to employ
I will investigate a bit further but this sounds like a good security feature just by itself by remaining anonymous
[B] Against ALL enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC
July 10, 2017, 03:08 PM
henryazquote:
Originally posted by lkdr1989:
henryaz, is the OpenVPN app on ios you're referring to, this one:
That's it, from OpenVPN Technologies, the same folks who provide the open source OpenVPN server.
July 11, 2017, 05:48 AM
r0guequote:
Originally posted by Aeteocles:
quote:
Originally posted by nhtagmember:
so what are the benefits of a VPN over just a straight internet connection? You still need a local service provider to give you access do you not?
It hides the origin of the connection.
You essentially make a (virtual) private connection between you and a server in another location. All of your interaction with 'net first goes from you to the server, and then from the server out to the net. Anyone on the outside looking in just sees the server, the people behind it are hidden.
The connection between you and the server is encrypted. Your ISP sees that there's traffic between you and the server, but because the traffic is encrypted, they have no idea what that traffic is doing.
A very good outline of the service offering with one small omission that should be made clear. The VPN Service Provider themselves have theoretical access to your activity. One could decide that this is preferable to the absence of the VPN because in that case, all of your traffic is unencrypted. But this isn't exactly true, as so much of our traffic is SSL or TLS encrypted already.
I'm torn on them thus far -- and leaning against, because if compromised, this is an excellent aggregation of all that one does. A chokepoint in the network to monitor or compromise. And system compromise is (IMO)
probably impossible to prevent from the right sort of threat actors intent on doing so. And this is a juicy target for those sorts of people.
I've never been a "security through obscurity" kind of guy, but a little
hidden-in-the-weeds doesn't hurt either.
July 11, 2017, 09:15 AM
henryazPIA and VPNSecure both claim NOT to log users' activity. That's not to say they could not monitor it in real time. But it does give them an out if .gov request information on a particular user's activity. Sorry, no logs.