SIGforum
Anyone use a VPN Private Internet Service?
July 11, 2017, 09:37 AM
tatortoddAnyone use a VPN Private Internet Service?
quote:
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.
It eliminates a huge security vulnerability for frequent travelers who have to connect through hotel, restaurant, coffee shop, and airport wifi. My VPN works on my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook for 1 fixed rate. It costs me about 10% in speed, but it's worth it as nobody packet sniffing is getting my passwords AND no nanny filter is preventing me from seeing Sigforum. My budy was the admin for a Meraki for 1000 users and I could get faster times on FB because he had all 1000 users sharing 56k (meraki's can control access speeds to sites not just go/no go). I'm posting right now on a restaurant wifi through my VPN.
I use it at home too as ISPs are notorious for monitoring for targeted advertising.
Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity
DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer. July 11, 2017, 07:44 PM
r0guequote:
Originally posted by tatortodd:
quote:
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.
It eliminates a huge security vulnerability for frequent travelers who have to connect through hotel, restaurant, coffee shop, and airport wifi. My VPN works on my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook for 1 fixed rate. It costs me about 10% in speed, but it's worth it as nobody packet sniffing is getting my passwords AND no nanny filter is preventing me from seeing Sigforum. My budy was the admin for a Meraki for 1000 users and I could get faster times on FB because he had all 1000 users sharing 56k (meraki's can control access speeds to sites not just go/no go). I'm posting right now on a restaurant wifi through my VPN.
I use it at home too as ISPs are notorious for monitoring for targeted advertising.
Fair point about public WiFi. I use my iPhone hotspot. But I certainly can understand the use case you have there.
July 11, 2017, 08:16 PM
Doc H.Norton's; inexpensive and very easy to use.
"And gentlemen in England now abed, shall think themselves accursed they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Crispin's Day" July 30, 2017, 09:50 AM
JimineerI heard on Fox that China is trying to ban VPN apps in China's iPhone App Store. Not suprising.
I wonder how long until our government outlaws them? They tend to hamper their 'monitor everyone, everywhere, all the time' mantra.
July 30, 2017, 11:12 AM
CromTrying out TunnelBear right now.
It says it is ON, but how do I know it is really doing anything ?
"Crom is strong! If I die, I have to go before him, and he will ask me, 'What is the riddle of steel?' If I don't know it, he will cast me out of Valhalla and laugh at me."
July 30, 2017, 11:37 AM
DevlDogs55I've heard good things about PIA, but I use PureVPN. It has worked really well for me so far - and works on all my devices too.
"I have a suggestion to keep you all occupied. Learn to swim" - Ænema
July 30, 2017, 12:20 PM
YellowJacketUsed PIA to get around blackouts for streaming sports.
I'm gonna vote for the funniest frog with the loudest croak on the highest log. July 30, 2017, 01:22 PM
Balzé Halzéquote:
Originally posted by r0gue:
quote:
Originally posted by tatortodd:
quote:
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.
It eliminates a huge security vulnerability for frequent travelers who have to connect through hotel, restaurant, coffee shop, and airport wifi. My VPN works on my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook for 1 fixed rate. It costs me about 10% in speed, but it's worth it as nobody packet sniffing is getting my passwords AND no nanny filter is preventing me from seeing Sigforum. My budy was the admin for a Meraki for 1000 users and I could get faster times on FB because he had all 1000 users sharing 56k (meraki's can control access speeds to sites not just go/no go). I'm posting right now on a restaurant wifi through my VPN.
I use it at home too as ISPs are notorious for monitoring for targeted advertising.
Fair point about public WiFi. I use my iPhone hotspot. But I certainly can understand the use case you have there.
Yes, on my recent trip to europe, particularly in the airports and in Spain, the only Internet I could get (without turning on my data and blowing out my next bill) was through free public wifi. Having the VPN at least gave me some sense of security. It was the best way to communicate and meet up with the people I was meeting.
~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
July 30, 2017, 01:57 PM
AquilonNordVPN here. You want to make sure whichever one you pick doesn't log activity (or, at least pick one that says they don't log activity - that's the best you can do, really, because there's no way to know for sure).
If your VPN provider keeps logs, you're just trading one company which monitors your activity (your ISP) for another (your VPN provider).
July 30, 2017, 02:00 PM
mbinkyPIA VPN. No logs, $40 a year for 5 devices.
July 30, 2017, 08:11 PM
brminpinAnother happy PIA user here. I've configured OpenVPN on my router so all devices in the house that are not bandwidth hogs go through that particular router and have protection.
July 30, 2017, 08:14 PM
marksman41Glad this thread came back to remind me to get a VPN and the information here is a major help - as is any SIGforum thread requesting information or assistance.
July 30, 2017, 09:52 PM
MtnPlinkerI'll be the odd one in this thread...
I've been using Witopia for a couple of years. It actually improves my connection throughput.
Skip the free service and pay for openvpn. Their openvpn solution, however, is not really iOS compatible.
July 31, 2017, 03:26 PM
ch3PIA for several years now. Use on phones, ipads and desktop. It does slow down connection quite a bit. May be something I need to change to get better. I have Uverse 45m service. I get downloads at 47-48m without PIA on, and it drops to about 10 with PIA on.
NRA Endowment Member
USAF 1958-1970
Master Instructor 1969-1970
Georgia Gun Owners Member
July 31, 2017, 03:39 PM
Balzé Halzéquote:
Originally posted by MtnPlinker:
I'll be the odd one in this thread...
I've been using Witopia for a couple of years. It actually improves my connection throughput.
I can't see how that's possible.
~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
July 31, 2017, 05:35 PM
MtnPlinkerI, too, am scratching my head on this one. I have a fairly strange ISP situation though (uWave link to fiber to hub which uses the same fiber and hub as Witopia's local server).
My best guess is that without VPN, I am being auto-routed through a different server (off fiber & Witopia's server) but when I choose Witopia, I'm on the same core server/router as my shortest path.
A stretch in thinking for sure.
I know that I did not realize anywhere near decent speed with my VPN until I started using OpenVPN.
July 31, 2017, 07:56 PM
slosigquote:
Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
quote:
Originally posted by MtnPlinker:
I'll be the odd one in this thread...
I've been using Witopia for a couple of years. It actually improves my connection throughput.
I can't see how that's possible.
MtnPlinker probably has the answer above but one possibility that occurred to me was an ISP (or someone else along the path) using QoS to prioritize different types of traffic and with the VPN his traffic goes in a better "bucket."
August 13, 2017, 06:39 PM
Tn226I'm lost in at least one respect. How does an app, i e the American Express app, connect via the vpn. I see how the browser would work but not an app?
Could someone explain this to a decidedly non techie?
Thanks!
August 13, 2017, 07:35 PM
mrbill345The browser Opera has a free built-in VPN. It is available for MacOs, iOS, Windows, Android & Linux.
I haven't used the mobile apps, but I don't have any complaints with the Mac Browser. I only use it infrequently.
“Agnostic, gun owning, conservative, college educated hillbilly” August 14, 2017, 09:40 AM
henryazquote:
Originally posted by Tn226:
I'm lost in at least one respect. How does an app, i e the American Express app, connect via the vpn. I see how the browser would work but not an app?
Could someone explain this to a decidedly non techie?
Thanks!
The VPN tunnel is at a lower level in the network scheme of things than the application layer. This means when connected to a VPN tunnel, all packets from your machine travel through the tunnel. It is app-agnostic. So your AX app would work just the same as your browser, as your ftp app, as any other app needing Internet access.