Bay 12 Games Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Author Topic: Virtual Private Network or VPN  (Read 1791 times)

mangointango

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Virtual Private Network or VPN
« on: August 12, 2019, 12:45:16 pm »
Does anyone use a VPN? What for and which one?
Logged

catacombs

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Virtual Private Network or VPN
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2019, 01:05:31 pm »
.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2023, 10:49:08 am by catacombs »
Logged

Telgin

  • Bay Watcher
  • Professional Programmer
    • View Profile
Re: Virtual Private Network or VPN
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2019, 01:09:26 pm »
Only for work related tasks, using OpenVPN to connect to servers on a firewalled network.  OpenVPN is a dirt simple client so I like it for that reason, but I have no idea if it will work for what you're trying to do, like internet anonymity.
Logged
Through pain, I find wisdom.

nenjin

  • Bay Watcher
  • Inscrubtable Exhortations of the Soul
    • View Profile
Re: Virtual Private Network or VPN
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2019, 01:56:28 pm »
I also use OpenVPN for work. We set up VPNs for customers so they can use devices offsite and still get routed to their servers. I can ask my sysadmin what it looks like for anonymity.
Logged
Cautivo del Milagro seamos, Penitente.
Quote from: Viktor Frankl
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
Quote from: Sindain
Its kinda silly to complain that a friendly NPC isn't a well designed boss fight.
Quote from: Eric Blank
How will I cheese now assholes?
Quote from: MrRoboto75
Always spaghetti, never forghetti

WealthyRadish

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Virtual Private Network or VPN
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2019, 01:59:44 pm »
I've used PIA for a couple years for basic browsing and occasional buccaneering, and in my limited experience it seems reasonably fast and cheap.
Logged

nenjin

  • Bay Watcher
  • Inscrubtable Exhortations of the Soul
    • View Profile
Re: Virtual Private Network or VPN
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2019, 02:05:39 pm »
So according to my sysadmin...

If you want anonymity, it's probably best you pay for a VPN like NordVPN.

OpenVPN is free, but it's mostly intended for forming secure connections.

If computer A, which you own, routes through Computer B, which you own, to get to computer C, which you own, that information is all trackable to you.

If computer A, which you own, routes through Computer B, which you own, and you go looking at stuff, your ISP and anyone they share info with would see the connections coming from Computer B. Since you own Computer B, that essentially can still track the information back to you. It will stop at your server routing the VPN traffic, but again, if you own that server, which you should if you're deploying your own VPN, it doesn't really give you the anonymity you want.

Now if the server you own is in a different country, one that doesn't share info.....that would achieve some level of anonymity. But it would probably be slow as hell, depending on what you're trying to do.

Paid VPN services give you both the anonymity you want, and have servers in all regions of the global so you can choose where you want your IP to appear to come from, and it's reasonably fast.
Logged
Cautivo del Milagro seamos, Penitente.
Quote from: Viktor Frankl
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
Quote from: Sindain
Its kinda silly to complain that a friendly NPC isn't a well designed boss fight.
Quote from: Eric Blank
How will I cheese now assholes?
Quote from: MrRoboto75
Always spaghetti, never forghetti

Trekkin

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Virtual Private Network or VPN
« Reply #6 on: August 12, 2019, 02:32:36 pm »
Just a point that sometimes gets lost: "free VPN" and "paid VPN" refer to who owns the server you're VPNning into, not the cost of the client program itself. It might sound obvious, but I've had people get confused as to how they/their friend/etc got their paid VPN "for free" off an app store or something before.
Logged

catacombs

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Virtual Private Network or VPN
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2019, 08:08:22 pm »
.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2023, 10:50:16 am by catacombs »
Logged

nenjin

  • Bay Watcher
  • Inscrubtable Exhortations of the Soul
    • View Profile
Re: Virtual Private Network or VPN
« Reply #8 on: August 13, 2019, 09:32:14 pm »
That I can't give recommendations on. I suppose I could ask him assuming he's done any real research. NordVPN is at least the one that gets marketed the hardest via youtube sponsorships. Does that makes them the best choice? *shrug*
Logged
Cautivo del Milagro seamos, Penitente.
Quote from: Viktor Frankl
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
Quote from: Sindain
Its kinda silly to complain that a friendly NPC isn't a well designed boss fight.
Quote from: Eric Blank
How will I cheese now assholes?
Quote from: MrRoboto75
Always spaghetti, never forghetti

mangointango

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Virtual Private Network or VPN
« Reply #9 on: August 14, 2019, 08:33:16 am »
Quote from: catacombs on August 12, 2019, 01:05:31 pm
I don't. But, if you look around on /g/ or reddit, you'll likely find some good recommendations for a VPN.

What are you trying to do with a VPN? Do you live in country with restrictions?

I would really like to unlock USA Netflix, as I'm from Europe, and as far as I have noticed, our libraries have different contents. https://flixed.io/netlfix-libraries-around-world/  It's one of the many articles I have read on this theme.

I am thinking maybe to try Nord? They have discounts with 75% off https://nordvpn.com/coupon/deal/?coupon=salenord

I'm just stupid in this tech field, so reasonable "yes buy it", or "no, don't buy" are welcome!
P.S. if posting links is not ok, tell me, I'll remove.
Logged

Trekkin

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Virtual Private Network or VPN
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2019, 01:02:00 pm »
I use Nord for non-critical things. It hasn't been intolerably slow yet, and all signs indicate it's working as advertised.
Logged

catacombs

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Virtual Private Network or VPN
« Reply #11 on: August 16, 2019, 08:09:40 am »
.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2023, 10:50:21 am by catacombs »
Logged

mangointango

  • Bay Watcher
    • View Profile
Re: Virtual Private Network or VPN
« Reply #12 on: August 22, 2019, 09:40:28 am »
So I did buy Nord in the end :D but, I found another discount link https://nordvpn.com/coupon/deal/?coupon=getvpn3y so it's 3$ per month. I think it's not that expensive and I have tried it on USA Netflix and at least for now it works. so yuppie!
Logged

wierd

  • Bay Watcher
  • I like to eat small children.
    • View Profile
Re: Virtual Private Network or VPN
« Reply #13 on: August 23, 2019, 12:13:22 am »
Quote from: catacombs on August 16, 2019, 08:09:40 am
Quote from: Trekkin on August 14, 2019, 01:02:00 pm
I use Nord for non-critical things. It hasn't been intolerably slow yet, and all signs indicate it's working as advertised.

What do you use for critical things?

If you have a critical application, you should be in control of the VPN tunnel at all levels.  That is going to either be enterprise software, (or hardware), or is going to be a hardened version of free software like openvpn, with a strong crypto layer.

Being a critical application, it will be the only thing using that channel, and will have redundant connectivity.

Logged