VPN

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palcal

Guru

Joined: 12/10/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2039
Posted: 07:21am 12 Aug 2024      

Is it worth getting a VPN, they seem cheap enough if they do what is claimed.
"It is better to be ignorant and ask a stupid question than to be plain Stupid and not ask at all"
TassyJim

Guru

Joined: 07/08/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 6546
Posted: 07:48am 12 Aug 2024      

They hide your real IP which can cause sites to block you.
They can make remote access to things like webcams and webmites difficult
They don't stop you clicking on links that you shouldn't.

A false sense of security in my opinion.
But I am a cynical old f...t

Jim
palcal

Guru

Joined: 12/10/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2039
Posted: 08:09am 12 Aug 2024      

Thanks Jim.
Malibu
Senior Member

Joined: 07/07/2018
Location: Australia
Posts: 261
Posted: 08:17am 12 Aug 2024      

The Opera web browser I use has a VPN function included. If I'm feeling a little paranoid, I usually just activate that.
The hype that's presented about VPN's I don't buy into, but sometimes it's a handy tool.
I only originaly used it to watch US Netflix. Found a better way to do that now, so I tossed the VPN subscription.

  Quote  But I am a cynical old f...t

You and me both Jim!  
Volhout
Guru

Joined: 05/03/2018
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 5994
Posted: 09:02am 12 Aug 2024      

Opera VPN is not a real VPN. But it hides ypur IP for sure.

Volhout
Mixtel90

Guru

Joined: 05/10/2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 8964
Posted: 09:14am 12 Aug 2024      

A VPN is as good as the people that you trust in the chain.
It's called a "Virtual" Private Network for a good reason. :)

Would you buy VPN access from companies in Russia, China or North Korea? I thought not. :)
Volhout
Guru

Joined: 05/03/2018
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 5994
Posted: 09:22am 12 Aug 2024      

Telegram is praised for its security
Telegram is Russian

Volhout
Martin H.

Guru

Joined: 04/06/2022
Location: Germany
Posts: 1485
Posted: 09:39am 12 Aug 2024      

My reason for using a VPN is that I do 2/3 of my work from my home office and am connected to the university network via it.
I don't use a VPN privately. The only reason for me would be to conceal my location in order to avoid geoblocking
lizby
Guru

Joined: 17/05/2016
Location: United States
Posts: 3811
Posted: 11:13am 12 Aug 2024      

I installed a VPN on a Raspberry Pi 5 at my winter home in Florida. Using RDP (Remote Desktop) from Nova Scotia, this allows me access to everything on my network there as if I were present, including cameras. It works well. I will be doing a similar setup in Nova Scotia with a Pi 4B so that I can look back the opposite way.

When I'm travelling, I always use a VPN if I'm doing anything sensitive while using public access.

~
Edited 2024-08-12 21:14 by lizby
barewires
Newbie

Joined: 13/04/2015
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 34
Posted: 11:59am 12 Aug 2024      

I live in a major city but Surfshark always puts me in a cities 2 to 3+ hours away. This upsets gmail and paypal and always makes me change passwords. If I don't turn it off every time I suffer. It is not worth the time to use it.
palcal

Guru

Joined: 12/10/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 2039
Posted: 08:42pm 12 Aug 2024      

Well from that I reckon I won't bother. It's just personal use and I am very careful when on the net.
Gizmo

Admin Group

Joined: 05/06/2004
Location: Australia
Posts: 5186
Posted: 12:45am 13 Aug 2024      

I used a VPN when I was using Starlink for a few weeks, I needed a fixed Australian IP address. I'm now on Aussie Broadband and have a fixed IP, so dont need a VPN client at home.

My JAQ software, I have several clients using my hosted cloud servers, and we've firewalled those to only accept connections from Australian IP's. Its not bullet proof but it helps. If a client goes overseas they cant access their JAQ, so I step them though installing a VPN client and requesting an Australian IP, easy.

CyberGhost was my choice, cheap enough and had the features I wanted. If I travel, I use it on my laptop on strange wifi networks.

Glenn
EDNEDN
Senior Member

Joined: 18/02/2023
Location: United States
Posts: 298
Posted: 03:41pm 13 Aug 2024      

I use FastestVPN.   I kind of doubt it is the fastest, but it does have reasonable speed and has host servers in hundreds of cities.   You can get a lifetime subscription to it for $40:

https://fastestvpn.com/buy-vpn

The biggest thing I don't like about it is I wish it would remember my credentials from one time to the next when I use it.   I don't like having to log in anytime I use it.    But that is a small annoyance, and it does work well for what I use it for.
Malibu
Senior Member

Joined: 07/07/2018
Location: Australia
Posts: 261
Posted: 06:49am 14 Aug 2024      

  Quote  Opera VPN is not a real VPN. But it hides ypur IP for sure.

Agreed, but sometimes it's a simple way for geo-location stuff, rather than a full-on VPN service...  

If anyone wants to just change geo-location to watch US/UK streaming services on TV, I can recommend StreamLocator which I use on my Amazon Firestick for 5 bucks a month.
Gives me all sorts of options for streaming international services - US Netflix, BBC, plus  a variety of others (Sometimes BBC even asks me if I have a TV licence... which of course I do!  )
Edited 2024-08-14 16:49 by Malibu