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18-08-2019, 12:46 AM
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Virual Private Networks - Installation and Use

I've just installed NordVPN on my Windows 10 PC and, although it appears to be working correctly on my usual "connections", I'm just wondering how to make proper use of this powerful facility.

Obviously, I don't want suggestions that are immoral or illegal .....
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18-08-2019, 01:09 AM
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Re: Virual Private Networks - Installation and Use

I know absolutely nothing about VPNs. I have heard that they do invite skilled hackers and other "agencies" to dig deeper and try to crack them. Simply because immoral/ illegal reasons are often why people have them. Now DO NOT grab that and assume that I am saying this is you. I'm not. Got that?..I am just saying that's what I have heard. Of course that may be crap also. If you want have a VPN to protect your private affairs. Go for it. Obviously it's your money/ Bank details/property/ family and privacy that you need to protect. Use it for this. I have resisted on line banking. I don't like automatic debits either unless you have no choice. We get by without it and use the phone to pay bills. Sometimes I even walk to the local post office (20 minutes walk) and pay bills there. Prehistoric I know but I enjoy the walk and so does Tex (my dog)
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18-08-2019, 01:24 AM
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Re: Virual Private Networks - Installation and Use

Given that the size of the internet, with associated risks, is increasing exponentially, additional defensive measures have become essential. I found this extract helpful in deciding to install a VPN:

Here are a few most common cases when you should strongly consider using a VPN:

You use public Wi-Fi regularly

When you're using a public Wi-Fi network, even a password-protected one, a VPN is your best friend. That’s because using public hotspots can be rife with hazards. Hackers have many methods to intercept your internet traffic and steal your passwords, files, and photos.

You travel a lot

Going to a foreign country? A VPN can help you access services that may not be available in that country – say, China, where the government blocks sites like Facebook. Even if you just cross the border into a neighbouring country, you will most likely lose access to some streaming content to which you subscribe.

You want to shield your browsing from third parties

Even when browsing the web in the comfort of your own home, using a VPN is a pretty good idea. For instance, you may want to buy your little nephew a birthday gift online without being bombarded with toy truck ads for the next six months. Or perhaps you need to do a quick research of health clinics without attracting your employer’s attention.

You want to avoid government surveillance

Then there’s the widespread surveillance by local and foreign governments. The Snowden leaks and years of follow-up reporting have shown us the vast scope and reach of worldwide surveillance. It would be illegal for police officers to search your home without a warrant. Yet government agencies track and collect your browsing activity, messages, social posts, and other private data. They even share this information across country borders.

You are a journalist or political activist

Some countries don't have the same protections for freedom of the press, speech, and expression that most democratic countries enjoy. In fact, some regimes resort to harsh measures to monitor and punish those whom they see as threats to the government. People who dare to stand up have to take extra precautions to protect their communications.

You use file-sharing services

P2P (Peer-to-Peer) is one of the fastest and most effective methods to share large sets of data across a network. It is used to distribute open-source software, corporate and scientific data, and public domain videos.

But despite these legitimate uses, many ISPs try to discourage internet users from P2P file sharing. They do it by controlling access to file-sharing websites or setting bandwidth limits. That slows down their customers' internet speed and restricts their choices.
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18-08-2019, 01:39 AM
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Re: Virual Private Networks - Installation and Use

Hmm Lot to think about there. Thank you for that.
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18-08-2019, 01:43 AM
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Re: Virual Private Networks - Installation and Use

Originally Posted by Omah ->
I've just installed NordVPN on my Windows 10 PC and, although it appears to be working correctly on my usual "connections", I'm just wondering how to make proper use of this powerful facility.

Obviously, I don't want suggestions that are immoral or illegal .....
Easy.

Only use it when either you want to hide your activities from snooping, when you need to disguise your geo-location or when you are trying to access a web site your government has banned or blacklisted.

To use it for normal internet activities is a total waste of time and money a VPN just slows down your internet speed. Some sites even don't work when accessed via (some?)foreign VPNs for example Guardian Australia

Why did you decide to get a VPN?

Personally I just use the notification bar (used to be the charm bar) in WIN10 as a quick way to access it and turn it on and off.

For nefarious activities then apparently Switzerland, Netherlands and Japan have the best laws to keep your use/data private (I Googled it when I set it up) but I also use outlets in Russia, Australia, UK and USA for geo-location problems.

No doubt realist will stick his oar in with his usual doom and gloom about nothing being safe etc - just ignore.
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18-08-2019, 02:02 AM
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Re: Virual Private Networks - Installation and Use

Perhaps I should add that for protection against third party eaves dropping at public wifi (ie fast food outlets, libraries etc) I use my own modem VPN at home because generally speaking it is quicker as I am not sharing the service with anyone and I also have access to my server or desktop computer if necessary. It has the same security as any VPN though, of course, the meta data is available to my nanny state.

If your modem/router has this facility and you have a fibre connection then it might be worth setting up and it is free!




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18-08-2019, 12:15 PM
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Re: Virual Private Networks - Installation and Use

I personally don't believe any of the spiel of the VPN providers. Everything you do is logged and that is not going to change with a VPN despite what they say. VPN small print will tell you in one paragraph that they absolutely categorically don't keep logs of your activity. In the next paragraph they admit freely that they will comply with local or national law enforcement rules of the given country and work with law enforcement if they need to look at your activty. They can only do that if they can monitor your activity and track what you are doing. It's the law and no VPN company is above the law so the reality is you can and will be tracked if someone wants to do that.

Therefore get rid of any notions that VPN makes you anonymous or untraceable in the world. It isn't and yet most people naively think that's what they are getting.

VPN's exist in part to get all the stupid idiot crims and hackers to funnel all their activities through one specific portal which makes analysis of their traffic so much easier. Imagine a serial killer who posts threatening letters to people using post offices all over the country. You never know when the next letter will be sent and you have no idea which post office will be used. So hard to catch the guy.

Now consider how easy it would be if all his letters were first channelled through a single post office. All you need to is station law enforcement officers at that one post office and watch for people bringing in letters.

That's what VPNs do. Funnel all the stupid idiots into one portal.

The real crims don't use VPN's I'm sure. They use the dark web and all that stuff.

I also think it's supremely naive of anyone to believe that things are truuly encrypted such that nobody, not even the manufacturers, can see the data. Mobile phones, computers, servers, VPN networks are all encrypted, but someone somewhere has those encryption keys and can see everything. They are watching all the time, analysing all the traffic through complex computer algorithms looking for key phrases and connections between people. Of course they are.

But this is all high level national security stuff of course. Nothing to worry an ordinary member of the public who isn't wanting to engage in criminal activity.

I also don't think much of that list of given reasons by your VPN company, they are really just scare tactics imho. If you're going to get hacked or get your details stolen it will mostly be done by you getting malware or viruses or by you using certain websites.

VPN is useful for hiding your country of origin if websites refuse to play ball with you but how often is that the case?

On balance I have thus far stayed away from VPN providers. I use public WiFi carefully and change passwords routinely.
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18-08-2019, 01:38 PM
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Re: Virual Private Networks - Installation and Use

An interesting thread, thanks Omah as I have been thinking about this.

My first question is.... are they free? I'm guessing not.
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18-08-2019, 01:43 PM
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Re: Virual Private Networks - Installation and Use

I use the free version of this


https://hoxx.com/download/
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18-08-2019, 01:48 PM
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Re: Virual Private Networks - Installation and Use

Originally Posted by Ray Cathode ->
I use the free version of this


https://hoxx.com/download/
Thanks Ray,I shall have a read of that. Does that become your default network?
 
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