Who uses a VPN?

GH0st · Post by **GH0st** » Sat Apr 08, 2017 3:33 pm

Wanting to know who is using one and what your exsperience is with them. I think I should start running them for torrenting. I do have Peerblock and until recently, its always worked good for me. Starting last summer, I started to get letters from ISP. One more and I'm done.

I really just download TV shows and the occassional movie.

=[FEAR]=JIGSAW · Post by **=[FEAR]=JIGSAW** » Mon Apr 10, 2017 6:47 am

For torrenting, yes I would say a VPN is your best bet.

I don't download via torrent and therefor never bothered to throw money at a VPN supplier .... the free ones work, but then again they sit with ALL your browsing habits/info

ronaldlee · Post by **ronaldlee** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 2:11 am

i agree with jigsaw, i also use free VPN, and Hola is better then other paid VPN providers, you should try Hola VPN

GH0st · Post by **GH0st** » Sun Apr 23, 2017 10:21 am

I did try Hola, as an extension from Chrome store, worked fine. But did not install for the system, so uTorrent could work thru it ... still looking (but not hard)

bphlpt · Post by **bphlpt** » Sun Apr 30, 2017 7:31 pm

I just started receiving letters as you have, Ghost, so I'll be very interested in the advice given in this thread.

Cheers and Regards

GH0st · Post by **GH0st** » Mon May 01, 2017 12:28 am

Doesn't look like any one here uses such thing. These in browser add on's are neat, but, not whats needed! I don't really surf into illegal stuff, where this is needed. Just the downloading of torrents, I wonder why the DLing of TV shows is wrong, I mean, they have already aired! I get them after that ...

GH0st · Post by **GH0st** » Tue May 02, 2017 5:23 pm

GH0st · Post by **GH0st** » Mon May 15, 2017 8:07 pm

OpenVpn Audits

bphlpt · Post by **bphlpt** » Tue May 16, 2017 5:31 am

I'm still investigating the options, but this is what I've come up with so far:

Free VPN's are available. But like Tor they are probably slow and really only useful for file lockers that limits the frequency of downloads from your IP. And sites that censor or block access from your country. Or if your country censors or blocks sites (such as torrent sites). Also, the only practical way to use these with bittorrents is to set your torrent client to only 'Resolve Hostnames through proxy' and not the actual peer-to-peer connections themselves. (for uTorrent, disable 'Use proxy server for peer-to-peer connections' under Connection Preferences).

--VPN Book
--VPN Gate
--Opera has an unlimited, free built-in VPN now. Not sure how to use it outside the browser though.

After HideMyAss turned out to SellYourAss instead, TorrentFreak maintains lists (and reviews) of some of the VPN's available: Which VPN Services Keep You Anonymous in 2017? And more articles from TorrentFreak. And this article from TorrentFreak: 5 Ways To Download Torrents Anonymously.

ExpressVPN seems to be ranked #1 by the all of the VPN comparisons I've read. It's not the cheapest, but it does seem to be the fastest, might have the most available servers and has a speed test available for the servers. It's been around awhile and is pretty stable, works with torrents and P2P, is available for all of the various OS including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android, and allows simultaneous connection by 3 devices. There is also a custom OpenWRT router firmware available with a built-in ExpressVPN client to protect your entire network yet only count as a single connection.

NordVPN seems to be ranked in the top 3, is currently the cheapest of the paid services when you pay for a 2yr subscription, is reasonably fast, works with torrents and P2P, is available for the same OS as ExpressVPN except Linux, allows simultaneous connection by 6 devices (I think), and offers double-VPN and Tor-over-VPN options for more secure connections.

Of the paid options, to me those two seem to be the top two contenders.

Cheers and Regards

Dibya · Post by **Dibya** » Tue May 16, 2017 10:50 am

I use GHOST VPN to visit some warez site(TPB and all hell) in india which are blocked by my isp.

GH0st · Post by **GH0st** » Thu May 18, 2017 9:20 am

Yes, I been thinking (when I move) to just get one of these routers, and let everything be VPN'ed thru it. Seems like the best way to go for privacy and protection! Hoping for some Fiber line to the house. One area has Google Fiber, 1000d/1000u speed, this has got to be awesome. Though, Having Google as your ISP, is like having CIA/FBI/Homeland Security as your ISP

=[FEAR]=JIGSAW · Post by **=[FEAR]=JIGSAW** » Fri May 19, 2017 2:54 am

Like I said, I dont do torrents, and don't see the need why? ... Everything you're looking for on a torrent is also available via http(s) ??

harry56 · Post by **harry56** » Sun May 28, 2017 12:49 am

Just to add... If you use a router you may need to forward a port to your computer. Or else your downloads will be very slow. utorrent has some pretty good help on how to do it.

คาสิโนออนไลน์

DesignerMark · Post by **DesignerMark** » Sun May 28, 2017 5:45 am

You should try Pure VPN. Its cheap and good. I'm using my VPN for a long time and I recommend to everyone who is using torrent for your own safety.

GH0st · Post by **GH0st** » Sun May 28, 2017 9:40 am

I see Pure VPN can work thru the router, I think this is what I would like to do. I think I will be moving soon, new area has Fiber, If this happens, then I will get one of these routers and use the VPN thru it, makes everthing have 256bit protection

=[FEAR]=JIGSAW · Post by **=[FEAR]=JIGSAW** » Wed Jul 12, 2017 5:02 am

bphlpt · Post by **bphlpt** » Wed Jul 12, 2017 7:08 am

The spam bots are getting more and more clever.

Cheers and Regards

GH0st · Post by **GH0st** » Mon Jul 31, 2017 12:54 pm

That is my thoughts ... since they have aired, it should be ok, but ...

Post by **mooms** » Mon Jul 31, 2017 2:56 pm

This is a spammer...

bphlpt · Post by **bphlpt** » Mon Jul 31, 2017 11:25 pm

I had already marked his post to be deleted because of the spam.

Cheers and Regards

jerrysmith · Post by **jerrysmith** » Tue Oct 31, 2017 7:42 pm

yup i use vpn and because there are hundreds of blocked site by govt, anyway accessing to these sites isnt a crime but still, i use Hola, and i will suggest you that. have a nice day

pasito · Post by **pasito** » Wed Feb 07, 2018 9:05 pm

do your research and check out vpn.ac as part of it - https://vpn.ac inexpensive, run by conscientious, smart responsive folks, not US based, good speeds, selectable security and router options, always working toward highest new security protocols, stable desktop client, stable browser addon that can be enabled/disabled instantly at will (without re-entering passwords) over top of the desktop client (doing this or using the desktop's double hop options can really slow things). They have nodes specifically labelled and optimized for p2p within the desktop gui. They even implemented their own security check web page: https://ipx.ac/run which is better i think than, say, https://ipleak.net/ (though i think that one has a torrent leak detect option). -oh and one helpdesk person knew of this forum..

here's their own pr verbage, all of it aligns with my experiences with them:

Secure your connection

The Service is operated by security professionals
Self-hosted, encrypted DNS services; we do not rely on 3rd parties
Cutting edge VPN encryption: up to AES-GCM 256-bit encryption with Elliptic Curve and/or 4096-bit RSA authentication, SHA512 HMAC and PFS

Reclaim your privacy

Double-hop connections for improved privacy and connection speed overseas
There is no activity logging or monitoring of our users’ Internet activity.
No logs, not even common Linux daemons, are kept on VPN servers.
Users' privacy is increased through shared IP addresses on VPN Nodes.
We don't use 3rd party tracking services on our web-site (Google Analytics, tracking beacons, “Like” buttons etc.).

DNS security & privacy done right

We use our own - private DNS resolvers for all DNS queries by our customers
All DNS queries are encrypted (AES 128-bit) to protect customers against 3rd party DNS monitoring and hijacking
DNS resolvers do not log DNS queries
We generate millions of DNS queries per day, and these are mixed with legitimate queries from VPN users to make sure that potential monitoring of our DNS resolvers will be ineffective

Service backed by a skilled team

Our core staff members have over 15 years of experience in security and networking.
There is no externalized support or ticket escalation, and no predefined copy-&-paste answers to your queries.
You talk directly to those who implemented the entire VPN infrastructure, and who have the required technical skills to assist you in any problem.

david123 · Post by **david123** » Wed Jun 20, 2018 5:36 pm

I use it. It is very useful when you're using a private network and you don't want the websites you are visiting to know your IP. I always use it when I'm staying at any hotel and connecting to their wifi. For me, SoftEther is the best. At least it gives a residential IP. I was connecting to it and I was using MacBook Pro. Had some problems establishing it, though my brother resolved it with the help of Apple Support USA . Don't know how exactly. I like hotshot shield too.

patrickjburt · Post by **patrickjburt** » Mon Jun 25, 2018 8:01 am

Best use of a VPN is for Torrenting. I use PureVPN and it keeps up with my ISP which is 450 down 250 up.

Have a check on their page: https://www.purevpn.com/file-sharing

Not all VPNs are suitable for torrenting. First, some vpns will not give you enough download speed hence your torrenting experience will be unpleasant. Secondly not all are log free VPN.

You must choose a torrent VPN that has the following features Optimized server for torrent or P2P file sharing. Fast download speed. DNS leak protection. WebRTC leak protection. ipv6 leak protection. SwitchKill protection: as soon as the vpn connection fails, automatically closes internet connection to prevent unwanted IP exposure. Huge number of Servers in different locations/countries. BitCoin payment accepted or not.

MichaelPeerm · Post by **MichaelPeerm** » Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:39 pm

Thought this question had to be asked at some point, so here we go...

Who here uses the TransitTimes App? How often do you use it, what service providers do you use the app for and do you find it easier than reading printed timetables?

bphlpt · Post by **bphlpt** » Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:12 pm

What does that app have to do with a VPN? It might be better to open a new thread with your question about that app.

Cheers and Regards

pasito · Post by **pasito** » Sun Dec 16, 2018 1:15 am

anyone wanting a more involved discussion about this might check out Wilders Security:

VPN Providers - Customer Service

My VPN Testing Site

VPN Extensions are not for privacy

mirimir on vpn chaining:

The router's VPN provider knows who you are, or at least your IP address, and also that you connect to another VPN server. But it can't see what you're doing online. It just sees encrypted traffic. The computer's VPN provider sees what you're doing online, except to the extent that you use end-to-end encryption. And it knows that you're connecting to it using the other VPN provider. But otherwise, it doesn't know who you are, except to whatever you reveal in paying for it. Or if there's personally identifiable information on the computer.

PeterMoore · Post by **PeterMoore** » Thu Dec 26, 2019 8:47 am

I prefer only use VPN when you really need it. Usually we do not VPN unless we are travelling or living in any developing countries and you want to stream content. VPN can be risky if the provider sell your data so keep this thin in mind as well. Though we need to unblock content, you can use it but wisely.

sdk33 · Post by **sdk33** » Wed Jan 08, 2020 6:53 pm

Hi everyone,
I'm glad to be here.
I've used Hoxx VPN extension which is free and work very well, better then Hola.
And in past i've used https://strongvpn.com/ which is not free, but it was excellent, I never had any problems with it.

PROBLEMCHYLD · Post by **PROBLEMCHYLD** » Tue Jan 14, 2020 1:14 am

Every since I figured out how to torrent without a vpn or a proxy, there is no need for one.

bphlpt · Post by **bphlpt** » Tue Jan 14, 2020 10:50 pm

Hey, @PROBLEMCHYLD, I would absolutely LOVE to learn your secret!

Cheers and Regards

PROBLEMCHYLD · Post by **PROBLEMCHYLD** » Wed Jan 15, 2020 12:49 am

I will show you the way if you promise to keep it a secret. If I give you detail instructions you will not find them online. I figured it out by accident and have been testing it for almost a year. I'm 99% positive it works because.... ?????
I never had a problem with you either bphlpt, you seem to be a genuine person and I like you. I will give you me secret.

=[FEAR]=JIGSAW · Post by **=[FEAR]=JIGSAW** » Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:02 am

Well now we ALL want to know ... you just opened a can of worms my friend. LOL

PROBLEMCHYLD · Post by **PROBLEMCHYLD** » Thu Feb 06, 2020 7:06 pm

=[FEAR]=JIGSAW wrote: ↑
Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:02 am
Well now we ALL want to know ... you just opened a can of worms my friend. LOL

I have only been successful in accomplishing this on Linux. I use iptables and there is a function called IP Masquerading. If someone know how to set this up on Windows, then I can test it and give you the instructions. IP masquerading is the key to me downloading anonymous without a VPN or Tor and its fast. I also use DNS-over-TLS Unbound tool https://nlnetlabs.nl/projects/unbound/about/
I don't want this method abuse and I get blocked because I decided to help everyone out. I'll be quiet now

patrickjburt · Post by **patrickjburt** » Sat May 30, 2020 8:11 am

You shoud also go through how to use a vpn for further understanding about vpns.

Zephyr · Post by **Zephyr** » Thu Aug 06, 2020 3:14 am

=[FEAR]=JIGSAW wrote: ↑
Fri May 19, 2017 2:54 am
Like I said, I dont do torrents, and don't see the need why? ... Everything you're looking for on a torrent is also available via http(s) ??

Https does not hide your IP address and I am not sure that it encrypts all the data being transmitted from a website. I have always assumed that with https it is only the communication protocol that is encrypted, but I could be wrong. Can anyone enlighten us on this subject?

Zephyr · Post by **Zephyr** » Thu Aug 06, 2020 3:25 am

PROBLEMCHYLD wrote: ↑
Thu Feb 06, 2020 7:06 pm
I have only been successful in accomplishing this on Linux. I use iptables and there is a function called IP Masquerading. If someone know how to set this up on Windows, then I can test it and give you the instructions. IP masquerading is the key to me downloading anonymous without a VPN or Tor and its fast.

According to an article published by Linux.com

IP masquerading is a process where one computer acts as an IP gateway for a network. All computers on the network send their IP packets through the gateway, which replaces the source IP address with its own address and then forwards it to the internet.

I cannot see how this could possibly be useful to the home computer user who is not part of a network. If the gateway is owned by you then it's IP address will be the one issued by your ISP's DHCP server which does not provide you with anonymity at all.

Zephyr · Post by **Zephyr** » Thu Aug 06, 2020 3:32 am

ronaldlee wrote: ↑
Fri Apr 21, 2017 2:11 am
i agree with jigsaw, i also use free VPN, and Hola is better then other paid VPN providers, you should try Hola VPN

You should ask yourself why is a VPN service being provided for free. Is it because they are doing it for altruistic motives like promoting privacy and freedom of expression or do they want to intercept your web traffic to spy on you or steal your passwords?

PROBLEMCHYLD · Post by **PROBLEMCHYLD** » Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:45 am

You are right, I have no idea what I'm talking about. I just ended up with a folder full of movies (New/Old Releases) with no traces that I have downloaded anything. https://iknowwhatyoudownload.com/en/peer/

wimc · Post by **wimc** » Fri Oct 16, 2020 5:46 am

Never used a VPN myself, but do hear about it on various forums.