Test VPN

[robj20]

Recently been more concerned with my privacy so thought I'd try a VPN went with Private Internet Access, is it as simple as checking if your IP address changes when you visit such sites as "what's my IP" it no longer says BT but something random in Germany. Is that it? Seemed too easy.

 

[5abr3]

Recently been more concerned with my privacy so thought I'd try a VPN went with Private Internet Access, is it as simple as checking if your IP address changes when you visit such sites as "what's my IP" it no longer says BT but something random in Germany. Is that it? Seemed too easy.

Could try a speediest with it on and off. Places like Ookla give where they see your IP originating from and you should see an increase in ping if it's a server in your originating country.

Alternatively you can see if geofenced sites work for you now in your apparent country locale (like Netflix offering different programs that you can't get normally)

 

[Avalon]

There’s more too it than that, but if you're using the PIA client software, it generally handles kill switch functionality and prevents DNS leaks. You’ll find wireguard generally gives better performance than OpenVPN. The no part is remembering that it needs to be on to work and if you turn it off, its staying off. Some retailers and indeed sites don't like VPN’s, expect to be flagged for fraud/additional checks occasionally, or some things just wont work. Theres a healthy debate about PIA’s ownership being questionable as the parent company has some pretty nasty history and they hired the ex owner of Mt. Gox for the group of companies security, this is a man who claims he was too dumb to secure coin wallets properly or notice that millions was stollen, so possibly not the most obvious choice. That said zero documented cases of PIA providing logs to 3rd parties and its basically free via Quidco etc. so on that basis it could be a lot worse.

 

[robj20]

There’s more too it than that, but if you're using the PIA client software, it generally handles kill switch functionality and prevents DNS leaks. You’ll find wireguard generally gives better performance than OpenVPN. The no part is remembering that it needs to be on to work and if you turn it off, its staying off. Some retailers and indeed sites don't like VPN’s, expect to be flagged for fraud/additional checks occasionally, or some things just wont work. Theres a healthy debate about PIA’s ownership being questionable as the parent company has some pretty nasty history and they hired the ex owner of Mt. Gox for the group of companies security, this is a man who claims he was too dumb to secure coin wallets properly or notice that millions was stollen, so possibly not the most obvious choice. That said zero documented cases of PIA providing logs to 3rd parties and its basically free via Quidco etc. so on that basis it could be a lot worse.

Yes read about the WireGuard thing.
It'll be good to get some different region shows.

 

[5abr3]

There’s more too it than that, but if you're using the PIA client software, it generally handles kill switch functionality and prevents DNS leaks. You’ll find wireguard generally gives better performance than OpenVPN. The no part is remembering that it needs to be on to work and if you turn it off, its staying off. Some retailers and indeed sites don't like VPN’s, expect to be flagged for fraud/additional checks occasionally, or some things just wont work. Theres a healthy debate about PIA’s ownership being questionable as the parent company has some pretty nasty history and they hired the ex owner of Mt. Gox for the group of companies security, this is a man who claims he was too dumb to secure coin wallets properly or notice that millions was stollen, so possibly not the most obvious choice. That said zero documented cases of PIA providing logs to 3rd parties and its basically free via Quidco etc. so on that basis it could be a lot worse.

Agreed there's more than what I wrote, should have included a "baby steps" note or something I suppose

 

[Delta3D]

Good choice, I've used PIA for ~10 years now and had no issues

 

[Dg834man]

Unless you need a vpn for a specific reason its total tin foil hat thinking you will benefit from having one, i do have one and its turned off 99% of the time.

 

[robj20]

Unless you need a vpn for a specific reason its total tin foil hat thinking you will benefit from having one, i do have one and its turned off 99% of the time.

That's not really what I asked about, but point taken.

 

[Rainmaker]

Unless you need a vpn for a specific reason its total tin foil hat thinking you will benefit from having one, i do have one and its turned off 99% of the time.

Hard disagree. Apart from the fact there *are* specific reasons that apply to every user in the UK (high court mandated blocks, poor ISP routing etc) there is also the 'Snooper's Charter'. It mandates long term storage of every domain accessed (DPI/DNS logging) by every broadband account in the country. With warrantless access by a wide range of people, ranging from the local council and fire station through the Food Standards Agency, HMRC, and the security services... I'd rather my browsing be my own, thanks.

 

[ChrisD.]

Hard disagree. Apart from the fact there *are* specific reasons that apply to every user in the UK (high court mandated blocks, poor ISP routing etc) there is also the 'Snooper's Charter'. It mandates long term storage of every domain accessed (DPI/DNS logging) by every broadband account in the country. With warrantless access by a wide range of people, ranging from the local council and fire station through the Food Standards Agency, HMRC, and the security services... I'd rather my browsing be my own, thanks.

Depends entirely on the VPN provider tbh.

 

[Rainmaker]

Depends entirely on the VPN provider tbh.

Absolutely. I can count the ones I'd trust on one hand... PIA aren't one of them, and OP would do well to read up on Kape.

 

[robj20]

Absolutely. I can count the ones I'd trust on one hand... PIA aren't one of them, and OP would do well to read up on Kape.

Visited the Kape site and it says "US-based VPN service provider that boasts a court-proven no-logs policy. With over 10 years in business and millions of satisfied customers, PIA is well-equipped to provide world-class VPN services" so what's the issue.

The topic isn't too discuss which VPN, that decision has already been made.

 

[Rainmaker]

Visited the Kape site and it says "US-based VPN service provider that boasts a court-proven no-logs policy. With over 10 years in business and millions of satisfied customers, PIA is well-equipped to provide world-class VPN services" so what's the issue.

The topic isn't too discuss which VPN, that decision has already been made.

Have a search around. Kape are a nefarious company with links to malware, spying and hijacking users' machines and selling their data (and more). They currently have a proclivity for gobbling up big VPN companies and adding them to their portfolio.

 

[WJA96]

Unless you need a vpn for a specific reason its total tin foil hat thinking you will benefit from having one, i do have one and its turned off 99% of the time.

I have a lot of sympathy with this point of view. I don’t need a tin foil hat to KNOW that GCHQ are monitoring everything in and out of the UK and that my ISP is legally obliged to hand over my browsing data if requested to do so. But as I don’t browse anything I’d be ashamed to tell my mum about I don’t really see the problem.

I do use secure VPNs for site to site backups etc. but that’s more about not sharing my data than being ashamed of anything.

The internet used to be a total free-for-all and dark, dark, stuff happened. And they’re cleaning it up. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing really. I don’t have kids but if I did I certainly wouldn’t want them on Pr0nhub or whatever so age safeguards seem fine. If you do want to go look at that stuff, as far as I’m aware, it’s not illegal unless it involves stuff you wouldn’t want your mum to know about. At which point, you shouldn’t be doing it.

 

[robj20]

I have a lot of sympathy with this point of view. I don’t need a tin foil hat to KNOW that GCHQ are monitoring everything in and out of the UK and that my ISP is legally obliged to hand over my browsing data if requested to do so. But as I don’t browse anything I’d be ashamed to tell my mum about I don’t really see the problem.

I do use secure VPNs for site to site backups etc. but that’s more about not sharing my data than being ashamed of anything.

The internet used to be a total free-for-all and dark, dark, stuff happened. And they’re cleaning it up. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing really. I don’t have kids but if I did I certainly wouldn’t want them on Pr0nhub or whatever so age safeguards seem fine. If you do want to go look at that stuff, as far as I’m aware, it’s not illegal unless it involves stuff you wouldn’t want your mum to know about. At which point, you shouldn’t be doing it.

That's great and all, bit not what I walked.

 

[WJA96]

That's great and all, bit not what I walked.

It’s not always about you.

Sometimes people like to point out that someone has a bad VPN or that VPNs can be a bit pointless. Besides, didn’t you get your question answered already?

 

[robj20]

It’s not always about you.

Sometimes people like to point out that someone has a bad VPN or that VPNs can be a bit pointless. Besides, didn’t you get your question answered already?

Fair enough.
Everything I could find said PIA was pretty good. Only signed up for a year so can always review at the end.

 

[Avalon]

Unless you need a vpn for a specific reason its total tin foil hat thinking you will benefit from having one, i do have one and its turned off 99% of the time.

The specific reason would be privacy (though obvious questions need to be asked about the provider used in this respect), and you often don't know how important it is till it’s too late.

My mates ex made accusations against him when they split, she weaponised access to the children till she got what she wanted financially from him, years later she has admitted as much and apologised. The upshot was he was interviewed by the police, social services got involved and his access to his children was restricted to supervised visitation. She had no proof of her accusations other than her statement, no corroboration from 3d party service providers, medical professionals or any kind of documentation, and he had no relevant history or convictions, but the fact that a newly single bloke who was working to support two households at that point had shockingly visited a mainstream adult website regularly was one of the few factual items social services used in its report to justify its recommendation to the court.

Privacy is important, I can only hope that anyone who thinks otherwise remains so blissfully naive.