*** VPN Thread ***

BigT said:
1. It depends. If you want to send all your internet traffic through the VPN then you'll have to route all your traffic through a device that connects to the VPN, typicalLy your router. If you're only worried about browsing and have a few devices then you can just have a client on each device that you care about. For example I don't mind the Government knowing my viewing habits on my Fire TV sticks

2. I assume you mean NordVPN? NordVPN is a provider of VPNs - I.e. It's a provider you can connect to. OpenVPN is a standard/technology supported by many VPN solutions including NordVPN. pfSense is a piece of software that can act as a router and firewall which includes a VPN client to allow network wide coverage. In summary a pfSense router could use its OpenVPN client to connect to a NordVPN server to route your traffic through.

3. Not likely with an off the shelf box for network wide coverage as the demands on the CPU are too high. If you're only doing individual PCs with clients on them then a fast PC should keep up if the VPN provider can.

4. Yes potentially. Gaming it will likely introduce lag. Streaming, some providers don't like you using VPNs as people use them to bypass geolocation protection. Netflix is almost guaranteed not to work using a VPN.
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First off thanks everyone for replying.

Even the basics of VPN seam complicated at the moment to me.

1. is VPN the only option ?
VPN Seam to be a long way off from a perfect solution.
2 if i wanted to route all my traffic through a VPN what options do i have and would i have speed and stability issues ?
3. if I was to go with the full network protection, would i still need to by a something like nordVPN
3. what are some good VPN's ?
4. Do you guys use VPN as a temp when needed or do you use it all the time like your main connection ?

I dont know what route to take, I would have liked full network protection but if some sites wont work would it not be more complicated to temporarily disable it to use the site, like you said netflixs wont work, i assume some others wont either and i will have other issues.

When I was looking into VPN's I was a bit surprised, some of the sites had a lot more info then i expected (IP, ISP Provider location. Browser, OS, CPU) would this not make getting targeted by criminals easier ?
Why is the gov making this easier ?
I'm assuming I may have the wrong end of the stick but are we still protected as we thought ?
 
I'm going to Germany for two weeks tomorrow and taking my iPad, I'd like to watch Amazon TV and Sky Go, so just need it to look like I'm in the UK.

I've used IPVanish before and it was mostly good apart from not wanting to connect sometimes.

I'd rather it was cheaper buy obviously want reliability.

PIA looks good, $6.95 for a month.
 
Nick1881 said:
I'm going to Germany for two weeks tomorrow and taking my iPad, I'd like to watch Amazon TV and Sky Go, so just need it to look like I'm in the UK.
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For this use case your best bet is to connect back to your home i.e. You host your own VPN server. Forward a port on your router to something like a Raspberry Pi running this and it'd be fine for streaming UK stuff, provided your home connection has a decent upload speed.

http://www.pivpn.io/

However depending on your router it may already have a VPN server built in so no more need to spend money.
 
2013 said:
First off thanks everyone for replying.

Even the basics of VPN seam complicated at the moment to me.

1. is VPN the only option ?
VPN Seam to be a long way off from a perfect solution.
2 if i wanted to route all my traffic through a VPN what options do i have and would i have speed and stability issues ?
3. if I was to go with the full network protection, would i still need to by a something like nordVPN
3. what are some good VPN's ?
4. Do you guys use VPN as a temp when needed or do you use it all the time like your main connection ?
Click to expand...

1. If you want protection from people snooping your traffic then yes.
2. If you want speed and stability then you'll need a replacement router, most likely based on a reasonably powerful PC and running something like pfSense. Basically you're building your own router and it isn't straightforward.
3. VPN provider? NordVPN, PIA, ExpressVPN or have a look around the threads in here as there are lots of recommendations.
4. I use pfSense to do something called policy based routing so I have network wide VPN but certain devices I use for streaming are excluded. The pfSense router has rules I've defined that tell it which machines use what connection.
 
BigT said:
For this use case your best bet is to connect back to your home i.e. You host your own VPN server. Forward a port on your router to something like a Raspberry Pi running this and it'd be fine for streaming UK stuff, provided your home connection has a decent upload speed.

http://www.pivpn.io/

However depending on your router it may already have a VPN server built in so no more need to spend money.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this, my router is Asus N66u running Merlin. I can see the VPN option but have no idea how to configure it, then I'd have no idea to connect my iPad to it. Seems the easier option is pay $7 and download the app to my iPad.2

Edit - Seems it's not that bad, I found a guide, turned on the VPN Server - OpenVPN in the Asus control panel, got the config and emailed it to my laptop, it doesn't seem to want to connect though.

It's set to autologin profile in OpenVPN on the iPad where the guide shows entering a username and password, I can't work out how to change it.

Edit 2 - Ah it does work, my iPad was on the wifi, I used my phone as a modem and tried again, says connected. I'll try it in Germany and see if it allows me to watch Sky Go.

Thanks again
 
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BigT said:
1. If you want protection from people snooping your traffic then yes.
2. If you want speed and stability then you'll need a replacement router, most likely based on a reasonably powerful PC and running something like pfSense. Basically you're building your own router and it isn't straightforward.
3. VPN provider? NordVPN, PIA, ExpressVPN or have a look around the threads in here as there are lots of recommendations.
4. I use pfSense to do something called policy based routing so I have network wide VPN but certain devices I use for streaming are excluded. The pfSense router has rules I've defined that tell it which machines use what connection.
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Thanks

Could you give me a little more info,

1. Im on Virgin media, what kind of router would i need to allow VPN ?

2. would it only wok with a router ?
I dont have a VPN router what are cost effective option ? I have a Micro server will that work ?

3. would I still need buy VPN service ?

4. pfSense is that the same as VPN ? what are the differences ?
with pfSence i assume you cant stream or download or can I still do everything as normal inc streaming?

5. is router based VPN the same as normal VPN, would it stop snooping and still allow the same benefits ?
would I be able to do everything as normal or would i run in to issues also would it use a external ip or my isp IP ?

6. can a vpn run all the ?

7. what kind of cost would i be looking at ?

Really what Im looking for is something to stop snooping but still be able to do everything as normal, browsing, streaming, downloading ext and still have good speed.
I would like something to run on my network for everyone but would i have issues, i'm the only one at home with any knowledge so i would like it to be simple.

would i be better off trying to run it over a network for everyone or just get a vpn for myself


Thanks again.
 
2013 said:
Thanks

Could you give me a little more info,

1. Im on Virgin media, what kind of router would i need to allow VPN ?

2. would it only wok with a router ?
I dont have a VPN router what are cost effective option ? I have a Micro server will that work ?

3. would I still need buy VPN service ?

4. pfSense is that the same as VPN ? what are the differences ?
with pfSence i assume you cant stream or download or can I still do everything as normal inc streaming?

5. is router based VPN the same as normal VPN, would it stop snooping and still allow the same benefits ?
would I be able to do everything as normal or would i run in to issues also would it use a external ip or my isp IP ?

6. can a vpn run all the ?

7. what kind of cost would i be looking at ?

Really what Im looking for is something to stop snooping but still be able to do everything as normal, browsing, streaming, downloading ext and still have good speed.
I would like something to run on my network for everyone but would i have issues, i'm the only one at home with any knowledge so i would like it to be simple.

would i be better off trying to run it over a network for everyone or just get a vpn for myself


Thanks again.
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1. Most ISP provided routers allow VPN connection from clients and typically have options within advanced settings which control this.
2. A "VPN router" refers to a router which has the functionality to act as a "VPN client" which can connect to 3rd party VPN providers aswell as point-to-point VPN connections. This allows all traffic to be forwarded out to the internet via the VPN from your router. A MicroServer will be capable of running pfSense which is a software based router, however this will required dual NIC's (preferably Intel based).
3. Yes.
4. See point 2, pfSense is not a VPN service, it is a software-based router which is built on OpenBSD. VPN's are only scratching the surface of what the platform is capable of (lots of info about this on Google).
5. If setup correctly, yes.
6. ?
7. pfSense for example is free, however you will need the hardware to run it on. Personally i opted for a Netgate SG-2200 appliance which runs pfSense which was around £360incVAT.

There are quite a few "off-the-shelf" routers that can act as a VPN client (as described in point 2), however there is a lot of load on the CPU due to the encryption of the traffic before passing through the VPN. This can cause quite a big drop in bandwidth.
 
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So I'll try and elaborate a bit on the above answers and recommend a solution that I think gives you the selective network wide VPN coverage you want and work with Virgin at high speeds. I have to caveat I don't know the Virgin superhub that well.

Firstly from everything I understand the Virgin superhub does not support acting as a VPN client. So the first thing to do is to relegate the Superhub to modem only duties and plug it into a router that can support a VPN client. You could use any commercial router with an ethernet WAN port that supports an OpenVPN client. Asus routers can do this I know for sure and probably a fair few other manufactuerers too.

However I don't believe this is going to work for you in the ideal scenario though because a) They won't be powerful enough to run a VPN at the full speed of your Virgin connection and b) I think most don't support policy based routing to selectively route parts of your network over the VPN while allowing other devices not to (like games machines or consoles)

Thus we need an alternative router and the use of pfSense software on a machine is ideal for this.

If your Microserver is running an OS that support virtualisation then you can install a pfSense image as a virtual router. You'd need an additional dual network card to install into it to bridge to the virtual router as it's WAN and LAN port. Plug the WAN into the Virgin superhub now acting as a modem and the LAN into a network switch which should have everything else on the network plugged into it.

If your Microserver can't host a VM then you'll need another physical PC capable of running pfSense with dual network cards. If you wish to repurpose your Microserver entirely to routing duties then you can install pfSense on it as the base OS (It is just a PC after all) and it becomes an applicance - it is a fancy router now. You'd still need to make sure you have at least two Intel network cards in there.

Relegating the superhub to modem duties also means you now have to have something else to act as a wireless access point, because you've installed pfSense on a PC (either physically or virtually) which doesn't have the ability to act as a Wireless Access Point which most consumer routers (including the Virgin Superhub) do. So buy a wireless access point (Ubiquiti is a good solution) and plug that into your network switch to re-enable wireless access to your network and the internet.

Next you buy a VPN subscription from a provider that supports OpenVPN clients such as that found in the pfSense software. Plug the details you get into your pfsense box (this is much more complicated than this step sounds and warrants its own thread and best served by researching youtube videos and the like)

That's going to get you the solution you want but it is far from easy and is costly.

It is much simpler to put an off the shelf consumer router into the mix with the Virgin superhub acting as a modem. This also has the advantage of also having wireless built in normally. You will have to comrpomise on speed and policy based routing though, but unless you feel very comfortable with networking then I can't stress enough how the ideal solution is a steep learning curve.
 
Thanks again for the replies.

The router option seam simpler but how much of a speed issue will i have ?
I know most VPN's will be slower anyway but will the router add to the slow speeds ?

if i go down the router side would it matter which VPN service i use, are they all the same ?

lastly will i have issues with service (some website) you did say Netflix does not allow VPN and neither does Iplayer i assume it will be the case with a few others, how would i get around this ?

Any other issues i should be aware of also would using the router option work the same as the downloaded VPN clients ?

One question Ive been wondering about, is it OK to use VPN all the time ? Would i have issues or land into hot water for using it, just wanted to know you never know lately

Thanks for helping
 
2013 said:
Thanks again for the replies.

The router option seam simpler but how much of a speed issue will i have ?
1. I know most VPN's will be slower anyway but will the router add to the slow speeds ?

2. if i go down the router side would it matter which VPN service i use, are they all the same ?

3. lastly will i have issues with service (some website) you did say Netflix does not allow VPN and neither does Iplayer i assume it will be the case with a few others, how would i get around this ?

4. Any other issues i should be aware of also would using the router option work the same as the downloaded VPN clients ?

5. One question Ive been wondering about, is it OK to use VPN all the time ? Would i have issues or land into hot water for using it, just wanted to know you never know lately

Thanks for helping
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1. This purely depends on the hardware. You want to make sure the CPU for a pfSense runs AES-NI where possible. Reddit is a great resource for hardware configurations.
2. Most of the major providers support the OpenVPN protocol. I know Nord VPN and Private Internet Access support this.
3. In pfSense you can specify which devices you want to utilise the VPN connection (or everything). You can also tie this down to particular destinations (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video etc etc). This is all done via Firewall rules.
4. DNS leaks can be an issue with any VPN solution, however this is mainly down to the device you are connecting from (again, lots about this on Google).
5. No issues.
 
Thanks


1. I was thinking of going with the cheapest and most simple option to start with pfSense seams like it will will cost a lot more and complicated to setup for someone like me.
2. i know some have huge price difference would I need to compare them or are they the same.
3. Can the sane be done with a with a router or a cheap option, I dont really want to spend 100's on something I don't really understand
4. DNS leaks can be a issue but how would i know if I have a DNS leak, any simple solutions to stop this ?

5 I see a lot of people using pi solutions, whats the difference.
6. VPN servers switch between different locations, would it auto switch on the router ?

I'm also looking for a VPN suggestion, The few online recommendations I've come across, price is a factor so ive added 1 month prices

Price vs features
ipvanish ($7.50 offer) nordVPN($11.95), PIA - private internet access ($6.95), pureVPN ($11.00), expressvpn ($12.95) windscribe (Free or $4.50) cyberghost ($6.99)
 
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2013 said:
Thanks again for the replies.

The router option seam simpler but how much of a speed issue will i have ?
I know most VPN's will be slower anyway but will the router add to the slow speeds ?

if i go down the router side would it matter which VPN service i use, are they all the same ?

lastly will i have issues with service (some website) you did say Netflix does not allow VPN and neither does Iplayer i assume it will be the case with a few others, how would i get around this ?

Any other issues i should be aware of also would using the router option work the same as the downloaded VPN clients ?

One question Ive been wondering about, is it OK to use VPN all the time ? Would i have issues or land into hot water for using it, just wanted to know you never know lately

Thanks for helping
Click to expand...

So with a decent off the shelf router that has a VPN client like the Asus RT-AC68U, your connection through the VPN is likely to be limited to about 50mbps. The router is adding to the slowness because it's CPU can't keep up decrypting traffic at the speed your internet can receive it.

You'll need a VPN service that supports an OpenVPN client. Most of the good ones do.

To get around streaming sites blocking your VPN you either turn off the VPN client on the router temporarily or find a service that works with them. To the best of my knowledge only Express VPN can still get around Netflix. I think IPlayer works with a few more.

It's Ok to use a VPN all the time. You aren't doing anything wrong or illegal.
 
2013 said:
Thanks


1. I was thinking of going with the cheapest and most simple option to start with pfSense seams like it will will cost a lot more and complicated to setup for someone like me.
2. i know some have huge price difference would I need to compare them or are they the same.
3. Can the sane be done with a with a router or a cheap option, I dont really want to spend 100's on something I don't really understand
4. DNS leaks can be a issue but how would i know if I have a DNS leak, any simple solutions to stop this ?

5 I see a lot of people using pi solutions, whats the difference.
6. VPN servers switch between different locations, would it auto switch on the router ?

I'm also looking for a VPN suggestion, The few online recommendations I've come across, price is a factor so ive added 1 month prices

Price vs features
ipvanish ($7.50 offer) nordVPN($11.95), PIA - private internet access ($6.95), pureVPN ($11.00), expressvpn ($12.95) windscribe (Free or $4.50) cyberghost ($6.99)
Click to expand...

1. Probably sensible
2. Routers? Look around threads on here for recommendations. I like Asus, of which one with an OpenVPN client would cost you about £100
3. Yes, as I said in my earlier post, but you'll be limited on speed and policy based routing
4. Test here: https://www.dnsleaktest.com/ you stop it by not running split VPN routes.
5. A Pi based solution allows you to have the flexibility of something like pfSense but on something much cheaper to buy than a dedicated PC. It's going to be just as hard to setup as pfSense though.
6. You switch location normally by logging into the VPN service provider and telling it where you want to appear to be from.
 
Thanks

Last question if I was to just run the VPN client off my pc without any hardware just the app provided would I still have slow speeds like with the router ?
 
You'd get much better speeds because your PC will do the VPN decryption and it has a much more powerful processor than any router. Also there's no added cost because the client will come with your VPN subscription and it will be a cinch to install. This is probably how 99% of VPN providers' subscribers use their platforms.
 
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