Do You Use a VPN for Internet?

[Beggar for the Spirit]

Are you using a VPN or have you used one?

I am considering a highly rated VPN service that has a good discount right now, so I was wondering if anyone can share with me their experience or recommendations. I will appreciate any thoughts or suggestions, thanks.  

[And_Ray]

Nord Vpn 3 year plan has been on my TO-BUY list for a while.

It's about 110$ for three years, compared to the 12$ monthly subscription.

 

VPN is a service that routes your internet from your computer to the outside world. It serves a hiding barrier that conceals your true identity.

Using VPN has maany advantages, some of which are :
1) Your isp cannot access your traffic, therefore cannot block you from visiting certain websites.

2) You can safely use public wifi on airports or anywhere for that matter without worrying about someone stealing your login credentials or credit card info.

3) You can spoof your location so that you appear to be logged from somewhere else in the world ( depending on the location of the server your logged in ). This can let you access Geo-restricted content such as the US Netflix - anywhere in the world.

 

In short -> with a vpn, you put a mask like a ninja before going out in public so no one knows who you are

 

Some of the considerations would be 

1) how many servers does the vpn provide? what kind of servers are available? Sometimes you would need privacy server, sometime you would need server with higher speed transfer.

2) does the VPN log the activity of its user? If they do, that defies the purpose of using a vpn since in some circumstances, they would eventually be obliged with a warrant to provide those logs to the authorities.

3) where's the VPN registered? The laws of the country apply to the whole vpn service... For example NordVPN is based in Panama, as the country has no mandatory data retention laws and does not participate in the Five Eyes or Fourteen Eyes alliances.

 

 

[Friends just call me Ross]

My NoRootFirewall provides me with a free VPN but I believe it is only used by the app.

 

By having a VPN, NoRootFirewall lets ME control what apps can use Wi-Fi and when...what apps can use Data and when...

what apps have permission to contact their mother ship, or not.

 

I love having control over my apps.  Before NoRootFirewall, and the VPN it provides, the apps were controlling me...and using up

my Data. 

[tuntun]

i've tried it several times (touch vpn) it is completely free although it's far from the best. but each time i activate it the webpage i have visited become strange.

the languages of the webpage i have visited is not understandable (i don't know french). youtube become slower. i don't use it anymore.

[Beggar for the Spirit]

Thanks for all your responses so far. 

1 of the things I have been learning is that free VPNs are not recommended. Here is the reason why stated by some experts who tested various VPNs:

Quote

If you’re going to bother with a VPN, you should spend money on a good one—don’t trust a free VPN. Security and privacy cost money, and if you aren’t paying for them, the provider has an incentive to make money from marketers at your privacy’s expense.

 

[tuntun]

i don't have anything to hide why i should use a fancy vpn?.

using the credit card in the cyberworld for paying something it just like a inviting a thief to stole our money.

[Beggar for the Spirit]

2 minutes ago, tuntun said:

i don't have anything to hide why i should use a fancy vpn?.

using the credit card in the cyberworld for paying something it just like a inviting a thief to stole our money.

You may appreciate reading Brother Andrej's earlier post which provides some good reasons for having a VPN. 

[tuntun]

off course it is up to you to choose whether using a pay or free vpn

since i don't even have a credit card... yet 

i just do mobile banking sometime

i use vpn just to bypassed the government censorship while visiting several useful website such as reddit.

[vern]

1 thing I have noticed is that vpn service can put you in the better pipelines with less routers. Faster and better data rates if needed.

 

other stuff...too

[tuntun]

most vpn will slow down your internet connection. since all data would be sent through a vpn server before it was sent to the local computer.

especially when you're using better grade of encryption.

[skipdaflip]

I use my private VPN server to connect to my home from anywhere. So it seems I'm at home when I'm elsewhere. 

 

I also use a paid VPN server from VyprVPN that provide the regular vpn protocols, but also provide their own chameleon protocol. This protocol is created to beat VPN blocks.

I used it when I had to travel for work and couldn't reach sites or servers that where available for me at home. (In spare time).

 

For work I always used our VPN server from work to connect with work. 

 

Because of my illness I won't and don't use it that long anymore. So I configured the vpn app of VyprVPN on the phone's of my wife and kids. It looks up if the phone is on an untrusted network. If so, then it automatically connects to the vpn server.

 

I can even configure in the app which application must use the vpn connection when connected. And which app must bypass and must use the ISP connection. Very nice!

JW.org must connect through vpn by default, so I'm not traceable and can connect it anywhere. Google or chrome over VPN, so it's secured. And the default android browser can bypass vpn.

 

VyprVPN is even able to connect to the fastest VPN server available in their pool (more then 700+ servers). Or you can configure a fixed server. (VyprVPN from Golden Frog)

Edited March 5, 2019 by skipdaflip

[vern]

forgot to mention. You can get a program that sniffs out all the routers you go thru to reach your destinations.... How many hops... And the vpn I used was cyberghost(sorry about the name) and instead of 20 slow hops to the server destinations it was only 4 hops and much faster better pings.

[Katty]

I really plan on getting one as soon as I have room in my budget, as I understand the best ones are not free (it's been said that if something is free, you're likely the product). I can see how it's probably a matter of time before a major company finds our way of thinking offensive and just randomly decide to go on a campaign to blacklist some of us from necessary services such as access to money, etc., or even going on a smear campaign simply for having the "wrong" ideology. I mean, I may be overly paranoid, but it is an underlying concern of mine.

[tuntun]

 

This depends on what usage. on most smartphones. for example, the iPhone has a default VPN installed. and this is pretty good. if you can get a free VPN at a low price why should you use the paid one.

 

if you have high speed of internet access. You won't see the difference between free and paid VPN. I've been using free ones for years and this is pretty good.

 

Especially since most people use VPN only  to bypass any geo-based restrictions and hide your identity while shopping online.

 

 

Edited March 22, 2019 by tuntun

[Qapla]

And what will you do if they  make using a VPN illegal?

 

Since NOT using one does not violate Jehovah's laws - if it becomes illegal to use one .............

[tuntun]

44 minutes ago, Qapla said:

And what will you do if they  make using a VPN illegal?

 

Since NOT using one does not violate Jehovah's laws - if it becomes illegal to use one .............

That’s because a VPN helps users evade traffic from governments and ISPs. some government just doesn't like with the free speech

 

You can use the DNS jumper software.

It has little effect to speed up our internet connection. But it can also open sites that are blocked by some governments. for example jw.org in russia. it's also free.

 

Edited March 22, 2019 by tuntun

[Beggar for the Spirit]

1 hour ago, tuntun said:

This depends on what usage. on most smartphones. for example, the iPhone has a default VPN installed. and this is pretty good. if you can get a free VPN at a low price why should you use the paid one.

Hi Brother Tuntun,

Katty makes a good point about "free VPNs". It requires a lot of work and money for a company to handle VPN globally. So how does a company afford to provide free VPN? Experts who have done reviews on various VPN companies discovered that the way companies can provide free VPN is by selling their customers data! 

So therefore the privacy and security is gone. So if a person is wanting a VPN for privacy and security, a free service may be completely defeating the purpose. However, if a person does not really care abut privacy or security and just wants to bypass certain restrictions, then I guess a free VPN works. As for me, I am like Katty, security and privacy are important considerations, not because I am doing anything wrong, but for a variety of other good reasons. We all have different consciences, but I appreciate everyone's posts, thoughts, and suggestions. 

 

[tuntun]

1 hour ago, Beggar for the Spirit said:

Hi Brother Tuntun,

Katty makes a good point about "free VPNs". It requires a lot of work and money for a company to handle VPN globally. So how does a company afford to provide free VPN? Experts who have done reviews on various VPN companies discovered that the way companies can provide free VPN is by selling their customers data! 

So therefore the privacy and security is gone. So if a person is wanting a VPN for privacy and security, a free service may be completely defeating the purpose.

If you want to 'donate' some of your money in order to get fully privacy and security that's impossible.

Although paid VPN provider offer premium service which promised they won't sell your personal data (traffic, logs, IP and other) to third parties. and also didn't save logs

But, the VPN company itself can keep your personal data and logs of your activity as your ISP could. Since they need that for their interest. (which company doesn't store their customers data?)

 

https://thebestvpn.com/118-vpns-logging-policy/

 

Most people are only safe while using VPN Unless you're using VPN to do something illegal. Since the Law Enforcement Agencies  still able to monitor your devices directly, or force your VPN provider to record your actions. (since hackers has stolen billions of dollar from the Bank using VPN).

 

Secondly if you use online services like google, outlook etc. These companies still can track you even if you use VPN (since you're logging into their account).

 

Basically, VPN’s might make your IP harder to unravel, but that doesn’t mean there’s no other way of finding you. but of course, it is an extreme case.

[And_Ray]

13 hours ago, tuntun said:

1)  https://thebestvpn.com/118-vpns-logging-policy/

2)Since the Law Enforcement Agencies  still able to monitor your devices directly,

 

3) or force your VPN provider to record your actions.

 

4)(since hackers has stolen billions of dollar from the Bank using VPN).

 

5) Secondly if you use online services like google, outlook etc. These companies still can track you even if you use VPN (since you're logging into their account).

 

1) The VPN's listed on that link, are ones whom i've never ever heard of before, and are definitely NOT one of the most valued and best paid VPN to use these days.

2) Wrong. Thats the points of using a vpn, to encrypt the traffic from your phone to the online service you're trying to access.. They can access traffic, correct, but it's highly encrypted using best encryption standards known to date.

3) Wrong. The bests VPN's have their HQ registered in a country which law doesn't force them to give out customers data ( Panama for example)

4) No one can charge you for using a service that someone else used for illegal activity. I'm sure you use windows or linux. Hackers do too... so what? we will all get charged because we use windows too??

5) Those companies will know when you access your account, true... but the ip address that they will log is the one from the VPN service because thats where your requests originated from.... So, bottom line, they can't track you, only that you used your account....

 

And just like many others said above, using a free VPN is the worst thing you could do if privacy is concerned. I don't even feel like using free vpn for any reason at all. I'd rather not be able to access something, than use free VPN... but that just my personal opinion, which is by no means not backed up by facts and experience.

Edited March 22, 2019 by And_Ray

[tuntun]

Not all free VPNs are bad. Using free VPN means it's already too much used by people and that certainly will affects on speed.

 

Why do you say free VPNs offer little privacy since free VPNs usually didn't ask us to register to get their services. Even if that is so, one can easily use false information. While paid VPN requires us to fill in the correct details used for payment. (paypal, credit card, etc).

 

Whether using paid or free VPN will not protect us from the threat of phishing (fraud) or keylogger and other cyber crime.

 

 

 

 

[shali]

I subscribed to a VPN around Christmas time (best time to get a great price).  They were offering it for 2.99 month if you bought a 3 year subscription and you could use it on up to 5 devices.  The kicker is, I also had "Ebates' and they offered 20% cash back through that program, so I only paid 80.00 for 3 years worth of VPN service.  I mostly route through the Netherlands and Denmark.  Anyone else in the US have good suggestions for countries to route through that are quicker than the US?

 

I didn't think much about getting a VPN until Svetlana said she was still accessing our sites because she had a VPN and I thought  - you know, for us Witnesses that might come in handy someday just like it has for some witnesses in Russia right now. Plus, I live in a small rural area and if I stream a movie or two, I don't want my ISP to throttle my bandwidth.  

Edited March 23, 2019 by shali

[campanula]

Just downloaded Tor browser. Looks better than VPN. Need more time to try, but sounds really better.

[carlos]

Opera Browser has a VPN included for free. You just have to activate it. In fact, it's activated by default when you browse in Private mode.

 

I don't know how good and how safe it is, though.

Edited May 3, 2019 by carlos

[EccentricM]

I use a free Broswc VPN, just to access JWtalk, since for some reason on my browser, the site bugs out and doesn't load for me otherwise.

[Beggar for the Spirit]

Here is a good deal this weekend for anyone wanting a good VPN that is affordable.

The best reviewed VPNs are normally much more expensive, this VPN has pretty good ratings.

 

Private Internet Access VPN Service:

2-Year $45

3-Year $60

To get this deal, you will need this code:

WEEKEND25