WHO USES A VPN?

[YY1]

I don't see it fully explained, despite this being a 3-4 year old thread, so here it is...

It seems what "consumer" VPN providers are selling is a connection to one of the servers they own, which then assigns an IP address from that server's pool, rather than the address pool of the ISP you connected to the internet with.

So, instead of tracking you back to your ISP, any tracking being done goes back to the VPN providers ISP.

You gain a modest, second level of "protection" but someone still has record of where you went, it's just the VPN provider instead of the ISP provider.

Also seems a frequently used side benefit, is that since IP addresses are region specific, certain content can be blocked from certain regions. A VPN connection to a server farm outside your local region could potentially allow you to access certain forms of content. I've heard some PPV streaming outside of the US is provided free, as well as "bootleg" and/or pirated content that's blocked in the US can be available elsewhere.

 

[GetX'd]

Some of what is said is legit - some is not founded properly. First of all you don’t have to pay for a good VPN. They’re offered all over the place for N/c. Secondly you should have no speed problems on your home network. Sometimes what can occur is a website will not open or certain web functions will not load properly depending on where you have your VPN assigned - ie: a foreign country of different US state. I usually like to have mine say I’m in Europe somewhere. Sometimes I have to disconnect it temporarily because of that. What a VPN does is route your IP through different servers so whomever cannot track you. You may be in CA but via your VPN it appears like you’re in Switzerland etc.

If you want one of the best out there I highly recommend Protonmail as a secure and protected email and VPN as you’re going to find. Everything is end to end encrypted in addition to numerous other protective measures. Their VPN is superb. Everything is open source and completely free unless you choose to upgrade to some higher level stuff which I find unnecessary for regular home use. Their whole deal is protected freedom of speech. Widely used around the world by journalists and others in need of a highly secure system. Check them out - I promise you will be incredulous at what they offer for free or pay. The best I’ve seen - I discovered Proton thru Elon Musk promoting them in 2020 when the whole world was coming apart.

 

[66Hemi]

Professional exp: 35+ yrs Software, Systems, & Networks Engineering
Mainframe, Distributed, Server Systems; 'Wired' (Direct connect) and Wireless Networks

VPN is a Virtual Private Network. Virtual is the key. You will experience a significant hit in access speed on a VPN
Personal experience: Excellent sales pitch. Not worth the price of a cup of coffee.
Minimal (if any) improvement over the data security offered by most web access providers.

What's A VPN? & Why You [REALLY] Need One in 2024

Yeah. Less than thrilled with the opps available to the gen'l public. I have a dedicated T1 line on an air-gapped network w/ 2.5 x 10(26) encryption that cycles every 6.0ms. "Good Luck" to the Dark Web hackers

 

[GetX'd]

Professional exp: 35+ yrs Software, Systems, & Networks Engineering
Mainframe, Distributed, Server Systems; 'Wired' (Direct connect) and Wireless Networks

VPN is a Virtual Private Network. Virtual is the key. You will experience a significant hit in access speed on a VPN
Personal experience: Excellent sales pitch. Not worth the price of a cup of coffee.
Minimal (if any) improvement over the data security offered by most web access providers.

What's A VPN? & Why You [REALLY] Need One in 2024

Yeah. Less than thrilled with the opps available to the gen'l public. I have a dedicated T1 line on an air-gapped network w/ 2.5 x 10(26) encryption that cycles every 6.0ms. "Good Luck" to the Dark Web hackers

It sounds like you know your stuff. What do you think of Proton if any experience w/it? Not necessarily the VPN but the whole package.

 

[66Hemi]

Review - Gen-whatever 'kids' with nil (equivalent) experience
Proton VPN Review

For load, reliability, access / response time, tested all of the VPNs for various 'blue chip' corps.
Over an extended test period, Proton's product was no better or worse than any of the other providers.

Bottom Line:
VPN user is on a public network
'Wired' networks are exceptionally difficult to secure
'Wireless' (open source) networks? Good luck

Most reliable network security methodology:
'Old school'. Multiple, stacked, internal networks. External access will time out before breaching through those networks

 

[Photon440]

I'm using Cyberghost 8, haven't noticed any speed issues.

 

[Don selleck]

interesting

 

[GetX'd]

I’ve experienced no speed delays w/either Norton or Protonmail VPNs.

 

[YY1]

Again- they're marketed as "security" and the bottom line is- they're not.

There is a semblance of security, like there is with a locked screen door.

Unless the following condition is met-

...and again, their intended use is a secure connection from one computer or network to another, where the same "stakeholders" have control of both ends of the "tunnel".


...and that in turn relies on the robustness of the security on the other side of the tunnel.

If you are connecting to anything other than a closed network, someone knows where you are and where you're going.



28 years IT connectivity experience in both corporate and government arenas.

@66Hemi is 100% spot on, although with a fast enough connection, the additional "overhead" (and there IS overhead) of a VPN may not be noticeable.

 

[YY1]

...and for the record, I have never run anti-virus software.

That's right, never.

...and I have only ever gotten ONE virus.

It came from someone I worked with who I trusted not to be proliferating infected media.

I also have a collection of 1990's viri on floppy disks.

That's right, I collected viri. It helped me in my job and was actually used to evaluate corporate level AV software, and did in fact exclude some fairly big names.