VPN...Virtual Private Network..Worth It?

[chris_kelly]

Originally Posted by interstateflyer

I guess I was under the impression that the VPN provided a secure network from your computer all the way along the line to the end of the tunnel and used their network to securely connect you to the web address that you desired, i.e.: bank.

Only if your bank provided the VPN service to their servers - not likely since most believe that they are immune to an attack with just SSL - remember heart bleed a couple of years ago?

[chris_kelly]

Originally Posted by Brawny

+1. I use PIA as well, more for anonymity than security, but it does a good job of both. I've used it for 2 or 3 years now on a daily basis with my home server without issue.

+1 on PIA - but we're thinking of moving since the service is susceptible to a national security letter.

[chris_kelly]

Originally Posted by ghaynes755

So I get the issue with public WiFi. But unless you are tethered (hardwired) to your MiFi device and simply connected via WiFi if someone really wanted to sniff your connection you are still exposed between your MiFi device and your laptop. VPN still isn't going to help unless you are hardwired to the device with your WiFi on the laptop preferably turned off.

Or did it get it wrong?

Just ensure you have strong encryption turned on between your laptop and MiFi - WPA2 at least.

[chris_kelly]

Here's a good picture depicting what a VPN does:

[waldosgone]

Originally Posted by alano

I use PIA at home and when travelling. www.privateinternetaccess.com. It's quite affordable and very solid. You can determine which exit point you prefer - even in other countries. This is quite convenient if you travel abroad and still would like to access Netflix/Hulu, etc.

I just spent 5 months abroad and you can not access Hulu or Netflix using PIA, or any VPN as I understand it, anymore. Hulu "knows" when you're using one of their servers IP addresses and blocks the content. Netflix started doing the same as of January/Febraury of 2016. Netflix went "international," except China and Syria and you can access Netflix "normally" as you would at home. The major difference is there is a limited catalogue depending on where you're located. For example, in the United Arab Emirates I couldn't watch Friday Night Lights or the new season of House of Cards. I had PIA btw.

[Brawny]

Originally Posted by waldosgone

I just spent 5 months abroad and you can not access Hulu or Netflix using PIA, or any VPN as I understand it, anymore. Hulu "knows" when you're using one of their servers IP addresses and blocks the content. Netflix started doing the same as of January/Febraury of 2016. Netflix went "international," except China and Syria and you can access Netflix "normally" as you would at home. The major difference is there is a limited catalogue depending on where you're located. For example, in the United Arab Emirates I couldn't watch Friday Night Lights or the new season of House of Cards. I had PIA btw.

Good Information!

My current usage is on my home server, and occasionally on my cell phone (there's an app for that) if I'm on a public wifi network and doing online banking, for example.

I'm in Canada, and my future VPN usage with the AS will be in Canada and the US, and my use case will be the same - mostly to provide anonymity when necessary, and security for online banking, etc. I'm not worried about Netflix, etc - I pay for an account, and I expect it should work whether I'm in Canada or the US without the VPN - although its been about 2 years since I've tried to access Netflix inside the US (hotel with free wifi, from my iPad), and it worked fine at that point.

[KJRitchie]

While the connection from your laptop to a VPN server is safe the connection from VPN server to the internet isn't safe. Having VPN is just like if you are working from your company network and you have access to the public internet. You can still hit a site that is infected. Happens at my job occasionally. My colleagues and myself have hit infected sites without knowing and have received a call from our network security department instructing us to unplug the laptop from the network immediately and then shut down. The laptops were replaced.

Kelvin

[Rich W]

Excellent picture that shows VPN is a tunnel between you and a facility (business, school, home network, etc.) There has to be a VPN connection on both ends, that's what creates the tunnel. What passes through the tunnel is secure.

With unsecured public wifi networks, when you aren't in the VPN tunnel, you are at risk. People, if they want to, can have access to your computer, regardless of whether you are at an HTTPS site because while your connection to the HTTPS site is secure, your computer on the public network isn't. Some bad people even set up "free wifi" spots that will allow you to connect and get to the internet while they are looking through the files on your hard drive.

When you are on your home network you can see your other connected devices. The same is true for an unsecured network. If you connect to it, your computer can be visible to others on that same network.

So unless you're using a VPN connection to another network, it's best to leave public networks alone. You never know who is on there.

Originally Posted by chris_kelly

Here's a good picture depicting what a VPN does:

[bci]

My family uses a VPN for all communications outside a secure area (i.e.: home, trusted work, etc...). My home Internet routes has a builtin VPN server. For our laptops, phones, and tablets we setup a VPN to our home router via a dynamic DNS it maintains. Select the option to "send all traffic through the VPN" and we are secure. Even email that is downloaded by our email clients will use the VPN for all traffic from our device to our home is secure. No cost is involved other then power for your home network. It has an added benefit of getting past most router blocking I've been seeing in more and more RV parks.

Looks something like this:

[Home router] --- {Internet} -- {Park WiFi} -- [Laptop]

Traffic flow (all traffic):

[Laptop encrypted] -- {Park WiFi} -- {Internet} -- [Home router] -- {Internet unencrypted}

Our equipment:

{Home ISP}: Verizon 75/75 mb/sec
[Home router]: Cisco Meraki Mx64w
[Laptop]: Macbook Pro

If we did not have a router that supported a VPN server, I would VPN to a host on the inside of my network or use a 3rd party VPN provider. There are currently VPN services that are offering Lifetime Subscriptions for $39.00 - $99.00. Read the reviews

[EvelynDickinson]

Another recommend for PIA as a IT consultant and developer working with very large/lard clients I don't leave home without it.

[alano]

Originally Posted by waldosgone

I just spent 5 months abroad and you can not access Hulu or Netflix using PIA, or any VPN as I understand it, anymore. Hulu "knows" when you're using one of their servers IP addresses and blocks the content. Netflix started doing the same as of January/Febraury of 2016. Netflix went "international," except China and Syria and you can access Netflix "normally" as you would at home. The major difference is there is a limited catalogue depending on where you're located. For example, in the United Arab Emirates I couldn't watch Friday Night Lights or the new season of House of Cards. I had PIA btw.

waldosgone is correct, you can no longer access netflix or hulu with PIA - even in the US. I read somewhere that the VPN providers were working on a solution so perhaps we'll just have to wait and see how it shakes out.

[interstateflyer]

I understand that PIA will serve a maximum of 5 computers/phones on your account. Do you PIA users know whether PIA will allow you to toggle each computer/phone on or off individually? I was hoping that the access restrictions with services like Hulu/Netflix didn't apply to your computers/phones who's VPN services were toggled off.

[alano]

PIA supplies an app that resides in the tray (for Windows machines). You can easily enable/disable and select which server you would like to connect. Not sure about Macs or phones though.

[andreasduess]

We use tunnelbear.com VPN servers for any connections to unknown networks, for security and anonymity.

I even use it at home to strip ad trackers out of my traffic.

Tunnelbear is a Canadian company headquartered in Toronto.

[interstateflyer]

Thanks everyone for your input and enlightenment. What a wealth of information in our Airstream community.

I'm going to go with PIA for our journey through British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Alaska and Alberta.

John

[Jim & Susan]

Originally Posted by interstateflyer

Thanks everyone for your input and enlightenment. What a wealth of information in our Airstream community.

I'm going to go with PIA for our journey through British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Alaska and Alberta.

John

Just wanted to say "THANKS" for starting this thread. There's a bunch of good information here.

Also a hardy thanks to all the industry professionals who contributed your comments. You kept the information understandable and took most of the "geekiness" out of it. GREAT job, folks. (I'm a minor league geek, in the lower part of the sub-minor league, actually, wanna talk about MetroE protocols?)

Jim

[rideair]

Why not just buy a Verizon LTE card and skip the WIFI all together?

https://business.verizonwireless.com...4gltefaqs.html

Not sure it's perfect, but it ain't bad.

Enjoy,

[DaveCamp]

Originally Posted by alano

I feel much more comfortable with it rather than without it. I also run it on a Synology file server and haven't lost a connection for months. Perhaps I'd feel differently if they were using a non-standard protocol, but they support the latest VPN protocols.

Curious if your Synology is in your Airstream? If so, where do you keep it? I'm looking for a place to put a custom built NAS but can't think of anywhere good.

[BoldAdventure]

This thread is so entertaining.

I use PureVPN, have been for years.

[alano]

Originally Posted by DaveCamp

Curious if your Synology is in your Airstream? If so, where do you keep it? I'm looking for a place to put a custom built NAS but can't think of anywhere good.

Sorry I keep my Synology at home. I sync a 1TB drive of my Plex media folders so I have something to watch while on the road! I highly recommend the Synology device, it's so much better than the previous two Drobos that I previously had.