VPN

drogulus · November 25, 2020, 11:35:42 AM

A few weeks ago I abandoned my proxy server software and got myself a VPN. Mozilla created one for Firefox that's priced reasonably and based on Mullvad using the Wireguard protocol, which is supposed to be a good thing.

My old proxy was free and generally OK but a little buggy. My VPN is much better. Right now I'm in NY and I've switched to Miami and London as a test. When I do that's where my browser says I am, though not consistently because there's some double hopping going on, a very excellent thing.

Holden · November 25, 2020, 02:22:02 PM

I use a VPN on all my devices, especially my phone and iPad. When I travel this is the only way to do online banking which means going through someone else's WiFi or even worse, public wifi. A VPN is the best way to keep your information secure.

After much research I settled on Express VPN. One of its best features is that it will not share your information from any government request. While this may sound paranoid; the recent activity from Chinese hackers on large Australian corporations (probably with the approval of the CCP) makes sense to me.

André Le Nôtre · November 25, 2020, 02:55:52 PM

I'm always worried that the VPN itself may be the biggest threat, at least in some cases. Are you guys also TORoritsts?

drogulus · November 25, 2020, 03:13:19 PM

Quote from: Holden on November 25, 2020, 02:22:02 PM

After much research I settled on Express VPN.

I know that's supposed to be one of the best.

Now for some fun.

VPN is off and I'm home in Watertown.

VPN is on and I'm in NY.

Now I'm in Melbourne, Australia.

Now I'm in Sofia, Bulgaria.

I'm in Helsinki, Finland.

Hong Kong

Tokyo

Chisinau, Moldova!

Back in NY and boy am I tired.

drogulus · November 25, 2020, 03:17:50 PM

Quote from: André Le Nôtre on November 25, 2020, 02:55:52 PM
I'm always worried that the VPN itself may be the biggest threat, at least in some cases. Are you guys also TORoritsts?

I'm not. I'm worried about slowing everything down if I double up like that. Mozilla VPN is fast and very secure against inadvertent user error. It's on all the time for the whole device.

drogulus · December 03, 2020, 10:18:42 AM

This is OT and so what? I was having a little trouble with my Waterfox browser not working on some sites that report "your browser is not supported". The thing is I want to have a different browser with its own logins and I regard Chrome and MS Edge with suspicion if not active hostility. So I got a little Mozilla extension called User Agent Switcher for Waterfox so it could present itself as an up to date Firefox. It works, so now I have 2 fully functioning browsers with different profiles. One browser can be logged in as "me" and the other as "other me" simultaneously on the same site.

Gurn Blanston · December 03, 2020, 11:35:55 AM

Quote from: drogulus on November 25, 2020, 03:17:50 PM
I'm not. I'm worried about slowing everything down if I double up like that. Mozilla VPN is fast and very secure against inadvertent user error. It's on all the time for the whole device.

Will the Mozilla VPN work as a Chrome extension?

drogulus · December 03, 2020, 11:47:37 AM

Quote from: Gurn Blanston on December 03, 2020, 11:35:55 AM
Will the Mozilla VPN work as a Chrome extension?

It's for the whole device and any program/browser you use is protected. There are no extensions and you don't have to fiddle with proxy settings in each program or any Windows setting.

You can see in the lower right how the VPN shows up. The VPN window is only there if you want it.

Gurn Blanston · December 03, 2020, 01:46:51 PM

Quote from: drogulus on December 03, 2020, 11:47:37 AM
It's for the whole device and any program/browser you use is protected. There are no extensions and you don't have to fiddle with proxy settings in each program or any Windows setting.

You can see in the lower right how the VPN shows up. The VPN window is only there if you want it.

Ah, I see. I just might play around with that, it looks like it could be interesting.