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VPN Service?


gebraset

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So with traveling, I am finding that I am in need of a VPN service. I don't have a computer at home that I can use as my own server, so I'm looking to other services to be able to provide VPN capabilities for me. While some users want to use a VPN to make their traffic look like its from outside the US, I just want to be able to secure my login information for various websites while located in public Wi-Fi spots, as well as access US content while out of country.

 

Pretty much, my criteria are services that use multiple security technologies (IPSEC, OPENVPN, etc.), can access US based servers, has some kind of professional UI, and are less than $50 per year.

 

As of now, I cam finding the following to be interesting but have no experience with any of them at this point in time:

 

PureVPN

CyberGhost (offers free service, but US servers are always full which is the problem)

WiTopia

Private Internet Access

 

Can anyone recommend any of these, or even better, dissuade me from using any of them? I am needing to make a decision in about the next two days or so, so I don't have tons of time to figure this out, lol.  :teehee:

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I use HMA! Pro VPN. Although it costs $78.66 per year, you can pay monthly ($11.52) for when you need it.

 

If you want to get really into it, you can create a live Tails (which is free) install on a USB flash drive, and use the Tails OpenPGP Applet for encryption.

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Long time lurker, first time poster and all that jazz. But this topic piqued my interest as I recently had to make a similar decision

 

After looking through the review sites, comparing features etc.. and factoring how much I travel, I started using/subscribing to https://ironsocket.com

 

The reasons are because it's based in Hong Kong (I go there a lot), I can stream using Netflix/Hulu and whatever else easy, and can still use OpenVpn with it along with Socks proxies that are easy to setup in browsers etc.. and it's cheap!

there are many providers out there I know, but I do like the fact that the one I chose is not very known, so it is still very fast ;)

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Yeah, HMA is just too expensive for what I am looking for, but I appreciate the input.

 

In regards to IronSocket, it actually looks pretty good and professional. The setup seems like PureVPN, but a little more friendly overall. Thank you for the suggestion!

 

I stumbled across VPNBook last night, and am using it right now. It seems to work pretty darn well, especially since it is free and uses the OpenVPN Client to connect to the servers which it has in Europe, the UK, and US. Has anyone used it before? It seems like exactly what I need, which is to keep credentials and traffic secure over open networks.

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I have actually used HMA, IPVanish and a few others. I live in Asia and use mostly US based sites. HMA has the most servers to choose from but I did have problems from time to time as well as getting booted now and then. I started using IPVanish about 3 months ago and have never had any problems. I was also using some free proxy sites that worked well at topvpns dot org.  I have not used purevpn, but have heard good this too.

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I use this http://www.ibvpn.com/ $4.95 a month for the basic one, and that seems to be the one you would need. I have been using it the past 2 months, and so far I like it. The ui is very simple and user friendly. They do offer a free trial but I think its just like 6 hours.

Edited by slick2500

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  • 1 month later...

I know that this thread is a little long in the tooth now, but Geb I was wondering if you had made a choice and if so what service did you end up with.  I've been considering a VPN too as an additional layer of protection and anonymity (lets just say it wont be for business though   :))

 

I've been reading reviews for a week now and narrowed it down to some of the providers on your original list plus a couple of other interesting alternatives including one called TunnelBear.  My five primary considerations have been;

 

1. No logging or logging destroyed within 24 hours

2. Payment / account anonymity

3. Price

4. Bandwidth / speed / throughput

5. Easy On / Off switching

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If you want to get really into it, you can create a live Tails (which is free) install on a USB flash drive, and use the Tails OpenPGP Applet for encryption.

 

Mind expanding on this with a "how to" or link?

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I use HMA! Pro VPN. Although it costs $78.66 per year, you can pay monthly ($11.52) for when you need it.

 

If you want to get really into it, you can create a live Tails (which is free) install on a USB flash drive, and use the Tails OpenPGP Applet for encryption.

 

Mind expanding on this with a "how to" or link?

 

Yeah, when I find time, I'll write up a guide for it. I've had a busy stretch lately. :(

 

You can just go to the Tails website https://tails.boum.org/ and read up on things. There's a few things you need to do to verify the Tails authentication, and you need to read up on any security holes for any specific version that's out there and keep that in mind. I think it's a bit more advanced than most people can handle, but hopefully with a guide, I can make it easy. If you use Tails the wrong way, things could turn out badly, but that would be something I would go over.

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  • 4 months later...
  • 11 months later...

Time to resurrect this thrreeaadddd!  :woot:

 

But in all seriousness, there seems to be a lot of talk recently with VPN services and why we should be using them. I've been trying to wrap my head around the thought of using them at home, as I already understand the necessity to use them on the road when making use of public Wi-Fi. The usual answer that I keep getting after asking why I should use a VPN service at my home location is for the ability to cloak my IP address, making it impossible for companies to snoop on my data and build a profile on me (not completely, due to services like Google, Facebook, etc.). Additionally, it keeps my ISP from data mining my connection and selling information to advertisers. What it doesn't do is provide me with any additional security, since if I'm not using a secure protocol to connect to a website or service, my information is still vulnerable from the exit point (the VPN server I'm connected to) to the website or service I'm accessing.

 

Am I correct in my thinking? If so, in the end, I'm trying to figure out if the whole "data mining" and "identity protection" benefits that VPN utilization offers are even worth the money, especially when being at home the majority of the time. Since my last post in this thread, I've been able to setup a home VPN server through my router and access it remotely from all my devices. This is the reason why I'm inquiring with you all about the actual benefits of using a VPN service from home, since at this point in time, my connections from public Wi-Fi are going to my home router, and then out to the big bad world we call the Internet. :P

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