[the-dream]

Which VPNs have you used and what can you say about them?

I'm looking to purchase a new VPN subscription but the vast majority of advice online is biased and just looking to get a commission so it would be good to compile some non-biased experiences of various providers.

Also, Black Friday is coming up and we should be able to get some good deals then!

I'll start. My current VPN is IPVanish, which I purchased on the (biased) recommendation of blogger Matthew Woodward. I would not really recommend it. It slows my internet speeds down to the extent that I'd rather not use it unless I really have to. Also, it won't work for unblocking most things that are blocked by region.

[TheFinalEpic]

I use NordVPN. Really solid GUI client for mac and windows, and you can use it with openvpn for linux. Quite a few servers all over the world.
Generally, I use it at coffee shops and wifi networks which I don't control the security. I have no complaints about the speed, and it is usually as quick as the coffee shop. It does also work for IP spoofing for netflix etc.

[kinjutsu]

Proton VPN.
The premium service is very very good. They have very very solid high speeds.

Don't bother with free vpn's IF you value your online anonymity/privacy.
Protonvpn and protonmail operate out of Switzerland, Iceland, and Sweden that have very strong privacy laws ie no American extradition to get the data off the servers.
They can't even look at the data if a country tries to get the browser data.

[WilliamDoor]

+1 for Nord, many nodes on the globe, top of the list on privacytools.io - https://www.privacytools.io/#vpn

They also often have a promo, two years for ~$70, cheap price for peace of mind. The code is 2YDeal2017, but if that does not work do a look up on Start Page (or Gulag if you still use them)

[Kid Twist]

Anyone had privateaccess?

[JayR]

(11-14-2017 11:10 PM)Kid Twist Wrote:  

Anyone had privateaccess?

RVF VPN expert Rigsby made negative comments about Private Internet Access here.

However, I've used PIA for a couple years now am very happy with it.

Also, this thread is a dupe: thread-35181.html

[Adonis]

I used PIA as my first VPN and it was ok at first but became slow after a few months and I had issues with my preferred servers being offline. NordVPN has been much better, offering a few different types of connections such as double VPN, anti DDoS etc. Paid for both with a gift card easily. I need to take a look at Proton VPN, their mail client is really good.

[ThrustMaster]

PureVPN - it’s ok speeds suck, it’s not super secure.

Mullvad - screaming fast when optimized i can get 175mpbs downloads ona 200mbit line. It’s super secure - they only give you an account number and you can pay with bitcoin. They don’t keep logs. 5 euros a month

[PUA_Rachacha]

Private Internet Access VPN. I can switch servers and I don't notice any lag or slow down in speeds. Costs money though, but it's well-worth it to me for peace-of-mind.

[HardcoreSexpatMotherfucker]

There are so many free ones now, I never pay.

Most times I just use the free one embedded in Opera browser

[TheFinalEpic]

(11-16-2017 05:52 AM)HardcoreSexpatMotherfucker Wrote:  

There are so many free ones now, I never pay.

Most times I just use the free one embedded in Opera browser

You get what you pay for. Free vpns will sell your information and depending on where they are located will direct information to whoever is the highest bidder (or serves a subpoena). All of their servers are known, whereas paid services continually have new servers popping up and old ones shutting down.

Depends on what you're using the VPN for.

[HardcoreSexpatMotherfucker]

Most of the paid ones do the same thing!

And either they are "legit", operating for a major Western country, so they won't sell your info by law, but will give everything to the government

OR they are incorporated in a lawless country, which means you are indeed safe from the government, but they will sell your info to private companies.

So yes, it depends what is your purpose in the end.

[This Is Trouble]

I haven’t found anything faster and more consistent out here in Eastern Europe than VYPR VPN.

when I was Stateside I had quite a few more options.

[DaveR]

ProtonVPN or AirVPN if your primary concern is privacy. You'd probably also want to run it on a firewall or router instead of your PC, otherwise the chance of leaks is too high. Also block location services on any devices that you use - all of the major browsers have it these days.

Performance is heavily influenced by your ISP and location (city/town, not just the country). Without those details, it isn't possible to give a good answer.

[Kid Twist]

You guys pay with gift card just so no tracking no matter what?

[DaveR]

(11-17-2017 07:38 PM)Kid Twist Wrote:  

You guys pay with gift card just so no tracking no matter what?

Gift cards are a good payment option if you don't want anyone knowing that you're using a VPN, but you'll also have to use it from a cafe or somewhere else where you can connect anonymously to ensure that there's no record of you using it.

If your internet service is in your name, it doesn't make a huge of difference.

[mementoaudere]

Express VPN

[Kid Twist]

(11-18-2017 01:36 AM)DaveR Wrote:  

(11-17-2017 07:38 PM)Kid Twist Wrote:  

You guys pay with gift card just so no tracking no matter what?

Gift cards are a good payment option if you don't want anyone knowing that you're using a VPN, but you'll also have to use it from a cafe or somewhere else where you can connect anonymously to ensure that there's no record of you using it.

If your internet service is in your name, it doesn't make a huge of difference.

The initial sign in already "gives you up" you're saying. Humor me, what's the worst thing that could happen out of "Sir, you visited xyz VPN site!" Why were you doing that! lol

having said this is ipvanish good and/or the best for firetv? Anyone have a firetv rec? I just want solid performance for low cost. It's not like I do crazy shit on 5 devices or anything.

[DaveR]

(11-18-2017 09:48 AM)Kid Twist Wrote:  

The initial sign in already "gives you up" you're saying. Humor me, what's the worst thing that could happen out of "Sir, you visited xyz VPN site!" Why were you doing that! lol

There's nothing inherently illegal about using VPNs, but your ISP (and therefore Police, courts, etc.) will know that you're using one. If you only want to avoid getting caught for torrenting a few movies, using a VPN should be sufficient.
On the other hand, if you're an investigative journalist, mafia member, Roosh in Canada or similar, you'll have more to worry about. Most VPNs will mix your traffic with that of other users' to make it more difficult to tie you back to a specific site, but it can still be done through traffic analysis, targeted disconnects, etc. For real anonymity, you'd have to use ToR and be paranoid about security. There are operational security guides all over the internet that go into it in plenty of detail. You probably don't need them, though.

(11-18-2017 09:48 AM)Kid Twist Wrote:  

having said this is ipvanish good and/or the best for firetv? Anyone have a firetv rec? I just want solid performance for low cost. It's not like I do crazy shit on 5 devices or anything.

If your main use for a VPN is access to FireTV, I think your best bet would be to search for recommendations from FireTV users. Hola may work for free.

[Kid Twist]

So you recommend just using a free one? I haven't had any problems and I watch some kodi stuff, but not a crazy amount.

[ThrustMaster]

Some services, like Mullvad don't even ask for an email address - they give you an account number, if you lose it you're fucked. The don't keep logs either, therefore there is nothing to "hand over" or sell. Thats their selling point.

(11-16-2017 09:16 PM)HardcoreSexpatMotherfucker Wrote:  

Most of the paid ones do the same thing!

And either they are "legit", operating for a major Western country, so they won't sell your info by law, but will give everything to the government

OR they are incorporated in a lawless country, which means you are indeed safe from the government, but they will sell your info to private companies.

So yes, it depends what is your purpose in the end.

[Nemausus]

I found this website to be helpful in determining which VPN to use.

https://thatoneprivacysite.net

He has an extensive VPN comparison page, which you can sort by what features/values/ethics are most important to you. https://thatoneprivacysite.net/simple-vp...son-chart/

Based on his review and scoring, I opted for Mullvad. I've been using it for a few months now, both in North America and Europe and have been happy with the results. There are around 80 connection options so if one is acting up, I just switch to another.

I was using Opera's baked-in VPN for a long time, but then I read that it is nothing more than a Proxy. Labeling it as a VPN is extremely misleading.

https://www.cactusvpn.com/vpn/opera-vpn-...han-a-vpn/

[Neo]

I've used Nord in the past and I've noticed a few strange things regarding this VPN.

First, it seems some of their servers are showing DNS leaks. Log into one of their servers and go to their website and it will show you as 'Unprotected.' Also going to https://www.dnsleaktest.com/ shows that this is the case. I would get around this by choosing certain servers as favorites that wouldn't leak. They claim to have DNS leak protection built in, so it could be something on my end.

Second they seem to have a bug in their GUI, that will sometimes show your native IP address where it says "Your new IP is..." however when you go online and check your IP it will show that you are connected properly.

I don't have enough knowledge in this area to know whether these things can be exploited. I'm not doing anything sketchy anyways so I don't care much. Unless reading RVF, Breitbart, etc. become thought crime it shouldn't be an issue for me.

But I thought I'd mention these irregularities in the software.

[DaveR]

(11-18-2017 04:25 PM)Kid Twist Wrote:  

So you recommend just using a free one? I haven't had any problems and I watch some kodi stuff, but not a crazy amount.

Yeah, any VPN is enough to break a copyright infringement lawyer's business model. They go for the low-hanging fruit.

[RatInTheWoods]

Express VPN isn't bad.