Best VPN for me + DD-WRT question

[MunQ]

Hey hey!

I'd like to get a vpn for me after all the CISA stuff happening.

I'm pretty much a newbie when it comes to networking. I know some HTML but that's about it lol.

I tried comparing some of the vpn service providers at http://comparisonvpn.com but I got stuck. First of all I have no idea what the different protocols mean. Second of all I hear that it's much better to have the VPN on a router instead of my computer, is this true? I also read that I need a DD-WRT router, is this a manufacturer or a type of router or what is it? How can I get my hands on one?

Bonus question, anyone have recommendations for good vpns?

 

[yorgi]

You don't need DD-WRT all you need is an Asus router with Merlin firmware.
I have been using PIA VPN service for 2 years and it works great.
You can configure PIA on your router in seconds and enjoy privacy surfing
here is a link on setting up PIA with merlin firmware
http://www.thinhammer.com/index.php...-vpn-client-using-private-internet-access-pia
hope that helps you out

 

[MunQ]

You don't need DD-WRT all you need is an Asus router with Merlin firmware.
I have been using PIA VPN service for 2 years and it works great.
You can configure PIA on your router in seconds and enjoy privacy surfing
here is a link on setting up PIA with merlin firmware
http://www.thinhammer.com/index.php...-vpn-client-using-private-internet-access-pia
hope that helps you out

Sweet, a nice reply with a guide. THANKS!

Do you know if I can temporarely disable the VPN with a browser connected to the admin panel of the router?

There's times when I don't want to use VPN and times when I do want to use it.

 

[yorgi]

Sure just go to the vpn area and choose which one of the 5 vpn clients you want and simply click the off button.
But if you do that the firewall will kick in and the internet wont work.
What you should do is just change IP address of your device so that you can fall on an IP which is not on the IP tables of the VPN and thus will give you access to your Local ISP
Remember the reason for VPN is to hide your IP address why would you temporally want to disable it
Also I have been using PIA for a couple of years now and their servers are rock solid
that is to answer the question in regards to a good VPN provider

 

[L&LD]

Remember the reason for VPN is to hide your IP address why would you temporally want to disable it

Not true. That is not the purpose of a VPN.

 

[patrick sullivan]

And this is far superior to running the VPN service from a PC? Superior as in better protection from the WAN? Isn't a cheap router a pretty simple obstacle for any hacker with basic skills?

 

[patrick sullivan]

Sure just go to the vpn area and choose which one of the 5 vpn clients you want and simply click the off button.
But if you do that the firewall will kick in and the internet wont work.
What you should do is just change IP address of your device so that you can fall on an IP which is not on the IP tables of the VPN and thus will give you access to your Local ISP
Remember the reason for VPN is to hide your IP address why would you temporally want to disable it
Also I have been using PIA for a couple of years now and their servers are rock solid
that is to answer the question in regards to a good VPN provider

Yorgi: Is this considered a hardware VPN or just a software VPN running through a flashed router?

 

[yorgi]

Hardware VPN

 

[yorgi]

Sweet, a nice reply with a guide. THANKS!

Do you know if I can temporarely disable the VPN with a browser connected to the admin panel of the router?

There's times when I don't want to use VPN and times when I do want to use it.

In the guide there is a mistake.
Accept DNS configurations you have to put Strict
and for encryption chipper use BF-CBC

 

[testing123]

Good information here for the uninitiated. What kind of bandwidth drop do you get with the PIA/Router scenario (I know the router could make a difference, and I'd be using my RT-N66U, unless someone told me I was limiting myself)?

 

[L&LD]

Good information here for the uninitiated. What kind of bandwidth drop do you get with the PIA/Router scenario (I know the router could make a difference, and I'd be using my RT-N66U, unless someone told me I was limiting myself)?

What ISP level do you pay for? That will also determine if the 'N66U will be a limiting factor.

 

[kbp]

With AES-256 encryption your speed will almost be cut in half.

 

[testing123]

What ISP level do you pay for? That will also determine if the 'N66U will be a limiting factor.

50mbps down (generally 55-60 is what I see), 5mbps up.

 

[sfx2000]

I'd like to get a vpn for me after all the CISA stuff happening.

Using a VPN can definitely put someone on someone else's watchlist - so that's not a good reason to all of a sudden say "I'm afraid of someone watching me while I..." - hate to tell you, there is no privacy in VPN's, not matter what the public VPN provider promise you... what it can do is wrap your packets in some level of encryption to their end point, but then, it's public after that...

VPN isn't going to change anything there - it's just going to make your internet experience _SLOWER_...

VPN has it's purposes... but VPN isn't for anonymity...

 

[testing123]

Using a VPN can definitely put someone on someone else's watchlist - so that's not a good reason to all of a sudden say "I'm afraid of someone watching me while I..." - hate to tell you, there is no privacy in VPN's, not matter what the public VPN provider promise you... what it can do is wrap your packets in some level of encryption to their end point, but then, it's public after that...

VPN isn't going to change anything there - it's just going to make your internet experience _SLOWER_...

VPN has it's purposes... but VPN isn't for anonymity...

Could you elaborate? For what purpose, if not for privacy? My inital purposes are Orwellian, although I'm thinking other uses may present themselves...i.e., accessing my business nw from home and on the road, but is that private?

 

[sfx2000]

VPN's are good for dialing into - use case - I'm at the coffee shop, it's open WiFi, so yes, I'll use VPN then, whether to a public provider (which I don't use, I host my own end point) or to the Office or Home...

VPN is also great for Site to Site - e.g. Office to Office direct links...

Not really private, as everyone can see the source/destination, but again, the packets are wrapped with strong encryption...

My main point is the VPN does not give anyone anonymity - that doesn't happen with any kind of VPN...

 

[sfx2000]

Gah - again...

"message is awaiting moderator approval, and is invisible to normal visitors."

 

[testing123]

Ah, I just received the dreaded moderator approval message. I've deleted that post.

Maybe it's a link I provided (to one of your posts, sfx200). So I will paste the post here, sans the link and also not reply specifically to you. .

So, if I'm understanding correctly, a vpn's real benefit is data encryption, but anyone who wants to know starting and endpoints can do so if they know how to? Is that a fair assesment?

And if that is true, how then does one obtain the sort of privacy that many seem to look for with a vpn?

Also, I read your post here:

-link omitted-

Very informative, but a bit disconcerting in that it implies that a nw can be seen and entered as per your statement:

"Using a VPN opens up your threat surface, as the VPN means trust - and that includes everyone else attached to the VPN host - so if I were logged onto the same public VPN host, do you trust me - someone with in-depth technical knowledge on how networks, and VPN's actually work?"

Also implied is that hosting your own vpn is the only way to ensure closure of those vulnerable points. But again, that seems to address nw and data safety only, not anonymity.

I, in fact, am interested in all of the above. The first two seem to be addressable via (self hosted?) vpn. Can anonymity be achieved in another way?

But you must get tired of relaying the same information time and again. And I will avidly listen, but if you find it tedious, perhaps there is a source of information that caters to laymen? Or is that what might have triggered the Moderator Approval event?

Also, thanks very much for your remarks. You seem to have a way of explaining these matters that makes them clearer, although the discretion with which you explain them makes it a bit muddy.

 

[sfx2000]

I stand by my statements - I don't think/recall anywhere I would have contradicted them...

If you own both end points in a VPN, you have a reasonable amount of security between them - if you don't, then one doesn't...

Hackers exploit trust - whether independent black hats, or white hat security researchers - or more ominously, big three/4 letter agencies...

VPN is a great tool when it's use properly, and puts many at risk when it is not...

My background - 20 years in telecom - from engineering to standards development to product design - please hear my words...

 

[testing123]

Apologies if my post seemed to imply skepticism. That's not the case at all. In fact, your posts have provided more clarity than I've previously encountered, and I'm happy to have stumbled across them. It's quite difficult to get proper information.

So basically:
1. site to site vpn is only truly effective when one controls (hosts) both ends (i.e., office and home vpns) and is the only way to ensure that data is safe from prying eyes, big 3 & 4 types and hackers. Otherwise, vpn is pointless?

2. The vpn industry so many are flocking to does not serve the purposes said 'flockers' believe and hope it does: Anonymity. Nor data privacy.

I believe the above points are true. I came here hoping to gain an education on how to use a vpn for my desired purposes, but learned that my purposes can't be (completely) served by a vpn service. On the contrary, red flag risk and hacker risk rise. With no pay off (anon & priv). That's valuable.


So, if I, a law-abiding citizen, wish to retain my browsing privacy (if not anonymity), what is the best way? SSH proxy? Is there a way to retain both? If I can only have one, privacy would be primary (to me). If my browsing can't be intruded upon, then where it originated from doesn't matter (although where it ended up might...). What is the most effective (and reasonably initiated) method to serve my purposes?

I should clarify that I'm not referring to public wifi, which I don't really have need for at present.

Again, thanks for the info.

Edit: Is it fair to say, however, that one's IP will remain private amongst the average websites, since they will likely not take the trouble you might? It seems so. For instance, I just visited a site (a parts distributor) I've never been to before, yet my zip code was plastered at the top of the page. I don';t really care for that.