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Post by septet on Apr 25, 2023 2:54:06 GMT
I'm in the market for a new VPN subscription, but there's so many to choose from. I checked the old Yesterweb forums, but I couldn't find a consensus.
My current subscription is to NordVPN. Two services I'm currently looking at are Surfshark and Riseup (which is linked on the Yesterweb links page.
What have your experiences with VPNs been like? Any tips or recommendations?
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Post by Ray on Apr 25, 2023 7:53:50 GMT
What do you need a VPN for? I currently have a Nord subscription and regret it extremely. I fell for their aggressive marketing tactics in getting years worth of VPN, while I realistically only use it when I torrent. And I detest how they try to sell you this idea that you need their services to be safe online, mostly via misleading YouTube ads. They almost convinced my friend (who's tight on money) to pay good money for years worth of subscription... While she absolutely has no need for a VPN. She uses social media and google on her iPad and that's all. Even if she had a PC, all she needed was an adblocker and Windows Defender. I provided her resources on what VPNs actually *do*, and eventually she realized she didn't really need it after all. So, yeah!! Not a fan of Nord. I have similar feelings for Surfshark (another startup born from business incubators for the sole purpose of selling a service to an audience that doesn't need it). Their services might be good, but their practices are scummy. I was also really disappointed when I realized they don't allow port forwarding, but I am stuck with them for several months still, haha The only VPN I will probably use in the future is Mullvad. They seem actually serious about their stuff. Their prices are fair, they don't try to trick you into getting more than you need, and have options for people that absolutely need VPNs for security purposes. They don't even store your email, and you can pay by *cash* if you're so inclined lmao. It's 5€ a month and isn't a subscription service. They give you a code you can use to log in to your account, and you can pay for however many months you'd like. I'm pretty sure they survive by having a clear business model and happy customers. I've never seen any ad for them, but it's the mostly recommended VPN in piracy spaces, and I can see why! Those are just my two cents. I'm somewhat passionate about it because I highly dislike some VPN companies' business model, and think they take advantage of some people. Truth to be told, if all you need is for your IP to be masked, literally any paid service with a Killswitch will do. Good luck + I'm curious to hear what you get!
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Post by septet on Apr 25, 2023 15:43:15 GMT
Ray , you've given me a lot to think about. I think above all, I'd use a VPN as an extra security measure when I have to connect to public wi-fi.
I've also mostly grown disillusioned with NordVPN. I acknowledge that the service was a stepping stone to becoming more serious about online security, but I do think it's time for a change. I also agree that the marketing comes off as predatory, making you think that only they can provide suitable protection.
It definitely seems like a lot of the services being hocked by YouTubers and podcasts are focused more on locking you into a state of dependence on the service then actually protecting your privacy. I'm glad to be moving on.
I've heard of Mullvad too, I think also from the Yesterweb forum. It sounds promising and accessible. I should do more research into it and RiseUp.
Does anyone know any good software (VPN or otherwise) with a Killswitch?
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sixeyes
Web Surfer
what's going on lol
Posts: 18
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Post by sixeyes on Apr 26, 2023 12:04:49 GMT
I'm using Tunnelblick (software) for work, it does have a killswitch but i never used it. And the default behaviour is something of the opposite: if the computer sleeps, it disconnects the VPN? So then when you're back from the kitchen and resume whatever you're doing, it goes over the regular connection. Very strange
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Post by Cobra! on May 1, 2023 2:46:40 GMT
I use MullvadVPN myself, and would highly reccomend it. I use it because it's an effective system-wide ad-blocker, says it also blocks trackers (and I'm sure it does given I've seen sites with ads I had no idea it had because the VPN blocked them the whole time!), and it's a good way to trick websites into thinking I'm from different countries, which is very useful when you're learning a language. I'm learning Italian, so I have mine set to Italy.
Only issue I have right now is that ProBoards really doesn’t like VPNs, so you need to turn it off to visit here, or use an older device that doesn’t support the VPN to go here. I use Windows 98 and Mac OS9 laptops for that.
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modro
Web Surfer
Festive vibes in the city...
Posts: 20
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Post by modro on May 2, 2023 9:34:51 GMT
And the free VPN subscription, like the one from riseup dot net?
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Post by septet on May 9, 2023 14:32:01 GMT
I think that I'm going to get Mullvad for my VPN and Bitwarden for my password manager. Mullvad seems the most serious about privacy, and Bitwarden seems to be a popular choice among users of this forum.
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Post by septet on May 13, 2023 20:38:51 GMT
So, my Nord subscription has expired, and I've been using Mullvad VPN for the past few days.
As of now, I like it. For one thing, my internet speed does feel faster. For another, the service's app works a lot better on my browser (with Nord, sometimes it would sign me out when I changed locations, and getting back online could sometimes be a hassle).
I still haven't really looked into changing the Tunnel Protocal and DNS settings yet. I'll need to do more research on it.
Yeah, so far, so good.
EDIT: One downside is that the VPN really doesn't like Proboards. This wasn't a problem with Nord, but it is with Mullvad. I seem to recall one member of this forum saying they found a VPN location that was able to work with this site. Maybe I can ask them.
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Post by Ray on May 14, 2023 7:02:17 GMT
So, my Nord subscription has expired, and I've been using Mullvad VPN for the past few days.
As of now, I like it. For one thing, my internet speed does feel faster. For another, the service's app works a lot better on my browser (with Nord, sometimes it would sign me out when I changed locations, and getting back online could sometimes be a hassle). I still haven't really looked into changing the Tunnel Protocal and DNS settings yet. I'll need to do more research on it. Yeah, so far, so good. EDIT: One downside is that the VPN really doesn't like Proboards. This wasn't a problem with Nord, but it is with Mullvad. I seem to recall one member of this forum saying they found a VPN location that was able to work with this site. Maybe I can ask them.
Yes, that was Cobra!! I don't use VPNs while regularly browsing so I never noticed. This is one issue I heard about with Mullvad, that they have overall less IPs than some others, so it's easier to get some that others used for nefarious purposes in the past. Good thing about Mullvad is - even if you decide that's a dealbreaker and want to change, at least you only paid for a month! :'D
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Post by Cobra! on May 14, 2023 17:44:18 GMT
So, my Nord subscription has expired, and I've been using Mullvad VPN for the past few days.
As of now, I like it. For one thing, my internet speed does feel faster. For another, the service's app works a lot better on my browser (with Nord, sometimes it would sign me out when I changed locations, and getting back online could sometimes be a hassle). I still haven't really looked into changing the Tunnel Protocal and DNS settings yet. I'll need to do more research on it. Yeah, so far, so good. EDIT: One downside is that the VPN really doesn't like Proboards. This wasn't a problem with Nord, but it is with Mullvad. I seem to recall one member of this forum saying they found a VPN location that was able to work with this site. Maybe I can ask them.
Yes, that was Cobra! ! I don't use VPNs while regularly browsing so I never noticed. This is one issue I heard about with Mullvad, that they have overall less IPs than some others, so it's easier to get some that others used for nefarious purposes in the past. Good thing about Mullvad is - even if you decide that's a dealbreaker and want to change, at least you only paid for a month! :'D Yeah, I usually pick Italy as my country on Mullvad so that websites default me to Italian websites and any ads I see. I found out picking Rome rather than Milan as the city makes proboards work. Though Rome doesn't allow me to use other sites, so I need to switch between them occasionally.
I also have a Windows 98 laptop and an iBook G3 to explore forums like this if all else fails.
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Post by septet on Jun 12, 2023 15:36:13 GMT
Yes, that was Cobra! ! I don't use VPNs while regularly browsing so I never noticed. This is one issue I heard about with Mullvad, that they have overall less IPs than some others, so it's easier to get some that others used for nefarious purposes in the past. Good thing about Mullvad is - even if you decide that's a dealbreaker and want to change, at least you only paid for a month! :'D Yeah, I usually pick Italy as my country on Mullvad so that websites default me to Italian websites and any ads I see. I found out picking Rome rather than Milan as the city makes proboards work. Though Rome doesn't allow me to use other sites, so I need to switch between them occasionally.
I also have a Windows 98 laptop and an iBook G3 to explore forums like this if all else fails.
It looks like I can use Proboards while connected to Albania. I'm glad that I figured it out. Thanks for the advice everyone!
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Post by Cobra! on Jun 13, 2023 0:17:44 GMT
Yeah, I usually pick Italy as my country on Mullvad so that websites default me to Italian websites and any ads I see. I found out picking Rome rather than Milan as the city makes proboards work. Though Rome doesn't allow me to use other sites, so I need to switch between them occasionally.
I also have a Windows 98 laptop and an iBook G3 to explore forums like this if all else fails.
It looks like I can use Proboards while connected to Albania. I'm glad that I figured it out. Thanks for the advice everyone!
Whenever the servers are up, Rome works with proboards, and so does Osaka.
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