Author Topic: VPN Recommendations  (Read 3494 times)

AmHere

VPN Recommendations
« on: February 26, 2019, 11:16:27 PM »
I am in the market for a VPN, What do you use and do you like it?

There was an ad for NordVPN on TV yesterday. And the online reviews seem good. Anyone here use it?



ETA: corrected spelling in title
« Last Edit: February 27, 2019, 04:54:22 AM by AmHere »
 

Tafkal

Re: VPN Recomendations
« Reply #1 on: February 27, 2019, 12:27:29 AM »
I use NordVPN and have had no problems with it, although I'm not an expert and wouldn't really know whether it's good or not. grint It works, is all I can say. I mainly use it to check the prices of my books on foreign stores.
 
The following users thanked this post: AmHere

Bill Hiatt

  • Trilogy unlocked
  • *****
  • Posts: 3735
  • Thanked: 1326 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Tickling the imagination one book at a time
    • Bill Hiatt's Author Website
Re: VPN Recomendations
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2019, 01:31:24 AM »
I have Private Internet Access (PIA). https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/

I used to use Anonymizer but had occasional issues with it, so I tried something new. When it first started using PIA, there were a few sites (oddly, Barnes and Noble, among others) that it had a hard time connecting with. It also occasionally didn't play well with my email client and the synchronization on my Kindle app. These were infrequent problems. However, a recent switch to a new and improved client appears to have eliminated even these minor issues.

The experience of using PIA is now smooth. I don't even have to think about it most of the time. And, for whatever advertising claims may be worth, it claims to keep no records of your internet activity whatsoever. That means even if PIA's servers get hacked, there's no information about individual users that can be compromised.

As I suspect is probably true with using any VPN, you will need to go through the new device routine with some websites, such as banking websites, but typically, that's only a one-time thing.

Occasionally, connection speed my slow down. Disconnecting and reconnecting the VPN normally solves the problem--if it's VPN related. Depending on your hardware, sometimes the problem may be modem-related and require turning off the modem and then turning it back on to reinitialize it.


Tickling the imagination one book at a time
Bill Hiatt | fiction website | education website | Facebook author page | Twitter
 
The following users thanked this post: AmHere

APP

Re: VPN Recomendations
« Reply #3 on: February 27, 2019, 02:04:12 AM »
I too use PIA--and I'm happy with it. Now that said, occasionally it won't connect with a website. In those cases, I momentarily turn off VPN.

Before settling on PIA, I tried NordVPN for a month. There were too many websites I couldn't reach through them, though. This was a couple of years ago, so it probably has improved substantially.
 
The following users thanked this post: AmHere

Hopscotch

Re: VPN Recomendations
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2019, 02:23:44 AM »
Anyone have experience with PIA while traveling overseas, ie, to avoid the risks inherent in a hotel-provided wifi service?
. .
 

AmHere

Re: VPN Recommendations
« Reply #5 on: February 27, 2019, 04:52:54 AM »
Thanks for the PIA recommendation and the thoughts on NordVPN.

 

Bill Hiatt

  • Trilogy unlocked
  • *****
  • Posts: 3735
  • Thanked: 1326 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Tickling the imagination one book at a time
    • Bill Hiatt's Author Website
Re: VPN Recomendations
« Reply #6 on: February 27, 2019, 09:59:58 AM »
Anyone have experience with PIA while traveling overseas, ie, to avoid the risks inherent in a hotel-provided wifi service?
I haven't, but I will say they have servers in different parts of the world. If you were traveling in an area with a relatively close server, I can't think of a reason it wouldn't work. (You can connect in theory to any of the servers in their network from anywhere, but I've sometimes had performance issues when the service auto-connected me to a server that was far distant from my location.

Of course, using PIA would depend upon whether or not the hotel-provided wifi allowed VPN use.


Tickling the imagination one book at a time
Bill Hiatt | fiction website | education website | Facebook author page | Twitter
 

APP

Re: VPN Recommendations
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2019, 02:23:34 AM »
I am in the market for a VPN, What do you use and do you like it?

I assume by now you've already obtained a VPN service. In case you haven't, though, you may want to peruse this excellent article published by Future Tense and Slate Magazine. Title: Do You Trust Your VPN? Are You Sure?

https://slate.com/technology/2019/02/best-vpn-companies-trust-privacy.html?via=homepage_recirc_engaged
 
The following users thanked this post: AmHere

AmHere

Re: VPN Recommendations
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2019, 06:05:41 AM »
 

She-la-te-da

Re: VPN Recommendations
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2019, 06:43:04 AM »
I've been using Browsec for a while and haven't had any problems as far as I can tell. I don't travel, so no idea about any of that. I got the extension through Firefox, mainly to keep Google from tracking me everywhere I go -- it can't seem to narrow down where I am, so far.
I write various flavors of speculative fiction. This is my main pen name.

 
The following users thanked this post: AmHere

Jeff Tanyard

Re: VPN Recommendations
« Reply #10 on: March 17, 2019, 07:22:58 AM »
I've been using Browsec for a while and haven't had any problems as far as I can tell. I don't travel, so no idea about any of that. I got the extension through Firefox, mainly to keep Google from tracking me everywhere I go -- it can't seem to narrow down where I am, so far.


VPNs usually cost money, but that Browsec addon seems to be free.  Is there a catch?  What am I missing? 

If it's actually a free VPN, then sign me up.   :cool:
v  v  v  v  v    Short Stories    v  v  v  v  v    vv FREE! vv
     
Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy (some day) | Author Website
 
The following users thanked this post: AmHere

Bill Hiatt

  • Trilogy unlocked
  • *****
  • Posts: 3735
  • Thanked: 1326 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Tickling the imagination one book at a time
    • Bill Hiatt's Author Website
Re: VPN Recommendations
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2019, 01:48:58 AM »
As the article linked above points out, much depends on what kind of records the VPN keeps and in what country the VPN has its headquarters. There is at least one case in which PIA was subpoenaed by the FBI and was unable to produce records--because the company doesn't keep any. That's one thing to check for. Also, if the company is based in an area controlled by an authoritarian regime, or at least one that doesn't respect privacy policies, you may have no way of knowing whether data is in fact being kept on you, and if so, where it's going.


Tickling the imagination one book at a time
Bill Hiatt | fiction website | education website | Facebook author page | Twitter
 
The following users thanked this post: AmHere