Recommend a VPN service please

[tempestdriver]

I use Dashlane Premium password manager. It comes with VPN. The free version of Dashlane does not come with VPN.

[mad.dog]

X2, - retired network/security eng

Originally Posted by TitanMike

I just use my smart phone for my banking services. I've enabled two part authentication for login. Cell phone's have added security when compared to "internet" connections and using the app supplied by your bank (if it has one) is far more secure than just logging in from a laptop/desktop.

If one ISN'T using the two part authentication with their mobile device when online banking do yourself a favor and activate it. For those that don't know about this, it just means that when you first attempt to login and enter your password the bank will send you a code via e-mail, phone call or text (you pick) and you have to enter the code before they "let you in the door".

If you have to use a laptop and internet connection then a VPN is probably necessary.

I just like using the phone because I don't need any extra subscriptions, etc.

[CurtPutnam]

Thanks to all of you who responded. Clearly, the trip is now canceled. Nonetheless, when we do make the trip, I will want a VPN. Too many folks with sniffers hang out around public places. Why take the chance? I di agree that one is not needed at home. Where possible, everyone should enable two-factor authorization for everything. It's somewhat of a PITA on occasion but, again, why take the chance?

I will probably simply go down the list of the current top 10 or 15 VPNs and pick the one that has the lowest month to month rates and an absense of compelling negatives.

[prairiecamper]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

I just use my smart phone for my banking services. I've enabled two part authentication for login. Cell phone's have added security when compared to "internet" connections and using the app supplied by your bank (if it has one) is far more secure than just logging in from a laptop/desktop.

If one ISN'T using the two part authentication with their mobile device when online banking do yourself a favor and activate it. For those that don't know about this, it just means that when you first attempt to login and enter your password the bank will send you a code via e-mail, phone call or text (you pick) and you have to enter the code before they "let you in the door".

If you have to use a laptop and internet connection then a VPN is probably necessary.

I just like using the phone because I don't need any extra subscriptions, etc.

Hi
I don’t understand your two part authentication, are you saying every time you log on to your bank account, the bank sends you a code by method you choose?
You then enter the code and this allows you into your account?
Over here two part as I understand it is when you forget your password and you touch the forgot password link on the banks page below the login details. Then the bank sends you a temp code via a method you choose to allow you access to your account.

[jtaylor1920]

I’ve been using ExpressVPN for about 2 months. So far no real issue other than needing to manually reconnect my iPad to the service occasionally. They have clients for iOS, Android and Windows.

[NewToTheForce]

Originally Posted by NavyLCDR

The first question to ask is why do you need a VPN?

Is it to encrypt data? If you are connecting to a website, such as your bank, and it has an https:// address, such as even this forum does, the data is encrypted before it leaves your computer, all the way to destination website.

Now, if you want to use a commercial VPN - you are now sending all that banking information to a third party provider. How much do you trust them? I would rather that data goes directly between my computer and the bank with as few third party communications in between as possible.

For VPN, I use my home internet router which has a built-in VPN server. But I don't use it because I want to encrypt data (although it does encrypt communications). I use it because I want the WiFi network in my RV to appear as if I am connected at home because then I can access my Xfinity streaming Cable TV service which will only work from my home internet connection.

My router at home is connected to my ISP with wires, not WiFi. So I am getting the same basic VPN encryption as any other commercial VPN service, but that encryption is being done at my house, rather than some third party that I am trusting to keep my data secure.

HTTPS traffic is encrypted so that data running through a vpn provider isn't clear text, and will actually, at that point be encrypted again. The VPN provider can see where it comes from and where it goes but they can't read it. VPN's encrypt pretty much everything and will provide more than just encryption, which HTTPS does not. So, if the average user wants to have a wider and more robust protection scheme than HTTPS, VPN is kind of the standard. You can go other directions or take other precautions, but if you aren't a power user/admin type, then why deal with the trouble?

[NavyLCDR]

I think a lot of people have been scared into thinking they need a VPN service by ads sponsored by VPN providers.

[NewToTheForce]

Originally Posted by NavyLCDR

I think a lot of people have been scared into thinking they need a VPN service by ads sponsored by VPN providers.

I don't exactly disagree with this. Generally speaking, if your surfing habits are safe, you are safe. Where generally doesn't work, is if you are a really private type of a person, how extra cautious you are, and how bad you want a particular channel that you might now otherwise get ;-).

[dc99]

Most people use VPN's for there streaming. In that case Surfshark, IPVanish and Nord are the top ones

[richp]

Nodvpn has worked well for me.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by NewToTheForce

HTTPS traffic is encrypted so that data running through a vpn provider isn't clear text, and will actually, at that point be encrypted again. The VPN provider can see where it comes from and where it goes but they can't read it. VPN's encrypt pretty much everything and will provide more than just encryption, which HTTPS does not. So, if the average user wants to have a wider and more robust protection scheme than HTTPS, VPN is kind of the standard. You can go other directions or take other precautions, but if you aren't a power user/admin type, then why deal with the trouble?

Not exactly. For end-to-end encryption a commercial VPN provider would need to install their equipment and encryption keys at EVERY web site used by EVERY one of their customers.

In other words, the VPN tunnel begins and ends at the VPN company.

There also were a few VPN companies that were installing their own "root certificate" on customer devices. That enabled the VPN company to decrypt your traffic and see everything in plain text. They all claimed it was just a mistake and they did not really intend to install their cert and hide the prompts from the customer...

Ray

[jimmarako]

Originally Posted by NavyLCDR

For VPN, I use my home internet router which has a built-in VPN server. But I don't use it because I want to encrypt data (although it does encrypt communications). I use it because I want the WiFi network in my RV to appear as if I am connected at home because then I can access my Xfinity streaming Cable TV service which will only work from my home internet connection.

My router at home is connected to my ISP with wires, not WiFi. So I am getting the same basic VPN encryption as any other commercial VPN service, but that encryption is being done at my house, rather than some third party that I am trusting to keep my data secure.

Could you give some more details on this setup? I have a basic understanding of how VPN's work for the general use cases. But this is a new twist on using a VPN to spoof your location for streaming.

I'm guessing your router is not provide by Comcast since I think they would disable any VPN features. Do you take your router with you when you camp? Or do have some method of connected to your home router while on the road then going through that to Xfinity. If the later I very interested in how you connect to your home router.

Thanks
Jim M.

[dc99]

https://nordvpn.com/blog/setup-vpn-router/

[NavyLCDR]

Originally Posted by jimmarako

Could you give some more details on this setup? I have a basic understanding of how VPN's work for the general use cases. But this is a new twist on using a VPN to spoof your location for streaming.

Thanks
Jim M.

I own my own modem and use Netgear Orbi router/mesh system at home. It has an OpenVPN server built-in. You also need a Dynamic DNS service, which the Orbi router also takes care of. Most ISPs use DHCP to assign IP addresses to home users so your IP address will change occasionally. A DDNS service such as no-ip.com will receive updates from the router and map your current IP address to a domain name so you connect with the same domain name every time. The Orbi router always stays at home.

OpenVPN client is available for cell phones, computers, and is built into some travel routers. I have a GL.iNET AR300M16 travel router in my trailer which has OpenVPN client built-in. It plugs into one of trailer's USB charging ports for power, so it runs off my trailer batteries. I use my phone for my WiFi hotspot so my phone connects to the internet via cell signal, and my travel router connects to my phone via WiFi. Once that is all working and I have internet available to everything else, then I can turn on the OpenVPN client on the travel router and it connects to my router at home and everything (except my phone providing the original hotspot) acts just like it would if I was plugged into my internet connection at home.

I also have a NAS drive attached to my home network and using the VPN allows me to access the files on the NAS from anywhere. Another advantage of using the travel router is that my local LAN in my trailer is always the same. My Roku box and my Raspberry Pi media player are always connected to the exact same local network and I never have to change their WiFi settings. Even if I don't have internet somewhere, I can still take my phone or laptop out to the picnic table and play music or watch movies from the hard drive connected to the Raspberry Pi.

If there is campground WiFi (or even wired ethernet), I can connect my travel router to it instead of my phone's hotspot, and turn on the VPN with that too.

[NewToTheForce]

Originally Posted by NXR

Not exactly. For end-to-end encryption a commercial VPN provider would need to install their equipment and encryption keys at EVERY web site used by EVERY one of their customers.

In other words, the VPN tunnel begins and ends at the VPN company.

There also were a few VPN companies that were installing their own "root certificate" on customer devices. That enabled the VPN company to decrypt your traffic and see everything in plain text. They all claimed it was just a mistake and they did not really intend to install their cert and hide the prompts from the customer...

Ray

Yes, and yes for paragraphs 1&2. Thank you for the clarification!

Thanks for the update on VPN's mistakenly dropping certs and hiding prompts. I hadn't heard about that.

[jimmarako]

Originally Posted by NavyLCDR

I own my own modem and use Netgear Orbi router/mesh system at home. It has an OpenVPN server built-in. You also need a Dynamic DNS service, which the Orbi router also takes care of. Most ISPs use DHCP to assign IP addresses to home users so your IP address will change occasionally. A DDNS service such as no-ip.com will receive updates from the router and map your current IP address to a domain name so you connect with the same domain name every time. The Orbi router always stays at home.................

Thanks for the detailed explanation. So to paraphrase:

Your travel router runs OpenVPN which when turned on routes all of its traffic (thus everything on your trailer's lan) over your cellphone(or camp wifi) to "my_ddns_domain.com" which is really your home router. From your trailer laptop if you wanted to reach your home NAS server I'd guess you enter it's IP like 192.168.1.XXX to access it. If you wanted to stream to your laptop you would enter "www.xfinity_steam.com". This request would go over the VPN to your home router, then over your home's Xfinity internet connection and look like you made the request from your house. Is this close?

When you are at home, how do you make sure your internet traffic is routed normally over Xfinity and not over the OpenVPN connection in your router? Is the routers OpenVPN an incoming only setup?

Thanks again
Jim M.

[Beerfix]

When traveling, we connect to public wifi whenever possible, coffee shop, library, gas station, etc. , especially where there is no cell service. In this day and age, I would never connect to any of these to do any sensitive browsing, eCommerce, banking, file transfer, email or anything business or personal without using a VPN encrypted connection. We used NordVPN for years, but found that a few sites (Amazon being one) wouldn't accept the connection, and some of their IP addresses were banned. Switched to ExpressVPN a couple of years ago, and haven't had that problem. It works for us. NordVPN may have fixed this by now, so it may be a non-issue. Both served us well.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Beerfix

When traveling, we connect to public wifi whenever possible, coffee shop, library, gas station, etc. , especially where there is no cell service. In this day and age, I would never connect to any of these to do any sensitive browsing, eCommerce, banking, file transfer, email or anything business or personal without using a VPN encrypted connection. We used NordVPN for years, but found that a few sites (Amazon being one) wouldn't accept the connection, and some of their IP addresses were banned. Switched to ExpressVPN a couple of years ago, and haven't had that problem. It works for us. NordVPN may have fixed this by now, so it may be a non-issue. Both served us well.

I to use ExpressVPN and have had zero issues logging into my bank's, amazon, and streaming services.

When I use any of their servers other than the one closest to my home town I do see a bunchbof strange locations pop up when going to sites like Home Depot, etc. They show "deliver from locations" near the server I happen to be using at the time ( which will be set by the VPN based on where they think I am when I login)

[NavyLCDR]

Originally Posted by jimmarako

When you are at home, how do you make sure your internet traffic is routed normally over Xfinity and not over the OpenVPN connection in your router? Is the routers OpenVPN an incoming only setup?

Thanks again
Jim M.

My home router is always connected to Xfinity. My home router has the OpenVPN server not client. So yes, it is incoming VPN only, not outgoing.

[jimmarako]

Originally Posted by NavyLCDR

My home router is always connected to Xfinity. My home router has the OpenVPN server not client. So yes, it is incoming VPN only, not outgoing.

Thanks. Something else for me to think about and waste time late at night.

Jim M.