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Ask HN: What VPN service are you currently using?

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Re: Ask HN: What VPN service are you currently using?

#61

Post by spindle »

Mullvad, because it has a good interface for port forwarding, and I kinda like the fact that it supports wireguard. It's also fast and reliable (but so are many of the others), and apparently has good privacy.

I've previously used AirVPN, which was great except for not having any servers near me, and ExpressVPN, which was great except for not having such a good interface for port forwarding (and also it's the most expensive of the ones I like).

PIA failed to answer a question that I sent in using their web support form (they didn't even say that they'd received it but couldn't answer it).

Re: Ask HN: What VPN service are you currently using?

#63

Post by spindle »

spindle wrote: post #61

Mullvad, because it has a good interface for port forwarding, and I kinda like the fact that it supports wireguard. It's also fast and reliable (but so are many of the others), and apparently has good privacy. I've previously used AirVPN, which was great except for not having any servers near me, and ExpressVPN, which was great except for not having such a good interface for port forwarding (and also it's the most ex…

P.S. Also, Mullvad's staff have been doing some work to try to improve wireguard.

Re: Ask HN: What VPN service are you currently using?

#64

Post by spindle »

bigiain wrote: post #51
muppetman wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

100% this. VPN marketing appears to have really gotten to people, everyone's always asking about it. Real reasons I can see to use a VPN service 1) You want your traffic to reliably egress in that country. i.e. I live in New Zealand but to access some Australian TV on demand, I need to "appear" in Australia. 2) Errr, I can't think of any others. If you are really trying to hide your traffic from your ISP: 1) Change I…

For some of us, we live in jurisdictions where all ISPs are legally required to keep all metadata for all connections. (In tinpot pseudo democracies with governments who fail to understand technology but pass intrusive laws governing it anyway, then declare "The laws of mathematics are very commendable, but the only law that applies in Australia is the law of Australia.") In that case, a few bucks per month is a pret…

Well said.

Re: Ask HN: What VPN service are you currently using?

#65

Post by joering2 »

xiphias2 wrote: post #40
crsv wrote: post #7

ExpressVPN has been a really great experience in terms of price and ease of use. Been a customer for a few years now.

I like it as well, but Netflix blocks it much more than a year ago...it's a shame, because I travel a lot, and changing country means that I can't finish a series that I was watching in another country

Netflix blocks majority of VPN but in contrast Spectrum/Brighthouse is in long-term fight with Sling Tv and they block them unless you use VPN. So you win some you lose some.

ExpressVPN has been great to me and I continue to fail finding bad news about them. They dont offer any discounts tho and Im on $99/year plan but I was tempted to get NordVPN for half thatprice. I gave up on setting up their stone-age designed router software and came back to Express. Express has amazing software for N7000 router series and it allows me to exclude iPad that I use to watch Netflix while rest of network continues to be secure. So with their router software and $99/year you have unlimited amount of devices covered. Speed is amazing too and number of servers avail is very hight. Honestly I feel its worth double the proce I would pay for Nord, as I put it in my company costs anyways ;)

I could not recommend them high enough.

Re: Ask HN: What VPN service are you currently using?

#66

Post by mirimir »

doorbellguy wrote: post #18

Here's another question I had for a few weeks: I tried a server of a certain free VPN via OpenVPN and since it did not support tunneling traffic through their own servers for IPv6 requests, my friend told me to disable IPv6 on my adapter's settings. Now ipleak.net doesn't detect my location. Was it a smart thing to do?

Unless you're using a VPN service that provides its own IPv6 address, as well as an IPv4 address, it's crucial that you disable IPv6 and/or use a firewall to block IPv6 traffic.

Or at least, it is if your ISP provides IPv6 service. If it does, and the VPN both routes IPv6 and doesn't push its own IPv6 address, IPv6-capable websites will see a global IPv6 address that's owned by your ISP.

Re: Ask HN: What VPN service are you currently using?

#67

Post by kgwxd »

hannob wrote: post #41

The first question you should ask is why you want a VPN. Because I believe many people newer ask this question and have some vague idea about "it somehow improves security and/or privacy". In most situations this likely isn't true. You add an additional attack vector and you centralize your communication to a single point.

Communication is already centralized for many people, even when you factor in cell and home internet, often without much alternative. When they've got you locked in like that, they can get away with just about anything: tracking; selling data; hi-jacking your connection for their own interests; blocking anything that goes against their interests; cooperating directly with MPAA, RIAA; etc. There's not much you can do about it.

If a VPN get's caught doing any of that, even if they're remotley suspected, switching is less painful than switching any other online service I can think of. Their motives are as clear as can be with an internet service.

Re: Ask HN: What VPN service are you currently using?

#68

Post by godelski »

kgwxd wrote: post #67
hannob wrote: post #41

The first question you should ask is why you want a VPN. Because I believe many people newer ask this question and have some vague idea about "it somehow improves security and/or privacy". In most situations this likely isn't true. You add an additional attack vector and you centralize your communication to a single point.

Communication is already centralized for many people, even when you factor in cell and home internet, often without much alternative. When they've got you locked in like that, they can get away with just about anything: tracking; selling data; hi-jacking your connection for their own interests; blocking anything that goes against their interests; cooperating directly with MPAA, RIAA; etc. There's not much you can do…

> switching is less painful than switching any other online service I can think of.

I'd even say in many cases switching is possible. It isn't always possible to switch your ISP. Or in my case I can, but all other providers cap at 20Mbps in my town (which is fairly common).

Re: Ask HN: What VPN service are you currently using?

#69

Post by dontbenebby »

woodruffw wrote: post #4

I use Algo[1] on a variety of VPS providers. It supports IPSec, but I only use Wireguard through it. Supporting OpenVPN is an explicit anti-goal for Algo[2]. I generally strongly recommend against using VPN providers on false advertisement grounds -- VPNs fundamentally cannot provide strong anonymity properties, but that doesn't stop many providers from listing anonymity as a selling point. In terms of the property V…

Algo is also significantly cheaper than most offerings. A Digital Ocean instance is $5 a month.

Re: Ask HN: What VPN service are you currently using?

#70

Post by dontbenebby »

ripa wrote: post #37
pt wrote: post #33

Is there a way to setup an “always on” VPN on my device, such that it disallows any traffic to egress unless connected to the VPN?

On macOS/iOS you can configure the built-in VPN clients to use "on-demand" mode, which wont allow traffic before the VPN connection is established. The only way to configure this however is using the Apple Configurator tool and create a custom profile. I run this for my OpenBSD IKEv2 servers which gives me automatic on-demand VPN on cellular and all non-known Wi-Fi networks (== not home).

Algo (another commenter mentioned it[1]) allows you to set this up to be the default for the VPN, very nice feature. I use it on my phone since I often connect to random wifi APs. More and more of the web is moving to HTTPS but a disturbing amount of unencrypted traffic abounds.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19242119

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