Downloaded the app on MacOS but it isn't compatible with password manager, unable to copy/paste to the input fields. So it's no go
Show HN: A small bootstrapped independent VPN company in the Netherlands
81–90 of 111 posts
Re: Show HN: A small bootstrapped independent VPN company in the Netherlands
#82Feedback: Installing a dedicated app is a blocker for me, and I imagine it is for people more paranoid about security. I would prefer to use Tunnelblick + a config file.
Re: Show HN: A small bootstrapped independent VPN company in the Netherlands
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
No 2FA other than mandatory phone number? This is a really, really bad thing. (+ forcing proprietary app?) Can't find list of hostnames to use with OVPN, seemingly
The optional 2FA used is Authy, you activate Authy with your phonenumber only once, after that you use Authy to login to your account. So 2FA is not done through SMS text messages for example, where hijacking could be a problem. Good one with the list of hostnames, I will prepare one, for now you can take a look at this JSON file: https://vpnserver.wifimask.net/vpnservers.json
Authy is absolutely not acceptable for privacy applications like VPNs. Authy stores user information on third-party servers, when there are plenty of 2FA apps that work locally on the user's device.
The fact that Authy refused to delete user accounts (before they were acquired by Twilio), even when they promised to do so in their terms of service, is also very concerning:
Re: Show HN: A small bootstrapped independent VPN company in the Netherlands
#84Feedback: Installing a dedicated app is a blocker for me, and I imagine it is for people more paranoid about security. I would prefer to use Tunnelblick + a config file.
Dedicated VPN apps would be more acceptable if they were open source. A few other VPN services (e.g. Mullvad) open source their apps for transparency, and it would be great to see WifiMask do the same. Open source apps would be a distinguishing feature in what many users see as a commodity service.
Re: Show HN: A small bootstrapped independent VPN company in the Netherlands
#85I wonder how useful this is behind Chinas firewalll
Re: Show HN: A small bootstrapped independent VPN company in the Netherlands
#86Nice. Wifimask looks promising, esp with ad-blocking built-in. A few questions: Where do you purchase your servers from? How trustworthy are the underlying VPS providers across different countries that you've got presence in? It was recently pointed out that PIA was $30 million in debt... Looks like VPN is a brutal business, but your pricing is (low?) at $4 for unlimited devices and you're bootstrapped. How do you ma…
All servers are purchased from Digital Ocean only at the moment. I think it is very important to buy servers from a thrustworthy party especially in the VPN business, even if that means we pay a little bit extra. VPN is a brutal business. But because we are bootstrapped and thus no screaming investors/banks behind our backs and we are a small team, costs are low and there's no one who can pull the plug but ourselves.…
How are you going to manage bandwidth costs?
DigitalOcean are capped + 1cent/gb but your offering unlimited.... a few heavy streamers or torrents could ruin your monthly bill?
Re: Show HN: A small bootstrapped independent VPN company in the Netherlands
#87I don't care about your stack or disclosing who you are just please don't lie to us about logging. Either you log everything or you log nothing or you encrypt everything and throw away the key or something. Dissidents and journalists everywhere will thank you.
Re: Show HN: A small bootstrapped independent VPN company in the Netherlands
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
> First, it looks good like you declare who you are. Many VPN providers seem to want to hide their real identities which is a big red flag. While I agree that, as a user, knowing who's behind a service, and in particular a VPN, can help build trust, there are several good reasons why you would want to remain anonymous when running a VPN or any privacy service like secure email and encryption tools. You will be target…
> Operator anonymity can mitigate some threats, from social engineering to physical threats, pressure, legal and otherwise, from a range of parties. And yet, Mullvad (Sweden), which seems to be one of the most trusted VPN providers without affiliate marketing, has no issues with publicly listing the names of every single member of the team[1]. [1] https://mullvad.net/en/what-is-privacy/
Sweden is known to buckle under foreign pressure.
Do you know anything about how or if Mullvad cooperates with domestic and foreign entities?
Perhaps threats are unnecessary.
Stating you have a no logging policy does not mean you cannot covertly cooperate.
Fourteen Eyes collaboration is real, and Sweden is not a country where a business not complying with the law stays in business.
Re: Show HN: A small bootstrapped independent VPN company in the Netherlands
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Operator anonymity can mitigate some threats, from social engineering to physical threats, pressure, legal and otherwise, from a range of parties. And yet, Mullvad (Sweden), which seems to be one of the most trusted VPN providers without affiliate marketing, has no issues with publicly listing the names of every single member of the team[1]. [1] https://mullvad.net/en/what-is-privacy/
Sweden is known to buckle under foreign pressure. Do you know anything about how or if Mullvad cooperates with domestic and foreign entities? Perhaps threats are unnecessary. Stating you have a no logging policy does not mean you cannot covertly cooperate. Fourteen Eyes collaboration is real, and Sweden is not a country where a business not complying with the law stays in business.
> Do you know anything about how or if Mullvad cooperates with domestic and foreign entities?
I am not aware of this, but unlike the majority of VPN providers, Mullvad at least does not require any personally identifiable information, such as an email address, in order to use it.
And most VPN providers that hide their real locations, such as ExpressVPN (Hong Kong)[1], NordVPN and ProtonVPN (both Lithuania)[2], are just creating an illusion of privacy for their unsuspecting users.
[1] https://vpnscam.com/expressvpn-really-based-in-hong-kong/
[2] http://vpnscam.com/hola-vpn-and-nordvpn-partners-in-data-min...
Re: Show HN: A small bootstrapped independent VPN company in the Netherlands
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sweden is known to buckle under foreign pressure. Do you know anything about how or if Mullvad cooperates with domestic and foreign entities? Perhaps threats are unnecessary. Stating you have a no logging policy does not mean you cannot covertly cooperate. Fourteen Eyes collaboration is real, and Sweden is not a country where a business not complying with the law stays in business.
> Do you know anything about how or if Mullvad cooperates with domestic and foreign entities? I am not aware of this, but unlike the majority of VPN providers, Mullvad at least does not require any personally identifiable information, such as an email address, in order to use it. And most VPN providers that hide their real locations, such as ExpressVPN (Hong Kong)[1], NordVPN and ProtonVPN (both Lithuania)[2], are ju…
Yes... at this point, IMO, there are no VPN providers that can be trusted to not sell you out (or your data). It's all very shady.
As I have said in previous comments, I currently use ProtonVPN, but my use case, like many others, is simply avoiding geo-blocks and not leaving my real IP everywhere.
Though, I do think, that if they make money off my data, and they probably do, the service should not charge a subscription (indeed ProtonVPN has a free plan, but it's a bit limited).