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VPNs on iOS are a scam

michaelhorowitz.com

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Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#251

Post by giobox »

BonoboIO wrote: post #88
giobox wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use this setup to get mobile adblock while on Verizon (iOS sadly has never let you override the default DNS server for cellular, just wifi). It works more or less perfectly, albeit with a noticeable hit to device battery life... so much so my wife who otherwise loves PiHole on the home network refuses to use it on her iPhone. Using iOS's built in support for browser adblockers is largely as effective and doesn't co…

You can use your custom dns over https server You can use AdGuard or select your own filterlists. Nextdns.io I use the free tier.

Im assuming this is using a custom iOS device provisioning profile to let you set your DNS for cellular in a way the UI does not? If so, interesting solution!

Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#252

Post by anyfoo »

Maursault wrote: post #250
anyfoo wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> One can not have a private conversation without privacy, and when seeking privacy it is exclusively to do something in private. One can have a private parking spot without privacy, though. Or a private pilot license. > any transfer of data between the VPN nodes will be kept private from the Internet at large, thus the transfer is in privacy Not if your VPN is not encrypted, which exists, although it isn't very comm…

> One can have a private parking spot without privacy, though. Or a private pilot license. This is equivocating between two distinct and separate definitions of "private." You are mixing these homonyms. In the sense you're using in the quote I pulled from your comment, it means intended for or restricted to the use of a particular person, group, or class , but in the sense that it is used in Virtual Private Network,…

Settling that question was the entire discussion you butted into. I quoted an RFC from the late 90s that shows what meaning of "private" was originally intended, while you seem to a priori assume what "private" means here.

> in the sense that it is used in Virtual Private Network, it means something else, namely not known or intended to be known publicly; secret.

Great. Present some evidence or stop wasting time. My evidence that it actually does not mean that is RFC2547.

Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#253

Post by Maursault »

anyfoo wrote: post #252
Maursault wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> One can have a private parking spot without privacy, though. Or a private pilot license. This is equivocating between two distinct and separate definitions of "private." You are mixing these homonyms. In the sense you're using in the quote I pulled from your comment, it means intended for or restricted to the use of a particular person, group, or class , but in the sense that it is used in Virtual Private Network,…

Settling that question was the entire discussion you butted into. I quoted an RFC from the late 90s that shows what meaning of "private" was originally intended, while you seem to a priori assume what "private" means here. > in the sense that it is used in Virtual Private Network, it means something else, namely not known or intended to be known publicly; secret. Great. Present some evidence or stop wasting time. My…

> My evidence that it actually does not mean that is RFC2547.

RFC2547 does not support your claim... anywhere.

I'll use Webster's definitions for my evidence. Also, every explanation of what VPN is everywhere on the Internet speaks of anonymity and privacy. This means the P in VPN could only mean free from public attention, secret and NOT for the use of a particular person or group, as in private parking.

Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#254

Post by anyfoo »

Maursault wrote: post #253
anyfoo wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Settling that question was the entire discussion you butted into. I quoted an RFC from the late 90s that shows what meaning of "private" was originally intended, while you seem to a priori assume what "private" means here. > in the sense that it is used in Virtual Private Network, it means something else, namely not known or intended to be known publicly; secret. Great. Present some evidence or stop wasting time. My…

> My evidence that it actually does not mean that is RFC2547. RFC2547 does not support your claim... anywhere. I'll use Webster's definitions for my evidence. Also, every explanation of what VPN is everywhere on the Internet speaks of anonymity and privacy . This means the P in VPN could only mean free from public attention, secret and NOT for the use of a particular person or group, as in private parking.

RFC2547 supports my claim that a VPN does not imply privacy. There is only one mention of "encryption", and it's called out as optional:

   A security-conscious VPN user might want to ensure that some or all
   of the packets which traverse the backbone are authenticated and/or
   encrypted.
Webster's definition of a VPN is (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/VPN):

    a private computer network that functions over a public network
A private network at the time was defined according to RFC1918. It also provides the motivation for private networks/the private IP address space, which was growth, not privacy/secrecy.

It's a happy coincidence that you can sell a "Virtual Private Network" to endusers as a privacy-enhancing machination, given that it already contains the word "Private", even if that was meant as in private parking space, not private conversation.

Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#255

Post by Maursault »

anyfoo wrote: post #254
Maursault wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My evidence that it actually does not mean that is RFC2547. RFC2547 does not support your claim... anywhere. I'll use Webster's definitions for my evidence. Also, every explanation of what VPN is everywhere on the Internet speaks of anonymity and privacy . This means the P in VPN could only mean free from public attention, secret and NOT for the use of a particular person or group, as in private parking.

RFC2547 supports my claim that a VPN does not imply privacy. There is only one mention of "encryption", and it's called out as optional: A security-conscious VPN user might want to ensure that some or all of the packets which traverse the backbone are authenticated and/or encrypted. Webster's definition of a VPN is ( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/VPN ): a private computer network that functions over a pu…

You've turned me around. I am convinced. Well done.

Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#256

Post by ghostInTheSSH »

rndgermandude wrote: post #26
mmastrac wrote: post #3

Title should be: "VPNs on iOS are a scam", but a less sensationalist title might be: "VPNs on iOS leak traffic".

It's not even the VPNs that leak, it's the Apple VPN implementation that does.

Serious q, do other implementations exist that I can use on an iOS device?

Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#257

Post by [deleted] »

nyolfen wrote: post #221
mccorrinall wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use perfect privacy and they provide IPSec configs for iOS. Their guide even makes note to enable on-demand to prevent leaks. Also, just checked Mullvad, which seems to open an IPSec server on your local device and then install a vpn config on your ios device. From the local IPSec server a connection is made to mullvad via wireguard. On-demand is also enabled by default. But yea, VPN were initially targeted at ente…

what is the point of wrapping wireguard with ipsec? bet-hedging?

[deleted]

Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#258

Post by otabdeveloper4 »

timbit42 wrote: post #229
otabdeveloper4 wrote: post #224

There's lots of reasons to use a VPN besides 'privacy'. The vast majority of people use them for IP spoofing.

IP spoofing is privacy of their real IP.

By "IP spoofing" I mean getting around range IP bans. It's not for privacy reasons.

Re: VPNs on iOS are a scam

#259

Post by ValdikSS »

zekica wrote: post #215
woojoo666 wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this happens with android too. Which sucks. Although it is possible with root, which shows the benefit of having full control over your device

Android has an option to allow tethered devices to use the VPN, and it works fine on my phone.

That's a LineageOS customization, as far as I know.
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