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NordVPN library and client code open-sourced

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Re: NordVPN library and client code open-sourced

#191

Post by mtlmtlmtlmtl »

tommoor wrote: post #167
mtlmtlmtlmtl wrote: post #71

NordVPN are far too aggressive about youtube marketing to not be sketchy imo. Open source client doesn't really help because whatever sketchy shit they're up to is probably mostly on the server side anyway. I wonder what their total youtube sponsor spot expenditure has been. It must be a ridiculous amount of money.

I'm not sure aggressive marketing = sketchy, but it probably means that it's highly profitable.

Aggressive, false marketing is pretty sketchy.

I regularly see sponsor spots where they're claimed to protect you from credit card fraud and all sorts of other outlandish stuff.

Re: NordVPN library and client code open-sourced

#192

Post by _joel »

medo-bear wrote: post #150
mynameisvlad wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There’s many ways Netflix could detect VPN use, especially on mobile devices. It’s not obvious at all. Netflix could be doing something as simple as checking the IPs or could be actually checking the use of VPN at a system level. Both are equally valid readings of the GP comment.

seems like torrenting is still easier (and safer) than using netflix and co

especially if you're on arm linux, it seems

Re: NordVPN library and client code open-sourced

#193

Post by bleep_bloop »

edgyquant wrote: post #63
ehPReth wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hear there's a dirty secret that more and more companies are doing this to make things like Netflix that block VPNs "just work" though their services. Not sure how true this is or how widespread, though.

This has been brought up before, Netflix does not work with a VPN on. It knows you’re using a VPN and blocks you (asks you to disable it.) Yes this is true even with NordVPN, which I bought specifically to be able to watch Netflix on when expressVPN didn’t work.

Used NordVPN for 3 or so years and I have been sharing my Nord and Netflix account with several different people on and off over the years, none of us have ever had an issue streaming Netflix. Amazon Prime and some other streaming services, yes, but oddly not Netflix. However my current gf often will get interrupted in the middle of streaming while using ExpressVPN so she just switches over to Nord and issue solved.

Re: NordVPN library and client code open-sourced

#194

Post by lr4444lr »

acatton wrote: post #7

Reminder that it looks like NordVPN does shady stuff: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29285988 Allegedly, they are using their customers as botnets to resell traffic from residential IPs, mostly for scraping, through their other business "Oxylabs".

Maybe you're confusing NordVPN with Hola, which was used by Luminati which became or sold to Bright Data. Perhaps Oxylabs is sourcing from somewhere similar, but what evidence do you have that it's NordVPN?

Re: NordVPN library and client code open-sourced

#195

Post by WirelessGigabit »

If you Google "NordVPN port mapping" you get an article from them, which explains port mapping, what it is, and then at the end "We don't support it".

Really annoying that every service has like a whole essay on what functionality is and then 1 one liner saying they don't support it.

Re: NordVPN library and client code open-sourced

#196

Post by noncoml »

ashwagary wrote: post #85
weird-eye-issue wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No that is why they are nitpicking about recently open sourced code that is "undocumented"

I don't see it as a nitpick. The review can be valuable to people working on the code and users wondering how competent the Nord team is.

I hate this kind of “reviews” at work. 0 contribution to the actual functionality of the code, but strong opinions about superficial matters.

The OP clearly just skimmed through the code without any interest in understanding how it actually works.

Just a code bashing. Sad

Re: NordVPN library and client code open-sourced

#197

Post by dhaavi »

mjdowney wrote: post #9

Since there is so much criticism here of NordVPN (in general, not for open-sourcing), what are the VPNs that people like?

If you're up to trying something new, we've built a technology to replace consumer privacy VPNs: https://safing.io/spn/

Technical summary of the SPN (Safing Privacy Network):

- A Privacy Network aimed at use cases "between" VPN and Tor.

- Uses onion encryption over multiple hops just like Tor.

- Routes are chosen to cover most distance within the network to increase privacy.

- Exits are chosen near the destination server. This automatically geo-unblocks in many cases.

- Exclude apps and domains/entities from using SPN.

- Change routing algorithm and focus per app.

- Nodes are hosted by Safing (company behind Portmaster) and the community.

- Speeds are pretty decent (>100MBit/s).

Re: NordVPN library and client code open-sourced

#198

Post by Dylan16807 »

VonGuard wrote: post #146
Dylan16807 wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was under the impression that VPN services were very profitable on their own, without selling data. Is this really a price thing, or is it a shady greed thing?

$3 a month per person is not a business model...

It is when support costs are negligible and they use 40 cents of server resources.

Re: NordVPN library and client code open-sourced

#199

Post by bleep_bloop »

mtlmtlmtlmtl wrote: post #191
tommoor wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure aggressive marketing = sketchy, but it probably means that it's highly profitable.

Aggressive, false marketing is pretty sketchy. I regularly see sponsor spots where they're claimed to protect you from credit card fraud and all sorts of other outlandish stuff.

What you're referring to is the Youtubers own lack of understanding on what a VPN can and can't do. NordVPN provide some talking points but I myself have seen some Youtubers stumble through and add in some wild claims that just aren't true. That's still on Nord for not vetting and correcting them and this is also what you get when you try to shill something to your community that you have no expertise on.

Re: NordVPN library and client code open-sourced

#200

Post by vykintasmak »

acatton wrote: post #7

Reminder that it looks like NordVPN does shady stuff: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29285988 Allegedly, they are using their customers as botnets to resell traffic from residential IPs, mostly for scraping, through their other business "Oxylabs".

Hey, Vykintas from NordVPN here. By going open source we are trying to be more open. NordVPN customers aren't used as botnets to resell traffic and you can easily check it using Wireshark as well as look through the code. As you can see majority of it is open source. If you have any questions - shoot them and I can try and answer them. Otherwise - please don't spread information without proper investigation.
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