ProtonVPN clearly marks these “virtual locations” in their UIs as “smart routing”, so there really isn’t any deception here https://protonvpn.com/support/how-smart-routing-works
VPN location claims don't match real traffic exits
231–240 of 333 posts
Re: VPN location claims don't match real traffic exits
#232Oh wow, I had no idea that “virtual location” is even a thing. Imo it should not, I don’t even see a use case for that, it just seems like straight-up lying about the traffic exit location. Glad to see the provider I occasionally use, Mullvad, passed the test.
I used a VPN that had a virtual location of China for a while, which avoided ads on some websites; China blocks those sites, so those sites don't have any ads in China, but the VPN exit wasn't actually in China so it could reach the sites fine.
Re: VPN location claims don't match real traffic exits
#233Earlier quoted context omitted.
Google, Apple, and Meta (maybe others?) have the data to build a complete GeoIP dataset. None of them will share because there are only downsides to doing so. When FB was rolling out ipv6 in 2012, well meaning engineers proposed releasing a v6 only GeoIP db (at the time, the public dbs were shit). Not surprisingly, it was shot down.
Google's GeoIP is creepy good. I noticed a while ago that for fixed or technically dynamic but rarely actually changing IPs, their IP geolocation eventually converges on the exact street address, presumably due to Google crowdsourcing geolocation from devices with GPS or Wi-Fi geolocation access, which is in turn crowdsourced from devices with both GPS and Wi-Fi.
It's pretty slow to converge though, as it needs enough data points so they cross some certainty threshold. Especially in the context of VPN exit points as the traffic comes from all over the world.
Re: VPN location claims don't match real traffic exits
#234Earlier quoted context omitted.
What is this AppleTV box running TS that you speak of? Sounds awesome.
Check out the instructions from Tailscale: https://tailscale.com/kb/1280/appletv
I’m reading that from a departure lounge.
Wish I’d read this a few hours ago and the AppleTV would be coming with me.
Re: VPN location claims don't match real traffic exits
#235Just an aside, and not trying to excuse the potential VPN operator's misrepresentation.
Regulatory accepted establishment of "country" location might not always be what layman think.
I knew of a server rack physically in a Brussels Belgium datacenter that was for regulatory purposes declared to be Luxemburg territory (as Luxemburg at the time had specific rules on domestic data processing).
Re: VPN location claims don't match real traffic exits
#236Earlier quoted context omitted.
Coincidentally, Mullvad, Windscribe and IVPN all worked when I was in China behind GFW, while more popular options did not. Seems like there are VPNs, and then there are VPNs.
I'm a bit curious about how that works. I love Mullvad but routinely I find sites like Reddit completely block it. Even yesterday someone posted a Debian wiki link[0] and I was blocked. It's not all of them but Reddit is a big killer. So I thought China would block all of them (aren't they known?) Fwiw I'm not switching from mullvad [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46252366
Use the Tor Onion Service [1] for Reddit instead. You never leave Tor so you don't have to deal with the usual exit node problems. No need for a commercial VPN.
[1]: https://www.reddittorjg6rue252oqsxryoxengawnmo46qy4kyii5wtqn...
Re: VPN location claims don't match real traffic exits
#237Earlier quoted context omitted.
I work for IPinfo. I have raised a ticket internally, but I think we focused on consumer VPNs for this test. For our ProbeNet, we are attempting to reach 150 countries (by ISO 3166's definition). We are at around 530 cities. Server management is not an easy task. We do not ship hardware, but operate using dedicated servers, so this reduces one layer of complexity. To maintain the authenticity of our server locations,…
Google, Apple, and Meta (maybe others?) have the data to build a complete GeoIP dataset. None of them will share because there are only downsides to doing so. When FB was rolling out ipv6 in 2012, well meaning engineers proposed releasing a v6 only GeoIP db (at the time, the public dbs were shit). Not surprisingly, it was shot down.
At my previous company we had a subscription to Spur Intelligence. It is like Palantir for IP address info, and probably the closest to what you are talking about.
They recently added GeoIP to their data and in the bit of testing I was able to do before I left it was scary good. I also had an amusing chat with one of their engineers at a conference about how you can spoof IPInfo's location probes...
Re: VPN location claims don't match real traffic exits
#238Earlier quoted context omitted.
AppleTV has a Tailscale client that you can use an exit node. That's what I do to VPN back to home when I'm traveling.
AppleTV is pretty random and only vaguely incidental to the solution. Tailscale runs on computers. Basically anything will do. If you don't have a home server, just grab a cheap RPi or an old laptop. Or in a pinch drop it onto an old phone from your old phone drawer.
I think most here know that. What interests me is how easy to setup and maintain an appleTV is - you do nothing.
I love my Pi but sometimes I want life to be mindless easy.
Re: VPN location claims don't match real traffic exits
#239Earlier quoted context omitted.
Coincidentally, Mullvad, Windscribe and IVPN all worked when I was in China behind GFW, while more popular options did not. Seems like there are VPNs, and then there are VPNs.
I'm a bit curious about how that works. I love Mullvad but routinely I find sites like Reddit completely block it. Even yesterday someone posted a Debian wiki link[0] and I was blocked. It's not all of them but Reddit is a big killer. So I thought China would block all of them (aren't they known?) Fwiw I'm not switching from mullvad [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46252366
I've found the "visit anonymously" functionality offered by Startpage gets around the problem in a pinch. It tends to break the site you're visiting a little, but masks your IP, allowing you access without shutting down your VPN.
Re: VPN location claims don't match real traffic exits
#240Earlier quoted context omitted.
Google, Apple, and Meta (maybe others?) have the data to build a complete GeoIP dataset. None of them will share because there are only downsides to doing so. When FB was rolling out ipv6 in 2012, well meaning engineers proposed releasing a v6 only GeoIP db (at the time, the public dbs were shit). Not surprisingly, it was shot down.
Google's GeoIP is creepy good. I noticed a while ago that for fixed or technically dynamic but rarely actually changing IPs, their IP geolocation eventually converges on the exact street address, presumably due to Google crowdsourcing geolocation from devices with GPS or Wi-Fi geolocation access, which is in turn crowdsourced from devices with both GPS and Wi-Fi.
Google's GeoIP is rubbish for me. Often it's hundreds of kilometres off, and varies a lot even for a fixed IP.