It seems the gov of Egypt is starting to block ipsec vpns like it did openvpn ones. Any generic solution to add obfuscation layer? Wish more VPN software had such functionality out of the box
How to build your own VPN if you're wary of commercial options
81–90 of 117 posts
Re: How to build your own VPN if you're wary of commercial options
#82Earlier quoted context omitted.
> AWS instance is easily traced back to you. Define "easily" as used in this context. Easy is a product of whom your enemy is. Is your enemy your ISP? If that's the case, I don't think it's "easy" for them; they would have to pay Digital Ocean or Amazon to get your data, and probably isn't really that valuable to them. Is your enemy the MPAA? If that's the case, I still don't think it's particularly "easy" for them.…
I agree overall, but PIA has may not be the best example, as they have been shown to not keep any data that could be subpoenaed[1]. One nice thing about running your own (if your client machine is on Linux) is being able to use Wireguard[2], which is quite a bit faster than OpenVPN, for example. 1: https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-providers-no-logging-claims-tes... 2: https://www.wireguard.io/performance/
Never heard of Wireguard before, but it looks really cool, especially the mosh-like roaming. However, I found this warning on their website.
WireGuard is not yet complete. You should not rely on this code. It has not undergone proper degrees of security auditing and the protocol is still subject to change.
Re: How to build your own VPN if you're wary of commercial options
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
> AWS instance is easily traced back to you. Define "easily" as used in this context. Easy is a product of whom your enemy is. Is your enemy your ISP? If that's the case, I don't think it's "easy" for them; they would have to pay Digital Ocean or Amazon to get your data, and probably isn't really that valuable to them. Is your enemy the MPAA? If that's the case, I still don't think it's particularly "easy" for them.…
I agree overall, but PIA has may not be the best example, as they have been shown to not keep any data that could be subpoenaed[1]. One nice thing about running your own (if your client machine is on Linux) is being able to use Wireguard[2], which is quite a bit faster than OpenVPN, for example. 1: https://torrentfreak.com/vpn-providers-no-logging-claims-tes... 2: https://www.wireguard.io/performance/
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Re: How to build your own VPN if you're wary of commercial options
#84Earlier quoted context omitted.
I really hope people aren't using a VPN for untraceable security. VPNs are for privacy, not for getting away with illegal things.
Yeah, coffee shop wifi is for getting away with illegal things.
I can confirm. This is where I write all of my dangerous Visual Basic IP addresses.
Re: How to build your own VPN if you're wary of commercial options
#85I operate my own VPN endpoint for a couple reasons: 1. I frequently need to connect via open, untrusted local networks, such as those at hotels. 2. Many commercial VPNs (e.g., PIA) end up having some portion of their endpoint IPs end up on blacklists and break a lot of sites. Anonymity from the government is a lower priority than both of the above, and I acknowledge the lack of it in my risk model. Initially I starte…
>2. Many commercial VPNs (e.g., PIA) end up having some portion of their endpoint IPs end up on blacklists and break a lot of sites.
Yup. I cannot use these in good faith. I've gotten burned really badly by using shared VPNs and payment-type sites. I roll my own on a no-log VPS paid in Bitcoin through a mixer, registered to a false name/address.
Re: How to build your own VPN if you're wary of commercial options
#86It seems the gov of Egypt is starting to block ipsec vpns like it did openvpn ones. Any generic solution to add obfuscation layer? Wish more VPN software had such functionality out of the box
And in recent history was modifying traffic and inserting ads in route... Lots of fun
Re: How to build your own VPN if you're wary of commercial options
#87Earlier quoted context omitted.
Amazon's not in the business of terminating accounts the second a copyright request comes in. They want to build trust with their customers that they won't just turn you off on a whim.
I can vouch for this, from the other side. We routinely catch AWS hosts running password-guessing bots against our login forms. Emailing abuse@amazonaws.com doesn't seem to lead to reductions in our fail2ban and custom tarpit logs.
Claiming someone is brute forcing your logins doesn't have the legal weight of a DMCA notice. Why should they do anything? DMCA provides provisions for counter notice and legal remedies for false filings.
Re: How to build your own VPN if you're wary of commercial options
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
The MPAA will serve an automated DMCA notice to your VPS provider, who will terminate your account at the very least.
This doesn't mesh with reality; The sea of torrent seedboxes in existence would be dropping like flies and not growing.
This exact thing happened to me on DO; I got an email from them (also automated) telling me to cut it out our have my account terminated. I was traveling overseas and had no other option for watching my shows, so I switched to PIA.
Re: How to build your own VPN if you're wary of commercial options
#89Earlier quoted context omitted.
The MPAA will serve an automated DMCA notice to your VPS provider, who will terminate your account at the very least.
This doesn't mesh with reality; The sea of torrent seedboxes in existence would be dropping like flies and not growing.
Aren't torrent seed boxes typically in jurisdictions hostile or indifferent to US copyright law?
Re: How to build your own VPN if you're wary of commercial options
#90Earlier quoted context omitted.
Amazon's not in the business of terminating accounts the second a copyright request comes in. They want to build trust with their customers that they won't just turn you off on a whim.
I can vouch for this, from the other side. We routinely catch AWS hosts running password-guessing bots against our login forms. Emailing abuse@amazonaws.com doesn't seem to lead to reductions in our fail2ban and custom tarpit logs.
Is it the same hosts?
Having worked web security -
This is always a battle - for big operations you've got people farming out signups using stolen data to random 'buddies' on the other side of the world with the dark hat team ready to stand up outbounding traffic as fast as they can get a processor to execute it on, not to mention the hosts that get cracked automatically..
It's whack-a-mole on crystal meth.