Straitsfan
Member
Hello. Thinking about getting a VPN for Ubuntu. Are there any recommendations?
Good VPN for Ubuntu
- Thread starter Straitsfan
- Start date
The distro you're running (Ubuntu) shouldn't matter.
I just searched here for Good VPN and this came up:
Thread 'Installing apps in software manager' https://www.linux.org/threads/installing-apps-in-software-manager.64634/
Thread 'Which Ubuntu Distributions Play well with Proton VPN?' https://www.linux.org/threads/which-ubuntu-distributions-play-well-with-proton-vpn.58438/
I just searched here for Good VPN and this came up:
Thread 'Installing apps in software manager' https://www.linux.org/threads/installing-apps-in-software-manager.64634/
Thread 'Which Ubuntu Distributions Play well with Proton VPN?' https://www.linux.org/threads/which-ubuntu-distributions-play-well-with-proton-vpn.58438/
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Condobloke
Well-Known Member
My post from there.
you get what you pay for
VPN's are a mixed, jumbled bag. Many people question whether they are necessary, whether they do what they say they do, etc
I believe if a vpn is free, then you are the product. Some of the 'well known' free vpn's (Nord) etc have a loyal following. I am unsure if this loyalty is deserved. Reports online suggest it is, but I remain unsure.
One of the better known paid vpn's of long standing is Mullvad. They also produce a browser which has a good reputation.
Open vpn also has a webpage......the link is on Linux software manager's page, it will inform you as to its purpose
you get what you pay for
VPN's are a mixed, jumbled bag. Many people question whether they are necessary, whether they do what they say they do, etc
I believe if a vpn is free, then you are the product. Some of the 'well known' free vpn's (Nord) etc have a loyal following. I am unsure if this loyalty is deserved. Reports online suggest it is, but I remain unsure.
One of the better known paid vpn's of long standing is Mullvad. They also produce a browser which has a good reputation.
Open vpn also has a webpage......the link is on Linux software manager's page, it will inform you as to its purpose
Mullvad officially supports both Ubuntu/Debian and Fedora.
mullvad.net
Mullvad VPN for Linux
Download Mullvad VPN for Linux to ensure secure, private browsing with easy setup, traffic obfuscation, and a kill switch. Compatible with Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora.
Proton should say...Ubuntu Based Distros but it doesn't which leads to much confusion.
AlphaObeisance
Well-Known Member
Depends on what you're using it for. If you're using it for remote access to external services limited by your region or torrenting, anything with wireguard. If you're using it for remote access to your own devices; just set up tailscale.
Condobloke
Well-Known Member
That is a brilliant video @GatorsFan .....everyone asking vpn questions needs to see that
When I travel, I remote access via OpenVPN server set up at my home location. That way it's safe to use hotel open WiFi, and websites don't even know I am abroad.
Are there any benefits from switching from OpenVPN server to Wireguard or Tailscale?
AlphaObeisance
Well-Known Member
Tailscale is a device-to-device mesh network; it's a private VPN tunnel more suited for remote access as it's your network infrastructure and nobody elses. Where as OpenVPN/Wireguard are all traffic tunnels more suited for surpassing regional blocks.
Wireguard is essentially a more modern upgraded version of OpenVPN as it's a lot lighter and more efficient; you'll typically see better speeds on Wireguard over OpenVPN. Services like ProtonVPN offer both OpenVPN/Wireguard lines.
With OpenVPN I was pulling about 50% of my network speed, with Wireguard I pull full bandwidth allocated by my ISP.
This is why I suggest if you are really only wanting something to grant you remote access to your devices; Tailscale is the way to go for security and privacy reasons alike. If you want to browse Netflix in North Korea, go with a provider that offers OpenVPN/Wireguard.
If you get a quality router like the Flint 2 Router it comes with options to configure your network with OpenVPN/Wireguard as well as offering tailscale services so it's pretty convenient to set up. GL-iNet's proprietary wrapper is pretty basic as are most any proprietary wrappers; but you can access LuCI via the advanced configuration options or just flash the router with Vanilla OpenWRT to cut the fluff and maximize your control without the clutter.
Wireguard is essentially a more modern upgraded version of OpenVPN as it's a lot lighter and more efficient; you'll typically see better speeds on Wireguard over OpenVPN. Services like ProtonVPN offer both OpenVPN/Wireguard lines.
With OpenVPN I was pulling about 50% of my network speed, with Wireguard I pull full bandwidth allocated by my ISP.
This is why I suggest if you are really only wanting something to grant you remote access to your devices; Tailscale is the way to go for security and privacy reasons alike. If you want to browse Netflix in North Korea, go with a provider that offers OpenVPN/Wireguard.
If you get a quality router like the Flint 2 Router it comes with options to configure your network with OpenVPN/Wireguard as well as offering tailscale services so it's pretty convenient to set up. GL-iNet's proprietary wrapper is pretty basic as are most any proprietary wrappers; but you can access LuCI via the advanced configuration options or just flash the router with Vanilla OpenWRT to cut the fluff and maximize your control without the clutter.
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Excellent, thank you.
On my next wave of improvements and upgrades, I will think about switching from OpenVPN server to Tailscale or Wireguard implementations. More performance and simplicity, while keeping all the features, is always welcome.
It's just me phoning home while working remotely, so my setup is really simple, I hope it should be easy to re-learn and implement new solution.
Also, I know the ads are pressuring. Of course they are. They're ads that play on our fears or desires.
In reality, most people aren't going to benefit all that much from a VPN. It pretty much negates the point when you're using a VPN while also signing into your social media sites, using your online accounts attached to your name or moniker, etc...
So, why do I pay for a VPN?
Well, I like a form of racing that's often blocked in my country. In one instance, I could watch one of the races on TV. In all of the other cases, there's generally no way to buy into the streams.
I was able to watch things like the N24 via a Motor Trend subscription. So, I paid for that service. That's no longer the case.
The streams are on YouTube. They're geo-restricted. I can't watch them with my public IP address.
In reality, most people aren't going to benefit all that much from a VPN. It pretty much negates the point when you're using a VPN while also signing into your social media sites, using your online accounts attached to your name or moniker, etc...
So, why do I pay for a VPN?
Well, I like a form of racing that's often blocked in my country. In one instance, I could watch one of the races on TV. In all of the other cases, there's generally no way to buy into the streams.
I was able to watch things like the N24 via a Motor Trend subscription. So, I paid for that service. That's no longer the case.
The streams are on YouTube. They're geo-restricted. I can't watch them with my public IP address.
It escapes this thread, but tailscale is a commercial service. Using it implies you use their coordination server, i.e. their cloud server keeps in touch with your home device and initiates the connection when you are remote, after which the data does indeed go direct (mesh). A way around that is said to use headscale, which is the open source implementation of the coordination server.
That's a great solution, really, maintenance required but indeed gives benefits. To add to it, a lot of ISP these days use CGNAT routing (to save IPv4 addresses), which implies the IP assigned to your home connection looses the exact geolocation (benefit if the ISP does not sell the information themselves).
Braxman does good groundwork explanation. What he does not really answer in his video, is that by using a VPN a user subjects themselves to other legalese. He just says "I can't provide much" if I get asked what my users connect to. But that's cutting corners for regular users. Let's say, you are in the New York and connect to a VPN server in Austin. Now, suddenly, different laws apply (FISA section 702), because you might as well connect from Iceland to Texas. This means, depending how you connect to a VPN, you may subject yourself to broader law. The same applies for other countries and just the same cross-country, I'm just picking one example. (And it's not politics, it's about reading the law.) Now what's left is to combine these legal mechanisms with using a central tailscale coordination server or not, hmm.
Condobloke
Well-Known Member
By force of habit, I usually connect via Switzerland.
AlphaObeisance
Well-Known Member
This is a solid revelation. Thanks for turning us onto this; I was unaware and will be looking into it further and likely integrate into my OpenWRT deployments.
I tried to find a good source. I got a moderately good source. They're reliable and honest, but don't really dive into the matter as much as I'd like. (I figure it deserves a goodly amount of information.)
Proton Says It’ll Leave Switzerland if This Controversial Law Is Passed
Right when we need digital privacy the most, Switzerland is backtracking on digital rights by mulling a change to its strict privacy laws.
www.vice.com
Condobloke
Well-Known Member
I am aware of the above...^^^^... I have not heard of any movement one way or the other, yet.
Yeah, the article needs a follow-up and should be more properly done. It's one of those articles that should be 5,000 words and not 500 words. I admit that I didn't invest much time, but it was the most coherent of the articles that I found.
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