VPN

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Hi i have a few questions about vpns

1 are free vpns any good ?

2 are vpns worth it ?

3 will a vpn effect my home ubuntu server, would it effect how i connect to my server via ssh and my hosted website ?

Thank you.
 


1. You get what you pay for, but a free VPN is good for VPN things. (I'll get back to this.)
2. I think so. I pay for NordVPN.
3. It should not.

Now, back to #1...

I'm getting REALLY tired of a VPN being marketed as a privacy tool. It's so limited as a privacy tool that calling it one is just plain silly.

I'm getting REALLY tired of a VPN being marketed as a security tool. It's so limited as a security tool that calling it one is just plain silly.

A VPN is good at making you appear as though you're somewhere else. A VPN is good at letting you view content that's limited to a geographic area. A VPN is useful for bypassing things that limit access by IP address.

A VPN doesn't magically protect your identification. No, it's still you that logs into your various accounts. We know it's you. We can see when you login. It doesn't matter that you appear to be on an IP address from Brazil. We still know it's you. We don't need to know your IP address to know it's you - especially when you login to accounts.

No, it doesn't protect your security. Nobody is out there waiting at a website to find your IP address and then scanning your IP address for vulnerabilities. They're just scanning entire blocks of IP addresses. When you use a VPN, you still have your IP address that was handed to your by your ISP - you just have moved your intentional traffic to a new one. Your real IP address still exists.

A VPN is a useful tool. I'm using one right now. I'm using it because I'm streaming content that is limited to just those who've purchased a VPN subscription and so I need a VPN to access it. I'm also too lazy to turn it off. Right now, it appears as though I'm in New York. I am not in New York. However, everyone here knows it's me - 'cause I'm signed into the account and posting from it.

Is it a privacy tool? Yeah, but it's really limited as one. Is it a security tool? Well, not the way you're gonna be using it. In some cases, you have a server that only accepts users with a specific IP address and then the users first login to a VPN to connect to that server - in that case it's a security tool. So, it does have some security value - but it's really limited in what it offers and that's NOTHING like what the VPN ads imply!

So, if you want to pretend you're in a different location - get a VPN. If you want to protect your privacy, learn to practice operational security (and get a VPN).

Any nation-state that wants to monitor you is going to monitor you. They can see when you sent a packet, when a server received a packet, when the server sent back a packet, and when you received a packet. They'll know it's you by way of a 'timing attack'. If you post something at the destination site, they'll still be able to figure out that it was you.

</rant>
 
Hi i have a few questions about vpns

1 are free vpns any good ?

2 are vpns worth it ?

3 will a vpn effect my home ubuntu server, would it effect how i connect to my server via ssh and my hosted website ?

Thank you.
I recommend to first confirm your objectives regarding a VPN as if you are trying to bypass a locked Country then any VPN more likly than not will not suffice as you would need bridging with Socks as VPN's are usually illegal or just blocked for such Countries for instance.
However you could claim to be in a Country like the USA or UK or indeed anywhere they have a server if you wanted to watch your fav local tv program such as Iplayer / BBC in the UK or such like, however most are blocking VPN severs all the time so if you watch a lot of such stuff then there are VPN's whom brag it will work where as others dont for example but in actuality it most instances i have not encountered any issues my-self.

You would need to fully Trust the VPN provider as they would see everything so Trust is defiantly number 1 for any VPN.

Most if not all free VPN's are not even VPN's, they are in-fact usually just Proxies which again is not the same as a VPN thus would not protect you as does a VPN so i would never recommend any free VPN ever as if you dont pay with cash then you will pay with your privacy as the cost.

If a VPN is worth it or not depends on your very specific needs, if you use a ISP Router at home and value your privacy and security then a VPN is a absolute must always and best as a VPN router if you have a few things at home online for instance.

You would also need to know if you intend to use BitTorrent as some VPN's dont like and some do but i would never advise to have anything to do with BitTorrents unless one really knows what they are doing.

A VPN job is mainly so that when your online everyone gets a IP address that is not yours, simple. Imagine leaving your home and writing your address on your coat for all to see where you live, well a VPN is like you writing someone elses address on your jacket rather than your own which has obvious benefits for your privacy and security in a massive way.

A VPN also runs through a encrypted Tunnel Protocol, from you to the VPN server address which you would be claiming is your address whilst online thus distances bad online people from getting to your home network or even knowing where you are.

Not all VPN's are the same, most main steam VPN's are not trustworthy such as Nord VPN for instance as that is 1 of the worst yet a lot of people use it, mainly due to all of its advertisements it does main-stream. Nord also is more likly than not bound to the (MLAT) Treaties with the USA via their sketchy Lithuania Officies (Tefincoms) link as well as Nord security breaches and MITM successful attacks and Private customers keys being obtained etc.
I only add more about Nord as i noted another user mentioning they use it.

There is also the actual server ownership which is paramount to check as a lot of VPN providers dont even own their own servers as some are rented, obviously this means that the server real owner has the keys to the server for example, hence i would never use a rented VPN server as then there is another party involved with your data.

You may also wish to research the 5, 9 & 14 spying EYES and gag orders if you like best privacy also but this is not a stand alone yard stick as Trust is always paramount here.
 
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A VPN also runs through a encrypted Tunnel Protocol, from you to the VPN server address
This is what I was going to mention as one of the main benefits of using a VPN.
The encrypted tunnel helps prevent casual snooping - especially by your ISP.
 

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