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AR15.COM
8/19/2013 7:37:13 AM EDT
I searched and couldn't find anything here. Do you guys use a personal VPN? I was thinking about adding that for my phone/tablet/laptop for when I'm out and about and not wifi-tethering to my phone.

I'm looking at Witopia at the moment but curious what others might be using.
8/19/2013 9:55:52 AM EDT
[#1]
What are you trying to do? Do you want to access resources at home? Get an IP address from a different country? Or just have the data encrypted for when you are using an unsecured network?
8/19/2013 9:59:15 AM EDT
[#2]
What you want to do is FAR more important than a blanket recommendation

VPN's to your home office are largely unneccesary.  If you want access to data you typically look at a cloud solution, or get a publishing storage device at home, there are many.  If you want access to your home environment then simply setup remote desktop to a home machine.  This enables high speed low latency desktop access even to "dumb" devices like tables and phones.
8/19/2013 10:58:17 AM EDT
[#3]
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Quoted:
What are you trying to do? Do you want to access resources at home? Get an IP address from a different country? Or just have the data encrypted for when you are using an unsecured network?
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I don't care about remote access since I'm down to just a laptop now and it's off unless I'm home.
8/20/2013 3:16:33 AM EDT
[#4]
Is VPN more secure than remote access? If so, does the added security justify setting it up?
8/20/2013 3:48:52 AM EDT
[#5]
I don't care about remote access. I care that when I'm sponging off free wifi at the wing place that nobody sitting around me can be sniffing my traffic.
8/20/2013 5:56:39 AM EDT
[#6]
There was a review posted somewhere on the net regarding various VPN services and their security practices.  Private Internet Access supposedly keeps no logs, and has plenty of options for which server you want to use.  It is a paid service, but less than $40/year if paid in advance.

Linky
8/21/2013 11:48:33 AM EDT
[#7]

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There was a review posted somewhere on the net regarding various VPN services and their security practices.  Private Internet Access supposedly keeps no logs, and has plenty of options for which server you want to use.  It is a paid service, but less than $40/year if paid in advance.



Linky
View Quote


They get my vote. I've been extremely happy with the speed and reliability.





 
8/21/2013 2:22:17 PM EDT
[#8]
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They get my vote. I've been extremely happy with the speed and reliability.

 
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Quoted:
Quoted:
There was a review posted somewhere on the net regarding various VPN services and their security practices.  Private Internet Access supposedly keeps no logs, and has plenty of options for which server you want to use.  It is a paid service, but less than $40/year if paid in advance.

Linky

They get my vote. I've been extremely happy with the speed and reliability.

 


I'm using them now on my ipad. I have it set up in my desktop as well. Every site I visit thinks I'm in Canada, or Germany or Lithuania. Wherever I pick.
8/21/2013 3:11:31 PM EDT
[#9]
Thanks guys. I was impressed with what I read last night about them. Witopia's reviews were all over the board.
8/21/2013 4:35:37 PM EDT
[#10]
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I'm using them now on my ipad. I have it set up in my desktop as well. Every site I visit thinks I'm in Canada, or Germany or Lithuania. Wherever I pick.
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Quoted:
Quoted:
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There was a review posted somewhere on the net regarding various VPN services and their security practices.  Private Internet Access supposedly keeps no logs, and has plenty of options for which server you want to use.  It is a paid service, but less than $40/year if paid in advance.

Linky

They get my vote. I've been extremely happy with the speed and reliability.

 


I'm using them now on my ipad. I have it set up in my desktop as well. Every site I visit thinks I'm in Canada, or Germany or Lithuania. Wherever I pick.


Whenever I connect through Private Internet Access I can't get to ar15.com.  I've tried every day since I signed up and the connection always times out.
8/21/2013 5:15:04 PM EDT
[#11]
Interesting. Hmm.

Have you guys experienced any email issues while on the VPN?
8/21/2013 5:25:55 PM EDT
[#12]
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Whenever I connect through Private Internet Access I can't get to ar15.com.  I've tried every day since I signed up and the connection always times out.
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Quoted:
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There was a review posted somewhere on the net regarding various VPN services and their security practices.  Private Internet Access supposedly keeps no logs, and has plenty of options for which server you want to use.  It is a paid service, but less than $40/year if paid in advance.

Linky

They get my vote. I've been extremely happy with the speed and reliability.

 


I'm using them now on my ipad. I have it set up in my desktop as well. Every site I visit thinks I'm in Canada, or Germany or Lithuania. Wherever I pick.


Whenever I connect through Private Internet Access I can't get to ar15.com.  I've tried every day since I signed up and the connection always times out.


No issues. Which gateway are you connecting through?  
8/21/2013 5:26:40 PM EDT
[#13]
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Interesting. Hmm.

Have you guys experienced any email issues while on the VPN?
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None but I use gmail on my desktop and the email in my ipad comes through with no issues.
8/21/2013 5:34:16 PM EDT
[#14]
Cool. I think I'll give it a try. I wish they had longer than a 7-day cancellation policy. Witopia gives you a month.
8/21/2013 5:54:49 PM EDT
[#15]
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No issues. Which gateway are you connecting through?  
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There was a review posted somewhere on the net regarding various VPN services and their security practices.  Private Internet Access supposedly keeps no logs, and has plenty of options for which server you want to use.  It is a paid service, but less than $40/year if paid in advance.

Linky

They get my vote. I've been extremely happy with the speed and reliability.

 


I'm using them now on my ipad. I have it set up in my desktop as well. Every site I visit thinks I'm in Canada, or Germany or Lithuania. Wherever I pick.


Whenever I connect through Private Internet Access I can't get to ar15.com.  I've tried every day since I signed up and the connection always times out.


No issues. Which gateway are you connecting through?  


us-west.privateinternetaccess.com

EDIT

I tried all the US gateways and I can't get to ar15.com through any of them.  I think there is something else going on though.  When I'm connected through the VPN and I try to ping ar15.com I get a "General failure" but I can ping other host names just fine.  From a few google results it looks like it's something to do with IPv4/v6
8/21/2013 6:21:58 PM EDT
[#16]
I use the Texas servers and I've never had an issue reaching any site.
8/21/2013 6:46:35 PM EDT
[#17]
I disabled ipv6 and my general error went away and I can ping ar15.com through the vpn but the website still won't load.  I haven't found any others that don't load.
8/22/2013 11:01:05 AM EDT
[#18]
Darn. Sending email isn't working through the phone. Everything else appears to. I'm secured and writing from my tethered tablet.

ETA: Interesting. Just got things running on my Mac. No smtp there either. And while I can surf arfcom from my phone while connected I can't from the laptop. Grrr.
8/22/2013 3:24:11 PM EDT
[#19]
Using a VPN was the only way I was able to surf Arfcom from a certain hotspot.  Something about their safe-surf software not liking all the icky gun stuff.  You may have to check with your email provider, to see if there is a certain setting that will let you send email through the VPN.  Depending on who you have, it may be restricted to their network.  Some of the ISP's used to be like that if I remember correctly.
8/22/2013 4:06:32 PM EDT
[#20]
Hmm, now it's working. And email went out on the desktop. But GMail is prompting me for my password. I also got a suspicious account access warning from Google.

ETA: Ok, they just told me they block SMTP since they don't log traffic (prevents spam). They'll whitelist my domains though.
8/22/2013 6:11:32 PM EDT
[#21]
I have not had an issue at all unless I am logged into another country and try to log into my bank or etrade account. They flag it as suspicious. However I'm using it in my ipad through the Texas access and not having any issues.
8/23/2013 3:55:34 AM EDT
[#22]
I was using Florida. Odd.

Anyone try using the OpenVPN app? It wants to install a cert but aside from ca.crt there isn't one in the zip file they provide.
8/24/2013 9:55:50 PM EDT
[#23]
Right now  I'm running openvpn on a raspberry pi on my home network. Works well for me. I generated the cert when I installed the program.
8/25/2013 3:36:14 AM EDT
[#24]
Cool. I don't have a machine on all the time like I used to or I'd host it myself.

I just got my smtp whitelisted about 5:30 this morning and it looks like everything is working great!

Take that NSA!
8/25/2013 4:49:00 AM EDT
[#25]
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I don't care about remote access. I care that when I'm sponging off free wifi at the wing place that nobody sitting around me can be sniffing my traffic.
View Quote


Of course they can sniff your traffic.  You are out in public.
8/25/2013 5:11:23 AM EDT
[#26]
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us-west.privateinternetaccess.com

EDIT

I tried all the US gateways and I can't get to ar15.com through any of them.  I think there is something else going on though.  When I'm connected through the VPN and I try to ping ar15.com I get a "General failure" but I can ping other host names just fine.  From a few google results it looks like it's something to do with IPv4/v6
View Quote

Disable IPv6 for starters

Next, if you're not using OpenVPN start.  If you are, delete all the config files and re-download them from https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/ and copy the new DL back to the config directory.

I'm using PIA and have no trouble with AR15.com using the Texas gateway.
8/25/2013 5:49:17 AM EDT
[#27]
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I don't care about remote access. I care that when I'm sponging off free wifi at the wing place that nobody sitting around me can be sniffing my traffic.
View Quote

the easiest, cheapest, most expedient way i have found to do this is by using a VPN-enabled router at home.   practically any router which runs open-source DD-WRT can be employed for this.  i use an inexpensive Buffalo N300 (see link) -- it came pre-loaded with DD-WRT and i had it and the VPN function up and running in 10 minutes.

once the router is configured, while sitting in a cafe i just slide the "VPN" switch on my iPhone to "ON".  two seconds later the VPN icon appears at the top of the screen and i am good to go.  any iPhone wireless traffic is now encrypted in the VPN, sent back to my home, decrypted by the VPN router, and then routed to the world as normal.   and of course i have access to infrastructure at home as well.  

ar-jedi
8/25/2013 7:23:43 AM EDT
[#28]
Interesting. I have a newer router so it probably supports it. I'll have to check.
8/25/2013 7:48:29 AM EDT
[#29]

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Of course they can sniff your traffic.  You are out in public.
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Quoted:

I don't care about remote access. I care that when I'm sponging off free wifi at the wing place that nobody sitting around me can be sniffing my traffic.




Of course they can sniff your traffic.  You are out in public.


Hence the reason he wants a VPN...





 
8/25/2013 3:38:02 PM EDT
[#30]
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Hence the reason he wants a VPN...

 
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I don't care about remote access. I care that when I'm sponging off free wifi at the wing place that nobody sitting around me can be sniffing my traffic.


Of course they can sniff your traffic.  You are out in public.

Hence the reason he wants a VPN...

 

8/27/2013 10:49:28 AM EDT
[#31]
I use a product which is free when you purchase an Ironkey USB.

It uses TOR through the Firefox browser on the USB.

The IK is virtually bomb proof, encryption on board for files, click and drop encryption, a files backup service, a secure site for storing, PW encryption, and a click on/off for the VPN.

I do not have the latest model(s), the VPN can be testy, but I think some of that is the web browser cache not populated.

Oh, "burns" itself up if you fail 10x in entering your PW... it warns you along the way, so if you are the owner you think before you enter. Bad guys will just blow the shit up....

Just my .02$
8/27/2013 10:59:14 AM EDT
[#32]

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I use a product which is free when you purchase an Ironkey USB.



It uses TOR through the Firefox browser on the USB.



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The Tor browser bundle is free to anyone that wants to download it from the Tor Project website

When you use Tor, your data is unencrypted (unless it's through SSL) when it leaves the exit node, meaning whoever runs that node has access to it. A VPN is far safer.



 
8/27/2013 2:08:09 PM EDT
[#33]
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When you use Tor, your data is unencrypted (unless it's through SSL) when it leaves the exit node, meaning whoever runs that node has access to it. A VPN is far safer.  
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think about that for a minute.

ar-jedi
8/27/2013 2:11:29 PM EDT
[#34]

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think about that for a minute.



ar-jedi

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Quoted:

When you use Tor, your data is unencrypted (unless it's through SSL) when it leaves the exit node, meaning whoever runs that node has access to it. A VPN is far safer.  


think about that for a minute.



ar-jedi



It's the VPN company (like your ISP) in that case that can see it, not whatever random asshole is running the exit node.

Your chances are better with a VPN provider.





 
9/2/2013 5:28:56 PM EDT
[#35]
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The Tor browser bundle is free to anyone that wants to download it from the Tor Project website
When you use Tor, your data is unencrypted (unless it's through SSL) when it leaves the exit node, meaning whoever runs that node has access to it. A VPN is far safer.
 
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I use a product which is free when you purchase an Ironkey USB.

It uses TOR (as Secure Sessions = encryption) through the Firefox browser on the USB.

red added after research and for clarification


The Tor browser bundle is free to anyone that wants to download it from the Tor Project website
When you use Tor, your data is unencrypted (unless it's through SSL) when it leaves the exit node, meaning whoever runs that node has access to it. A VPN is far safer.
 


Looked this up:

SS will ensure your traffic is routed anonymously and encrypted to the remote site, but the validity of the remote site still relies on the local firefox browser or OS trusting the certs issued for it. If you end up being misdirected to a spoof site, all SS will do is ensure you're anonymously and securely visiting it.