VPNs - do you use it

[Sword Smith]

Hi!

As I have understood, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks, used to hide online identity) are popular among many BTC users. Do you use a VPN and if so why/why not?

Also, I would like to hear which VPNs accept Bitcoins.

Regards,
Sword Smith

[Jaw3bmasters]

VPN simply changes your default Ip address to something else, it has nothing to do with protecting your social network.

[Sword Smith]

VPN simply changes your default Ip address to something else, it has nothing to do with protecting your social network.

Who said anything thing about social network? I am aware that you cannot hide your identity if you log into FB or gmail or whatever. But you can surf much of the internet whilst staying anonymous if you use a VPN.

Hopefully someone else can provide some insight into the pros and cons on this.

[gappie]

Just use VPN to connect to network at home. No need to hide my activity with Bitcoin

[havardr]

VPN was mainly be used to acces a local network when you are not "local".

Some use it to hide where they are surfing from, but its not entirely secure and can be traced.

[cyberthane]

I feel like I should... but i dont   

[Jaw3bmasters]

VPN simply changes your default Ip address to something else, it has nothing to do with protecting your social network.

Who said anything thing about social network? I am aware that you cannot hide your identity if you log into FB or gmail or whatever. But you can surf much of the internet whilst staying anonymous if you use a VPN.

Hopefully someone else can provide some insight into the pros and cons on this.

Ok, so you're not a total newb.......

If you have a static Ip address, then VPN is recommended.

[BTC Books]

As I have understood, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks, used to hide online identity) are popular among many BTC users. Do you use a VPN and if so why/why not?

Also, I would like to hear which VPNs accept Bitcoins.

TorrentFreak just updated their (highly recommended) post on exactly that, here:

http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-that-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2013-edition-130302/

Check it out.

Toni

[Sword Smith]

As I have understood, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks, used to hide online identity) are popular among many BTC users. Do you use a VPN and if so why/why not?

Also, I would like to hear which VPNs accept Bitcoins.

TorrentFreak just updated their (highly recommended) post on exactly that, here:

http://torrentfreak.com/vpn-services-that-take-your-anonymity-seriously-2013-edition-130302/

Check it out.

Toni

Finally a reasonable answer containing some usefull information. Thank you!

[knives]

Hi!

As I have understood, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks, used to hide online identity) are popular among many BTC users. Do you use a VPN and if so why/why not?

Also, I would like to hear which VPNs accept Bitcoins.

Regards,
Sword Smith

Greetings to you,

The low level of understanding how the "internets" work among BTC "afficionados" is incredible, don't you think?

Anyway, I use OpenVPN at home (without static IP, oh me, I'm a magician!) with DynDNS and everything works like a charm. I have an embedded low consumption fan-less server which runs FreeBSD.

As for the anonymity I use TOR bundle these days. I used to run a TOR node and connect through VPN -> FreeBSD/TOR node (10.8.0.1:9051) but I had really low bandwidth so it turned out that using latest torrent bundle is way safer and faster.

That said, paid VPN's are a fine thing in some ways but mostly protects from some sort of DNS-hijacking that could occur in private WiFi networks easily (metasploit has some fine examples, like redirect from facebook.com to login.facebook.at) where the page asks for confirmation etc. Most avg users will give you the user/pass for fb, twitter and so on. Another way that doesn't work these days is sniffing non-https connections, but almost every website have an https.

Again: VPN protects you from third parties (if you route all your connections from the VPN). Especially in countries like UAE, Iran, Iraq, etc. It's a *must have*. Even if you travel there, but for *real anonymity* you're between i2p and (way better imho) TOR.

Regards bro :-)

[tjohej]

but I had really low bandwidth so it turned out that using latest torrent bundle is way safer and faster.

Torrent bundle, what is that? Don't you mean Tor Browser Bundle?(TBB)

Even if you travel there, but for *real anonymity* you're between i2p and (way better imho) TOR.

Tor is only 'better' in the sense that it has a huge .exit node network while i2p focuses mostly on the darknet(.exit nodes in i2p are called outproxies). One use I find in i2p is the internal torrent network which is not too small these days I can recommend the TPB AFK movie legal to download , though I use Tor when I want to get out to regular websites on the internet that are not themselves part of an onion network.

[killakem]

Hi,

I only use a VPN to get around censorship etc and also for security. When you are on public Wifi networks all the unsecured data (HTTP) is visible to everyone on the network.

[scryptasicminer]

Hola plugin is free.

[niktitan132]

No,i don't use VPNs.Why? Because i use TOR. 

[claimore]

im on a dorm at university with a lot of other bitcoiners, they do not allow VPN 

[minerpumpkin]

Well VPNs make especially much sense when you're connected to an unprotected wireless network. Becuase VPNs effectively encrypt your complete traffic to the VPN-server, therefore the wireless connection (which is the weak spot, potentially also the router/local network) is encrypted.

[jbrnt]

I only use VPN to improve security when using hotel internet or free wifi networks, not to hide my identity or anything.

[Lanzer]

I find them very useful specially to access sites with country restricition

[Possum577]

I do, but only for security when working from home or on the road.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

vpn still can track by hacked not stupid they have more tools to break you security . thats why need more security when online its important and visit unfamilliar website its really dangerous if you have many money in your investment or important data else.