Online VPNs are they safe?

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reven

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Topic # 67868 9-Sep-2010 18:18

I don't know enough about vpn service and am Internet security paranoid

Are VPN services safe? I'm thinking about signing up to Strong VPN but have a few questions

1. As I'm connected to a network do they have access to my system and my home LAN ?
2. Is it safe to leave it on all the time and success gmail, online backing etc through this?
3. Are there any other security concerns I'm missing?
4. Can I configure a VPN on my router if it is safe so all devices can use it, think appletv and xbmc
5. If not 4, can I do a gateway or is there another solution?

I wouldn't trust a free one. But strong VPN has a good online presence

TIA

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Reply # 378336 9-Sep-2010 18:19

Oh I want to use it mostily for hulu

billgates

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Reply # 378342 9-Sep-2010 18:45

I use Witopia.net and it works great. Great customer service and reviews are good too. $60/year for access to 25+ servers I think. You can switch to any other country's IP any time with no monthly limits.

Witopia does sells these cloakbox routers that are essentially running the tomato or dd-wrt firmware with 1 year subscription included for $199 and $99/year there after. You can use this wifi-router to connect multiple device.

Do whatever you want to do man.

codyc1515

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Reply # 378360 9-Sep-2010 19:52

reven: Oh I want to use it mostily for hulu

If you just want to use Hulu, try tunnelbroker.net
Thats what I use, and its free.

Also, they do IPv6 tunneling which is pretty good.

reven

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Reply # 378366 9-Sep-2010 20:20

cost isnt really a concern, they all seem to be less than US$10 a month, more worried about security with them

freitasm

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Reply # 378367 9-Sep-2010 20:33

I used to have a server in the US for testing Geekzone from overseas, but for some reason they changed their IP addresses - while it still seems to be in the US for me, some services don't believe it.

So to make sure I could still test from overseas I decided to use a VPN service - someone here on Geekzone has posted a link to PureVPN. So far I haven't been able to connect. Their support keep telling me to use the right username and password, which I am copying from their registration email.

Obviously I am not impressed.

Backblaze cloud backup (personal and business) | Geekzone broadband switch | Amazon (Geekzone aff) | MightyApe (Geekzone aff) |

My technology disclosure | Business Transformation | Enterprise Content Management | Customer Relationship Management | Sharesies investment fund

richms

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Reply # 378416 9-Sep-2010 23:10

Do you trust your current ISP any more or less than a US company? The internet is untrusted inherently so if you are using a VPN or not you shouldnt think you can practace unsafe browsing.

Richard rich.ms

reven

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Reply # 378496 10-Sep-2010 10:08

Just don't know how Much access a VPN opens up. Is it like a LAN? If I have shared folders with access to everyone on my computer or network could these be open on the VPN?

richms

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Reply # 378625 10-Sep-2010 17:05

Depends if you firewall the connection or not, you normally get a real world USA IP address over the tunnel on the US providers I have tried, so you have full exposure to the internet.

Turn on the firewall on the VPN adapter and you are as safe as you are on dialup with that same firewall on.

Richard rich.ms

webwat

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Reply # 378670 10-Sep-2010 21:09

Yeah its like a LAN so you dont want a public VPN being used for internet to be running from a local PC, so all it does is change your modem's real location to "virtual". Great way to bypass the security on your modem, that's why VPNs were invented.

Trust your own firewall hardware (your modem) to provide security, not any online service. Get a modem or router that can provide a VPN service without compromising its NAT or firewall functions.

Qualified in business, certified in fibre, stuck in copper, have to keep going ^_^

nobz

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Reply # 378806 11-Sep-2010 17:44

reven: I don't know enough about vpn service and am Internet security paranoid

Are VPN services safe? I'm thinking about signing up to Strong VPN but have a few questions

1. As I'm connected to a network do they have access to my system and my home LAN ?
2. Is it safe to leave it on all the time and success gmail, online backing etc through this?
3. Are there any other security concerns I'm missing?
4. Can I configure a VPN on my router if it is safe so all devices can use it, think appletv and xbmc
5. If not 4, can I do a gateway or is there another solution?

I wouldn't trust a free one. But strong VPN has a good online presence

TIA

Am with Strongvpn (3 city open). (Am using open service not pptp.)

1) No, they don't have access to your system or your home lan or anything.
2) Yes, our router is on 24/7. I use paypal (I buy my stuff in the States and this is the only payment they allow me), online banking...etc including my sister and mother, so far no identity theft or stolen details.
3) Virus and stuff can still go to your computer. (If that what you meant)
4) Yes, if you are using DD-WRT (like me) you need to submit a help ticket (same as emailing them) so they will provide you the files for your DD-WRT router and there is also a step by step in the forums. If you have tomatovpn firmware just follow the steps in their forums posted by one of their staff. And again its safe.
5) Don't know (not really network savvy).

Edit - Forgot to mention once you start using vpn. Some services like paypal, facebook and ebay (what my family encountered so far) will put you into a security measure, since your ip will be from NZ -> US (or whatever country server you are using)

reven

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Reply # 378846 11-Sep-2010 21:17

nobz:
reven: I don't know enough about vpn service and am Internet security paranoid

Are VPN services safe? I'm thinking about signing up to Strong VPN but have a few questions

1. As I'm connected to a network do they have access to my system and my home LAN ?
2. Is it safe to leave it on all the time and success gmail, online backing etc through this?
3. Are there any other security concerns I'm missing?
4. Can I configure a VPN on my router if it is safe so all devices can use it, think appletv and xbmc
5. If not 4, can I do a gateway or is there another solution?

I wouldn't trust a free one. But strong VPN has a good online presence

TIA

Am with Strongvpn (3 city open). (Am using open service not pptp.)

1) No, they don't have access to your system or your home lan or anything.
2) Yes, our router is on 24/7. I use paypal (I buy my stuff in the States and this is the only payment they allow me), online banking...etc including my sister and mother, so far no identity theft or stolen details.
3) Virus and stuff can still go to your computer. (If that what you meant)
4) Yes, if you are using DD-WRT (like me) you need to submit a help ticket (same as emailing them) so they will provide you the files for your DD-WRT router and there is also a step by step in the forums. If you have tomatovpn firmware just follow the steps in their forums posted by one of their staff. And again its safe.
5) Don't know (not really network savvy).

Edit - Forgot to mention once you start using vpn. Some services like paypal, facebook and ebay (what my family encountered so far) will put you into a security measure, since your ip will be from NZ -> US (or whatever country server you are using)

Thanks for that

I was thinking about buying one of their routers and connecting my media centres to that and then that router to my adsl2 router and my other computers directly to my adsl2 router

nobz

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Reply # 378872 11-Sep-2010 22:30

reven:
I was thinking about buying one of their routers and connecting my media centres to that and then that router to my adsl2 router and my other computers directly to my adsl2 router

Its alot cheaper if you are able to find a router that is capable to be flashed with 3rd party firmware in trademe or ebay and do the flashing yourself.

Sounds alright with your setup. If you have any extra ports left. Plug the remaining with your computer and connect your wireless devices to it aswell. Cause the connection is really fast

.

BTW only do this if you're planning to get the Asus RT-N16 (this is the router am using), don't know about the others.

codyc1515

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Reply # 378885 11-Sep-2010 23:27

nobz:
reven:
I was thinking about buying one of their routers and connecting my media centres to that and then that router to my adsl2 router and my other computers directly to my adsl2 router

Its alot cheaper if you are able to find a router that is capable to be flashed with 3rd party firmware in trademe or ebay and do the flashing yourself.

Sounds alright with your setup. If you have any extra ports left. Plug the remaining with your computer and connect your wireless devices to it aswell. Cause the connection is really fast .

BTW only do this if you're planning to get the Asus RT-N16 (this is the router am using), don't know about the others.

We sell routers that can be reflashed to pretty much any firmware (like OpenWRT, DD-WRT, Gargoyle, Robin-Mesh, etc.), on our website at www.open-mesh.co.nz. They are $60 each + Postage.

richms

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Reply # 379042 12-Sep-2010 15:17

Who is selling those routers exactly? The open-mesh.co.nz site looks like a scam site with no company contact information and no GST number etc.

Product details are clearly just copied off a US site since it has 1, 5v power supply (US model, 110v) in the package contents, so would it even come with a legal NZ power supply or a US one that is useless here?

Richard rich.ms

codyc1515

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Reply # 379082 12-Sep-2010 18:34

c71931f:
richms: Who is selling those routers exactly? The open-mesh.co.nz site looks like a scam site with no company contact information and no GST number etc.

Product details are clearly just copied off a US site since it has 1, 5v power supply (US model, 110v) in the package contents, so would it even come with a legal NZ power supply or a US one that is useless here?

Will be giving IRD a heads-up, the more people that do = them doing whatever they do faster tho..

Also...

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/2158/hmmfc.jpg

You will find that you cannot actually purchase any products off of the site yet.
This is because the company is not yet registered, as you mentioned.

Also, we were given permission from the American website owner to re-sell their products in New Zealand, and he gave us permission to re-produce the website with some variations, as well as to use their brand name.

About the US power adapter, I should probably change that, as they come with NZ adapters.

It is not a scam, contact Mike off the US website, he will verify it is in fact legitimate.

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