VPN Where and How

Forums › Android › VPN Where and How

ubernoob

576 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 84

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#220186 30-Jul-2017 08:44

I have seen several items on the TV now telling me I shouldn't log on to public WiFi hotspots, like the library offers and the council and my bank, without using a VPN. I only do this when I am out and about, so on my phone. None of these informative items actually mention how to do this. Do I just go to my network provider and say hook me up please?
Thanks

marlinz

441 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 96

#1833625 30-Jul-2017 08:52

I have a VPN through getflix i use it on my phone .

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
80646 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 41029

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#1833627 30-Jul-2017 09:08

You have to subscribe to a VPN service. I use Witopia and Norton WiFi. Both really good but Norton WiFi I better as it has its own client that automatically reconnect to the VPN as a you change from WiFi to mobile data. Witopia has an Auckland server so if you use it for security this means not much loss of speed.

Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies

Support Geekzone by subscribing (browse ads-free), or making a one-off or recurring donation through PressPatron.

rscole86

4999 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 462

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1833638 30-Jul-2017 10:04

I have just set up a raspberry pi with pihole for ad blocking. To get more use out of it I have just made it a VPN server. I've yet to test it fully, but mobile data appears to work OK.

ubernoob

576 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 84

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1833644 30-Jul-2017 10:13

Thanks for the replies

geocom

597 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 143

Subscriber

#1833659 30-Jul-2017 11:58

If your up to it a Raspberry Pi running OpenVPN is the easiest and safest way to do it. As it will be like your phone is directly connected to your home network.

Only downside would be if your home connection is slow as it has to come in to go out again so you would be capped to your upload speed.

I'm running PiVPN on mine and it is very easy and rock solid setup and has wizards to help with setup.

http://www.pivpn.io/

Geoff E

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9996

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#1833700 30-Jul-2017 13:17

While I regularly use a VPN while using open WiFi some of what is being said about security in recent days does approach FUD levels.

Yes it's open and anybody who wants to sniff traffic can do so. This will let them capture traffic that doesn't use any form of security. With a growing % of the internet being using SSL the risks of your data being captured are reducing by the day. To infer that banking is insecure over open WiFi ignores the encryption which simply can't (yet) be cracked. MiTM SSL decryption attacks would fail due to SSL errors.

WiFi with WPA offers minimal additional security over an open network as anybody with the WPA key can still capture the traffic and decrypt it.

Lego

Shop now for Lego sets and other gifts (affiliate link).

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
80646 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 41029

Administrator

ID Verified

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#1833708 30-Jul-2017 13:36

I used to have a VPN mainly to make sure my Geekzone session couldn't be hijacked by copying cookies in transit. With Geekzone going full HTTPS this is now not a concern anymore. I never worried about banking applications either for the same reasons. It is really a problem for those non-secure websites, which as pointed out, have been reducing in numbers.

Referral links: Quic Broadband (free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE) | Samsung | AliExpress | Wise | Sharesies

Support Geekzone by subscribing (browse ads-free), or making a one-off or recurring donation through PressPatron.

ubernoob

576 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 84

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1833725 30-Jul-2017 14:21

thanks sbiddle, freitasm. For the amount of time I use free WiFi I think I'll give the VPN a miss

ubernoob

576 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 84

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1833795 30-Jul-2017 15:45

Haha I decided to have a look at the Norton one and it was so easy....even for me, I installed it
Thanks freitasm

geocom

597 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 143

Subscriber

#1833807 30-Jul-2017 16:42

I'm not sure I would trust symantec with my data.

And here is why, Symantec's SSL arm issued 30,000+ SSL certificates incorrectly this fundamentally undermines SSL security and the trust that it implies.

This action has essentially killed symantecs SSL arm they can no longer issue certificates on their own they need another SSL authority to issue certs in their name, and as far as I am concerned this does not go far enough.

Geoff E

BlinkyBill

1443 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1100
Inactive user

#1833809 30-Jul-2017 16:55

Symantec, a business that manufactures and sells VPN software, issues report saying not enough people have VPN software. Lazy press report accordingly.

(Might have been McAffee that issued the report - they also manufacture VPN software).

AliExpress

Shop now on AliExpress (affiliate link).

Antzzz

190 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 12

#1834618 1-Aug-2017 00:17

@sbiddle:

While I regularly use a VPN while using open WiFi some of what is being said about security in recent days does approach FUD levels.

+1 on this. As someone who has previously worked for an app developer who built banking apps I can tell you that we spent a lot of time implementing mitigations for attacks that can be launched on open wifi networks. There are a number of techniques that are relatively straightforward to implement that most app developers worth their salt will use to prevent things like man in the middle attacks.