# Pros and Cons of a VPN



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Is it worth while to have a VPN? It does sound good to not have google and others not track where we go. I don't know enough about this to decide if I want one, or if so who would be a good one?


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## SW Dweller (Jan 6, 2021)

VPN's do help keep private private. There are several ways to have a VPN.
You can log into one and from there you are some what hidden, Your still open to you ISP. 
You can install a VPN on your computer, like a fire wall it WILL SLOW everything down unless your hardware and connection speed is really fast. There free ones and pay for ones.

All depends on your expectations. 

They make apps for stopping the tracking in your browser. You can change browsers and have less invasion. I was a Google guy for decades, easy, fast and no worries. Then I started getting BS from Big G as they wanted information and money from me. Change to Fire Fox for daily use.

Use DuckDuckGo for search engine.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I appreciate the information, thanks a lot.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

VPN can also relocate you to different country. There is a slight possibility that some country specific stuff will be unavailable.
If you want to try it Opera browser has a built in free VPN.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

Jim - remember "Bob" on WWT last year that actually tracked down a member and posted satellite photos of the guys house and address ?? that was scary to say the least. I don't think an alter VPN would stop anyone that was determined to get your "stuff". I am always on the defensive and pro-active (as much as possible) about my personal data.
getting junk emails is one thing - a guy showing up at your door in dark shades and a hoodie is something else.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

Will a VPN keep web-sites from downloading cookies to your computer ?

Most people don't like the idea of a web-sites putting packets on their computer, but they are actually quite useful.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

SPS-1 said:


> Will a VPN keep web-sites from downloading cookies to your computer ?


NO, but it will keep them from knowing where you are located. VPN does not block anything. It just hides you so they don't know who/where you really are.
One use of VPN used to be to make netflix think you were in USA so you could watch blocked shows in Canada. I think netflix has done some stuff to get around this.


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## GrayHair (Apr 9, 2015)

I run VPN client software on my laptop so that everything between my laptop and the VPN server is encrypted.
It's frightening what a creative configuration of both Wire Shark and a WiFi card can pull out of thin air.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I am just tired of being tracked everywhere on the web we go. Also we are getting a lot of spam and am hoping the VPN would stop that.


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## SpentPenny (Dec 15, 2020)

As an aside, one side effect can be that some sites change their behavior if they sense you are somewhere else. For example, I used a European VPN server for a while and my Amazon changed to everything priced in pounds (I was using a UK server) and the products were different. My church donation software would not accept a debit card from outside the US so I had to change to a US server but in a different state than I am really in. That blew off my "store" selection in Home Depot and Lowes. Not a big deal, but the side effect caught me off-guard.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

BigJim said:


> Also we are getting a lot of spam and am hoping the VPN would stop that.


Spam comes to your email address. A VPN does not change that. Once your email address gets on a spam list a VPN is not going to change that.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

joed said:


> Spam comes to your email address. A VPN does not change that. Once your email address gets on a spam list a VPN is not going to change that.


Thanks Joe, I didn't know that.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

SpentPenny said:


> As an aside, one side effect can be that some sites change their behavior if they sense you are somewhere else. For example, I used a European VPN server for a while and my Amazon changed to everything priced in pounds (I was using a UK server) and the products were different. My church donation software would not accept a debit card from outside the US so I had to change to a US server but in a different state than I am really in. That blew off my "store" selection in Home Depot and Lowes. Not a big deal, but the side effect caught me off-guard.


I think I will just forget the VPN, don't seem to be worth the hassle. I appreciate the information.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

Jim. your email spams, are you marking them as spam instead of just deleting them ?


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Fix'n it said:


> Jim. your email spams, are you marking them as spam instead of just deleting them ?


Fix, they are already in spam, they don't make it to inbox, it is just annoying. I do just delete them from the spam folder.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

i don't even check my spam folder, no idea what is in it .

a while back i was getting a bunch of spam, i just deleted it , and it kept on coming. after a while of this i started "mark as spam". i took a while, few months maybe, but the spam stopped.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jun 15, 2018)

last year, I was getting dozens of spam emails every day.
instead of deleting them, I "BLOCKED" them. it takes time, but now I am down to maybe 2-3 day.
yes, I know the bad ones change digits every time they mass-spam, but blocking seems to help.
even if they are in the spam box, you can still block them.


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## papereater (Sep 16, 2016)

So, it sounds like yes, there may be some side effects, but the , main thing is if you want to be close to 100% anonymous/non traceable you get a VPN, end of story (?). Then deal with some inconvenience. Right?


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## GrayHair (Apr 9, 2015)

Running a VPN Client on your machine encrypts data to and from your machine (including passwords!). No one can "sniff" network traffic and get your info. Particularly important if you do online banking (in my opinion). As others have said previously, it does nothing for SPAM, which is directed at your email accoutnt.


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## franssuing91 (4 mo ago)

One hundred percent you need a good vpn if you want your data not to be monitored


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## Deja-vue (Mar 24, 2013)

The Main Reason I use a VPN [Cyperghost 8] is so I can watch European TV on my Computer, or watch European Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.
Using a Server in Germany. 
I used to use ExprressVPN, now Cyperghost, which is so much cheaper. The only problem is you don't get the Speed you have on your connection.
I'm on a 1 Gig up/down, but when using VPN I am only getting some 200-300 Mbps.


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## Deja-vue (Mar 24, 2013)

satnamapply said:


> I've heard that even the Internet there is much slower than ours, so you probably need a good proxy.


My Brother lives in Germany, and he has the same Speed. [1Gig up/down]
All depends which Server I'm getting. And 300 Mbps is plenty for 4K streaming.


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## Elmer-Dallas Texas (9 mo ago)

GrayHair said:


> Running a VPN Client on your machine encrypts data to and from your machine (including passwords!). No one can "sniff" network traffic and get your info. Particularly important if you do online banking (in my opinion). As others have said previously, it does nothing for SPAM, which is directed at your email accoutnt.


I think banks and other sensitive info is already protected when you see the "lock symbol" on the url line. No need for vpn for addresses with lock imo.


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## rafaelrobertson (6 mo ago)

SW Dweller said:


> VPN's do help keep private private. There are several ways to have a VPN.
> You can log into one and from there you are some what hidden, Your still open to you ISP.
> You can install a VPN on your computer, like a fire wall it WILL SLOW everything down unless your hardware and connection speed is really fast. There free ones and pay for ones.
> 
> ...


you are right. i agree with you


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## GrayHair (Apr 9, 2015)

Elmer-Dallas Texas said:


> I think banks and other sensitive info is already protected when you see the "lock symbol" on the url line. No need for vpn for addresses with lock imo.


Just saw this.

The lock symbol should indicate encryption between servers; i.e. a bank's server and your ISP's server. But between your machine and your ISP's server is most likely open. Even if you use a network cable to connect your machine, if there is a wireless access point on the network, you can still be at risk; I've head rumors that WPA authentication may have vulnerabilities.


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## Elmer-Dallas Texas (9 mo ago)

GrayHair said:


> But between your machine and your ISP's server is most likely open.


The VPN server could be in any country? Sending my data to another country seems risky. A VPN also slows down the response of the computer I believe due to the process that encrypting requires.
And seems to me that anything sent from my computer to VPN would be undecrypted until it reaches some server?? 
Most people do not experience bank problems as a result of the data transmission. Most of the problem is they give out their password through a phishing steal.


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## darryln (9 mo ago)

Came here to recommend ProtonVPN, as I've been using it about 2 years. Got a annual bundle deal with mail, drive, and vpn. Swiss company, servers all over the world, including lots of them in US so banks etc don't lock you out. Client software runs on Windows/Mac/Linux. All VPNs work by encrypting _all_ network traffic coming out of your machine and "tunneling" that data to one of their remote servers, where it is unencrypted for the other computer(s) you are talking to. Same with the reverse pathway coming back. Make sure that any VPN you use includes encrypted/private DNS.


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