New section dedicated to VPN Services

talaverde · Jan 19, 2019, 8:14 PM

Please consider adding a section dedicated to private VPN connections. Not site-site, Corporate VPNs, or accessing your home while traveling. I'm talking about paid services like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, PIA, etc. Many of these services have specific instructions on how to configure pfSense for their service. Some work better than others. Some are HORRIBLE. Some are quite good. Some allow more than just OpenVPN, but have IPSec options. It would be extremely useful to have a single (sub) forum to discuss these and compare them. Share stories of success or failure. Even have some speed comparisons, etc. Most of the articles on the web that provide this information are clearly subsidized or paid off. Mostly worthless. Please let me know if you would even consider this and/or would be willing to have a discussion about it. Thanks!

KOM · Jan 22, 2019, 3:19 PM

The General Discussion board is usually used for those types of things.

I find this site useful:

That One Privacy Site: Detailed VPN Comparison Chart

JeGr · Jan 22, 2019, 3:35 PM

@kom said in New section dedicated to VPN Services:

I find this site useful:
That One Privacy Site: Detailed VPN Comparison Chart

Seconded! Great ressource.

talaverde · Jan 25, 2019, 2:08 PM

Alright. I'll respect your opinion. Search "VPN Service" and see how many results come up. I think it would be great to have it's own section. Sticky on setting up OpenVPN (as it's pretty much all the same for the VPN services). Sticky on VPN services that support ipSec (for example)

But if you think this is just 'general talk', I'll let it be.

Thanks for the reply.

Gertjan · Jan 25, 2019, 12:33 PM

@talaverde said in New section dedicated to VPN Services:

ExpressVPN

A "good' VPN service has detailed information for every good "device" (== pfSense) :
Like https://www.expressvpn.com/fr/support/vpn-setup/pfsense-with-expressvpn-openvpn/

(this works - tested it yesterday).

KOM · Jan 25, 2019, 2:08 PM

@talaverde Hey, do whatever you want. I don't really care either way. I was just saying that others in the past have posted VPN stuff in GD. I've also seen others posting in the OpenVPN forum. If the mods have a real problem, they will move it somewhere else.

talaverde · Jan 25, 2019, 11:14 PM

@kom said in New section dedicated to VPN Services:

@talaverde Hey, do whatever you want. I don't really care either way. I was just saying that others in the past have posted VPN stuff in GD. I've also seen others posting in the OpenVPN forum. If the mods have a real problem, they will move it somewhere else.

Absolutely no intention of any sort of contention, whatsoever. Hope it didn't come off that way.

The fact that some members post VPN questions in GD and some post in OpenVPN sorta proves my point. It would be nice if they were in a central location. I would place my request directly with the moderators, but I don't think that's possible (without annoying them). Hopefully they read this and come to their own conclusions.

My vote - Separate section for VPN services !! :)

johnpoz · Feb 1, 2019, 4:03 AM

Just so you know mods have no control over sections adding or deleting, only admins can do that. Other than asking or letting our opinion known to the powers that be just like normal users.

My vote would be no to anything that discusses any of those services to be honest... They are ALL garbage if you ask me.. If you want a vpn, then fire up a vps and run your own ;) Going to be way cheaper...

Most of them just like to sell snakeoil anyway.. Most of them promote their services for privacy and security, when really it all comes down to geo circumvention, or hiding your illegal activities from your isp..

Derelict · Jan 31, 2019, 5:14 PM

I don't think another category is necessary. If people start using the tags when they post, it will be easier to find posts based on a related service. Tags: NordVPN, PIA, etc.

They are available to the OP at the bottom of the post. Moderators can add them there too.

Up to the community to make it useful. If garbage goes in, garbage will come out.

talaverde · Feb 1, 2019, 4:03 AM

@johnpoz

SO - SEE, that would be a great topic for that category. I don't know anything about firing up a VPS instead of using the 'snake oil'. That's not saying I'm not familiar with a VPS. I'm using a few at the moment. I just don't see how that's better. But, again, a conversation for a different place, like it's own section. If the ADMINS aren't up for it, no worries. I'm happy you expressed your side of the conversation. That was the point of this thread. (You might even know some of the 'admins' but then again, I know your vote ;)

I would ask more questions about the pros/cons of using a VPS in replacement of a VPN service, but I'm not sure what section to post that in ;)

Curious, would you consider this conversation 'illegal activities'? 'Geo circumvention'? Or, would you be willing to accept I want to have an anonymous online conversation without anyone nefarious or in 'big-government' being able to tie it back to me. If I was posting with my own name or an IP registered to my legal name, you can be damn sure I'd post about 95% less, or more likely just cancel my account. If you're saying I didn't do that because I didn't use a VPS, I'd like to know the reason for that?

jdeloach · Feb 1, 2019, 10:16 AM

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johnpoz · Feb 1, 2019, 4:16 PM

^ exactly..

There is a big difference between using a Nick and not giving out your real name to some forum, and users of that forum. And thinking nobody can track you.. Especially big government..

We can have a conversation... We don't know who either of us are, No need for a vpn to do this.. Most the forum knows is some email address we used to register and the IP we are coming from.. So they know what ISP your on, and maybe what city your in say.. How does that tell them your actual ID?

The traffic is encrypted between my pc and forum servers.. My ISP doesn't know what I am typing.. All they know is I have a https session to IP address xyz.. And moving X amount of data between.. How does routing that traffic through some vpn provide you more security exactly? Hiding your ISP IP from the forum? Hiding your dest IP from your ISP? Come on Really you think actually gives you more privacy? But guessing you use a Credit Card to buy those condoms and six pack of beer ;) Take you prob use multiple "discount" or member cards for different services, etc. etc. You drive on the road with camera's and tollbooths, you use a cell phone - the government knows exactly where you are and what your doing if they wanted too..

Paying $X a month to "hide" from from the MAN doesn't get you squat other than slower internet and less money in your pocket.. And to be honest handing over everything you do on the internet to vpn service XYZ on a silver platter ;) For some reason they are more trust worthy then ISP abc..

JeGr · Feb 1, 2019, 4:16 PM

@johnpoz Reminds me of a nice long writeup of a sys engineer colleague who pointed out, that all the shoutouts for avoiding big data, big companies or big governments could roughly be divided into two categories specified by the maslow hierarchy of needs:

you have a desire for privacy: that's a good one and the wish for using a VPN to ensure/heighten your own privacy is OK, nothing wrong with it. But it comes down to a desire or feeling
you have an absolute need for privacy (and anonymity): that's because your life is probably in danger. Than it's an absolute must-have and you must(!) implement and life OpSec and derived procedures. Because every slip up can result in harm to yourself or other persons lifes.

If one thinks about the difference of those two cases, it becomes clearer, why a person of case #2 would be very very wary to use a VPN service for their security (not privacy!) as a slipup, a falsely saved logfile or any documented line such a VPN service has created that could compromise their location is vital to their survival. If you check most common VPN services for that level of security you can begin to see why one could think that most of the commercial VPN services are mostly snakeoil or used for privacy/IP avoidance/GeoUnLocking etc.

Nice discussion BTW :)

johnpoz · Feb 1, 2019, 4:57 PM

I hope these people all understand that these vpn services that allow users to watch netflix and other streaming services that do geo filtering are all temp wack-a-mole solutions as they continue to block networks these vpn services own, etc.

If what your looking to do is circumvent a geo restriction to access some service.. Its only a matter of time before these popular vpn services get shut down. Sure they can try and play hide and seek changing their netblocks, etc.

You would be much better off just getting a vps in the country you want to watch from some small hoster pay your $15 to 30$ a year and route your circumvention traffic through that ;) Better yet hook up with a buddy in that country that will let you route your streaming traffic through his connection... Then it just looks like he is very active viewer..

Pretty sure for example that the above mentioned PIA doesn't work with netflix

edit: Just ran into this article, and just goes show how useless that vpn in actually helping your privacy ;)
https://www.forbrukerradet.no/side/google-manipulates-users-into-constant-tracking

talaverde · Feb 2, 2019, 6:54 AM

Are you rejecting the idea that forum members may want to share ideas on a multi-million dollar industry and probably the first or second most popular reason to use the OpenVPN feature of pfSense? Or, are you you rejecting the idea that forum members talk about VPN services, in general, in a central location?

I think your comments and opinions are completely relevant here. I'm just not understanding why you think think conversation / topic doesn't belong in a pfSense forum?

If we had a dedicated section for this topic, we could have threads like "Paid VPN vs VPS", "How to set up a VPN on a VPS", "What VPNs are the biggest scams", (god forbid) "Legitimate VPN services to consder".

(This (below) got blocked initially by pfBlockerNG due to TLD, but I managed a way around it w/o actually going to the site)

edit: Just ran into this article, and just goes show how useless that vpn in actually helping your privacy ;)
https://www.forbrukerradet.no/side/google-manipulates-users-into-constant-tracking

I don't get it? What does that have to do with wanting a VPN? I've removed all Google tracking I've been able to. Sure, law enforcement knows where I am. I'm sure other people do to. However, a VPN significantly limits this information. Again, this proves my point IMHO. This is a very relevant conversation to privacy and security, which is what a firewall is for and can help with.

johnpoz · Feb 3, 2019, 9:52 AM

I am not rejecting anything.. As I stated I don't have control - and I don't really care to discuss the nonsense that is the vpn services industry ;)

We get enough threads where where some user wants to know how to make sure he is not leaking dns <rolleyes> That I already want to just vomit.. We don't need a section dedicated to the nonsense..

My honest 2 cents is all.

For whatever reason X isn't working - they make no mention that they are trying to use vpn service X until you have pulled the info teeth with a pair of tweezers, etc. etc.

You want to attempt to hide your p0rn habit from your isp - then have at it... Its not freaking security topic in the first place - when did "security" become hiding a dest IP from the ISP you pay for connectivity to the internet?? Watching US Netflix while your in the EU -- how exactly is that a "security" topic?

If you want to call the section how to do I make my internet slower, cost more money so I can circumvent geo restrictions - then sure lets do that... How many people you think are going to own up to why they want the vpn to work.. Which is p2p and georestrictions - they can call it "privacy concerns" all they want... Its all BS and you know it.. If they are so worried about privacy. No CC's, No Membership cards, etc. etc..

VPNs are a big business because their user base is gullible and its the latest buzz word... And netflix has a great US library compared to the other locations ;)

Grimson · Feb 3, 2019, 12:47 PM

@talaverde said in New section dedicated to VPN Services:

If we had a dedicated section for this topic, we could have threads like "Paid VPN vs VPS", "How to set up a VPN on a VPS", "What VPNs are the biggest scams", (god forbid) "Legitimate VPN services to consder".

You can create most of these threads in "General Discussion" just fine. I don't see a need for a dedicated section just for a handful of posts, especially since most VPN users don't want to hear the truth and it will most likely just create another wave of spammers trying to advertise their VPN service/scam site.

KOM · Feb 4, 2019, 3:22 PM

@johnpoz said in New section dedicated to VPN Services:

And netflix has a great US library compared to the other locations ;)

VPNs won't save you there. Netflix has them all blocked. I have a VPS on Linode and I couldn't even connect with my homebrew OpenVPN instance, even though it's US-based so they seem to have every VPS provider blocked as well as commercial VPN services.

Elijah_Wells · Mar 24, 2020, 12:17 PM

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