# VPN Do use one?



## kburra (Jul 15, 2019)

*A virtual private network levels the playing field.*
When you go online using a VPN account, you tilt the scales in your favor. A VPN account can instantly and continuously provide...


*More privacy.* Your connections cannot be linked to your computer...and you. You can visit any website and your ISP doesn't know where you've been.
 
*More security.* VPN connections are super secure. The network is hack proof and all of your Internet activity is encrypted (coded) and unreadable in transit.
 
*More website access.* No more blocks or censorship. They can't prevent from getting to websites based an IP address.
 
*More anonymity.* Your true IP address is hidden! You're unidentifiable online because you're constantly using a different IP address, never your own. In fact, it typically looks as if you're in a different part of the world from where you really are.


----------



## treeguy64 (Jul 15, 2019)

I used one, a few times, but I found it to be a bit of a hassle: Load times were slow, connections sometimes disappeared. Maybe things are better, now.


----------



## kburra (Jul 15, 2019)

Was it a FREE one, or Purchased?


----------



## treeguy64 (Jul 15, 2019)

Free. That, btw, made for a conundrum: I wanted to be able to use the internet, anonymously, but if I needed to pay for a better VPN, then I'd have to use a credit card. So much for anonymity!


----------



## C'est Moi (Jul 16, 2019)

I occasionally do, but only when on public wifi.


----------



## mike4lorie (Jul 16, 2019)

Yes, I use one, I bought 3-year term with NordVPN... Use it on my computer, Cell Phones, and television... No complaints of yet...


----------



## Matrix (Jul 16, 2019)

It's completely unnecessary, IMHO. Your IP address only reveals your city at most, nothing to be worried about.

When I can't decide if a new member is a spammer, I will check the IP, if it's a VPN, I'll ban, if it's a home IP, I will wait. The majority users behind a VPN or proxy are spammers, using a VPN may actually limit your access.


----------



## kburra (Jul 16, 2019)

_"It's completely unnecessary, IMHO. Your IP address only reveals your city at most, nothing to be worried about. "_

Typically, when you try to access a website on the internet, you start by connecting to your internet service provider (ISP). They redirect you to any websites (or other online resources) that you wish to visit. All your internet traffic passes through your ISP’s servers, which means they can see and log everything you do online.* They may even hand your browsing history over to advertisers, government agencies, and other third parties.*
Here’s where a VPN comes into play. It redirects your internet traffic through a specially configured remote server. This way, the VPN hides your IP address and encrypts all the data you send or receive. The encrypted data looks like gibberish to anyone who intercepts it — it is impossible to read.


----------



## Matrix (Jul 16, 2019)

@kburra, you are right, if your ISP is your concern, then VPN is useful.


----------



## sdr8005 (Jul 16, 2019)

In general, VPN's are a mixed bag.  I worked IT for roughly 50-years with the latter portion of that tenure spent as an IT R&D Architect.  The claim that a VPN will provide anonymity is by & large true.  A VPN is especially of value if you use a lot of "off premise" connectivity; i.e., wifi cafe's, McDonalds, Airports, & other venues where security is essentially non-existent.  On the other hand, if you're connecting from your residence, I personally don't see the need for a vpn. 

VPN's carry significant overhead as they operate thru a mechanism referred to as a "tunnel" which is part of the VPN.  That tunnel eats into your bandwidth allocation which could be a concern if you're on a plan where you're fairly limited on bandwidth usage.  You will notice a mild speed reduction on your browsing using a VPN.  For some, that's important, for others, no biggie.  If you're a "gamer" and dependent on high speed internet in order for the game to function properly, don't even think about going the VPN route.  

For those users who are rural residents and relegated to satellite internet, satellite and VPN don't even go in the same sentence.  Satellite latency is bad enough due to the communication distance involved.  Add a VPN to that and you've essentially created a very unworkable situation.  Just my thoughts; as they say, "your mileage may vary".


----------



## Bananas (Jul 29, 2019)

Note that the Opera browser has a built in VPN.


----------

