Best VPN service for a gamer/ someone who uses streaming services ?

[Mighty-Lu-Bu]

FBI has cracked many VPN's and Tor, to the point they let child sex traffickers go in order to keep their tools secure. A lot of these services use less than ideal encryption keys so when subpoena'd they can provide it. That is definitely something you want to watch out for with whatever provider you choose.

Your data is only encrypted between your PC and their servers, also something else to keep in mind. Beyond that, unless using other forms of transmission encryption standards, your data is wide open as if it were coming from your home with no VPN.

Not saying that a VPN is useless, I quite think the opposite, especially with higher levels of encryption. There will be some performance deficits the higher the levels of encryption go, but thanks to hardware acceleration in Intel, AMD, and other types of network hardware processing, that is becoming less harsh on hardware. But it has its effects...especially on systems where you're running the VPN client.

I prefer OpenVPN and DNSSEC VPN standards for secure tunnel deployment and management. I've deployed dozens of both for companies, end-users, for site-to-site, road-warrior, etc.

One thing to be careful about is ASSuming that the FBI doesn't have access to the encryption keys for those VPN tunnels. Many services use the same encryption key for all their clients...it's like a "get outta jail free" card if they are requested to turn it over. The other issue that may or may not concern you is logging, many VPN services may claim not to log, but most do. Again, this is CYA so they can offload lawsuits to the end-users rather than have to deal with getting shut down and going broke. Why should they pay for your illegal activities? They won't.

Depending on your activities, this may or may not matter.

Using VPN services for streaming and gaming, good luck with that...to lower levels of encryption and still have increased latency doesn't seem worth it. I guess if you're region locked and feel you really NEED to ID as someone from a different region, then that's your only choice for sure.

If you want to be truly private, you need to unplug from the Internet. Otherwise smartly using VPN and Tor are mitigation methods to increasing privacy to a certain extent, but not sure-fire bulletproof solutions by any means. The second you assume you're all good will be the second they nail your ass to the wall. Make sure you're regularly changing servers, make sure you're not doing heinously illegal content viewing, sharing, distributing, or any content theft that could push the DMCA and feds down the throats of your VPN service provider, and odds are you'll be safer than not.

It is worth educating on how VPN works, why it works and where it does and doesn't work. VPN service providers are FOTM's anymore...and more of them are dangerously transparent when it comes to investigations. Some are super dangerous when their encryption keys get "accidentally" released or hacked out of their databases.

That being said, I've used PIA for several years now with good results...though I don't use it daily nor rely on it all the time. Frankly if you're worried about privacy, there's so much more than VPN. Every membership, regular bill, registration, service, whether online or not, has been tracking you for decades... we lost the privacy battle. So what you're really keeping private versus what you think you're keeping private can be vastly different, and many don't even realize it. That's another discussion for a different day.

Really it comes down to choosing what you are and aren't willing to do on a PC, and while VPN and Tor can help to an extent with encryption, they aren't the end-all answer that many bill them to be. I am a proponent for VPN's, as I said I use them regularly on a professional and personal-level, design them, deploy, maintain, test and secure, etc. They have their uses. Don't think for a second any VPN service provider won't cover their ass to save yours, they'll totally sacrifice you when called on to do so. Accept that, and play by that one rule with these services.

Wow you have provided a lot of great info! I know it isn't 100% guaranteed, but at least it's better than nothing. The reason I am going to use NordVPN (besides the affordable pricing) is one of two things. First, they do not keep logs whatsoever and on their website they claim that if someone requests your data, all they can do is "shrug their shoulders". I believe they are based outside of the US, but they have over 800 servers worldwide.

The second reason is that they use 2048-bit SSL encryption (they are currently the most secure VPN service in the world, maybe that's why the got an Editor's choice award from PC magazine). Also, this great article talks about encryption (it's an article that is over 10 years old so standards have changed : http://www.zdnet.com/article/is-encryption-really-crackable/

"Furthermore, RSA's inventors were well aware of the fact that it takes a much larger key to be secure which is why typical implementations are at a minimum 768 bits and can easily go up to 2048 bits and beyond. To give you an idea what it takes to break an RSA 1620 bit key, you would need a computer with 120 Terabytes of memory before you can even think about attempting it and the memory requirement virtually rules out massively distributed cracking methods."

 

[Kursah]

Remember that those high-grade keys are a pain to crack, unless the provider hands over the encryption key to get out of a lawsuit or shutdown or prison or worse (in some countries and regions). Also, with combined computing, mass processing and memory is a malware bot away... Nord does rate well though, I considered them at one point. Keep your encryption levels high, AES256, SHA256, RSA2048 is a good place to start. I run RSA4096 on my PIA and AES and SHA256, which is fine as long as the encryption key for my service isn't compromised... most vendors have been at least once...they're usually fast at changing it once caught and trying really really hard not to have it advertised.


@jboydgolfer

Some ISP's are offering packages where you pay them to not sell your data, which of course they're still likely selling. But we are all data metrics, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Ubuntu, Xbox, Playstation, Allstate, State Farm, Geico, Costco, K-Mart, Walmart, Charter, TimeWarner, CenturyLink, Cox, ABC, NBC, TBS, FOX, I mean really...you name it. Now the ISP just gets to see and sell all the traffic without as much for legislation to make it a pain in the ass, which is/was part of net neutrality. There's a lot out there to read about and learn about with this matter. It really is quite disgusting in one aspect...but we all are guilty and it is totally for convenience. We give our metrics away, and Amazon suggests the next thing we wanna buy, Netflix shows the next TV series we wanna watch, Allstate tells us we can save $100 or more on car insurance, etc. That's just the data mining operation-side, those get hacked from time-to-time too. We're all metrics, numbers, targets in one form or another. What's happening at the ISP level is going to just be a more thorough version of what's already been happening...and really ISP's were doing it before to various extents...now they're getting a pass to do it how they wish.

Here read this article below, it will bring up Tor and VPN's.

https://arstechnica.com/information...n-sell-your-web-history-and-how-to-stop-them/

Here's an article from 2015:

https://arstechnica.com/information...ur-web-browsing-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/

 

[Mighty-Lu-Bu]

Remember that those high-grade keys are a pain to crack, unless the provider hands over the encryption key to get out of a lawsuit or shutdown or prison or worse (in some countries and regions). Also, with combined computing, mass processing and memory is a malware bot away... Nord does rate well though, I considered them at one point. Keep your encryption levels high, AES256, SHA256, RSA2048 is a good place to start. I run RSA4096 on my PIA and AES and SHA256, which is fine as long as the encryption key for my service isn't compromised... most vendors have been at least once...they're usually fast at changing it once caught and trying really really hard not to have it advertised.


@jboydgolfer

Some ISP's are offering packages where you pay them to not sell your data, which of course they're still likely selling. But we are all data metrics, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Ubuntu, Xbox, Playstation, Allstate, State Farm, Geico, Costco, K-Mart, Walmart, Charter, TimeWarner, CenturyLink, Cox, ABC, NBC, TBS, FOX, I mean really...you name it. Now the ISP just gets to see and sell all the traffic without as much for legislation to make it a pain in the ass, which is/was part of net neutrality. There's a lot out there to read about and learn about with this matter. It really is quite disgusting in one aspect...but we all are guilty and it is totally for convenience. We give our metrics away, and Amazon suggests the next thing we wanna buy, Netflix shows the next TV series we wanna watch, Allstate tells us we can save $100 or more on car insurance, etc. That's just the data mining operation-side, those get hacked from time-to-time too. We're all metrics, numbers, targets in one form or another. What's happening at the ISP level is going to just be a more thorough version of what's already been happening...and really ISP's were doing it before to various extents...now they're getting a pass to do it how they wish.

Here read this article below, it will bring up Tor and VPN's.

https://arstechnica.com/information...n-sell-your-web-history-and-how-to-stop-them/

Here's an article from 2015:

https://arstechnica.com/information...ur-web-browsing-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/

Great post!!!

 

[Ferrum Master]

Privacy? Prff... use mobile internet... it has a few IP's only... pretty much secure as everyone is the same...

Unbannable as everyone does use it. Use fake IMEI for routers also...

And... it works pretty fast also if you are lucky and besides a good LTE cell.

 

[qubit]

@Mighty-Lu-Bu Of course you're dodgy, since "if you've done nothing wrong then you've nothing to hide", right?

Yeah, there's so much fail with that oft-quoted statement that I don't know where to begin. Unfortunately, the minute you start talking about wanting to increase your privacy, some people jump to the conclusion that you're guilty of something and act like jerks, accusing you of random crap. That's just the way of a public forum. Just don't admit that you use torrents or you won't hear the end of it, lol.

I've learned a thing or two about VPNs from this thread and hope you get your ideal VPN soon. Let us know which one.

 

[Mighty-Lu-Bu]

@Mighty-Lu-Bu Of course you're dodgy, since "if you've done nothing wrong then you've nothing to hide", right?

Yeah, there's so much fail with that oft-quoted statement that I don't know where to begin. Unfortunately, the minute you start talking about wanting to increase your privacy, some people jump to the conclusion that you're guilty of something and act like jerks, accusing you of random crap. That's just the way of a public forum. Just don't admit that you use torrents or you won't hear the end of it, lol.

I've learned a thing or two about VPNs from this thread and hope you get your ideal VPN soon. Let us know which one.

Like 4 years ago I downloaded a movie and 24 hours later I got a cease and desist letter. I have never done it again lol

I am leaning towards NordVPN. Once I get everything set up I will let everyone know what the outcome is.

Thanks!!!

 

[alucasa]

I am guilty for many things.

1. I stole money: I took a quarter on my mom's desk when I was like ....7 (30ish years ago)?
2. I lied a lot. I don't recall where and how many times though.
3. I am guilty of my avatar.
4. I am guilty of going off topic a lot.
And the list goes on and on...

I am guilty.

 

[Aquinus]

You ask me why I wanted a VPN service and I gave you a very simple answer: privacy and security and all of a sudden I'm crazy and I must be selling drugs/ guns?. Get real dude. Also the service is less than $5 a month for up to 6 devices. Internet privacy is a serious issue in the United States especially with laws being passed that give companies the green light to mine your data. If privacy and security aren't valid reasons to get s VPN than I am at a loss for words.

That's not really what he means. As I said before, there are times where VPNs really do offer a lot of security. The problem is that the benefits are negated as soon as you're using the VPN to talk to the internet and not just to access secure resources on the network that you're VPNing into. VPNs attempt to solve the "network communication is insecure" problem but, if you're just using a VPN to talk to the internet, you're losing that benefit, just leaving you with some basic level of anonymity but not really security since communicating over the internet is still the weakest link with respect to how secure your connection is from the time it leaves your computer to the time it gets to the web server sitting on the internet. Think of it this way, a bicycle chain is only as strong as the weakest link, communication and hops over the internet are the same way.

Like 4 years ago I downloaded a movie and 24 hours later I got a cease and desist letter. I have never done it again lol

This is where the IP blacklist I mentioned earlier comes in handy. Companies that do this usually hire another company like "IP Echelon" to essentially seed torrents and watch all of the connections that come in. You stop it by not connecting to those hosts.

 

[Mighty-Lu-Bu]

A quick update- I starting using Epic Privacy browser and I am really, really liking it. The built in search engine is OK, but I have my start page set to duckduckgo. Epic Privacy browser is nothing short of awesome- it has a built in adblocker, a built in tracker disabler and a lot of other privacy oriented features. When I get my VPN setup up next month, this will just be an added benefit.

I have a high-end Asus Router and I will have to install VPN firmware on it (which is honestly the most expensive part of getting a VPN). The VPN software has a lot of features which can be found here : https://www.flashrouters.com/learn/router-basics/benefits-of-open-source-firmware

One of the biggest benefits of having a VPN (besides security and privacy) is that I live in an area where I don't good great sports channels- if I have a VPN I could pick a server where I get a lot more content.

 

[AsRock]

Once again, why do you need security with Netflix or Hulu? Using a VPN to talk to the internet doesn't protect your information (in fact, I would argue that it's worse,) and that it only makes you appear to be somewhere you're not. There is nothing inherently safe about using a VPN to communicate over the internet except to attempt to maintain anonymity which you already don't have with Netflix and Hulu because you have an account you're paying for. So, I'm not exactly sure what your beef is. VPN services block it because it eats up a ton of bandwidth and a lot of CPU to encrypt the VPN traffic (relatively speaking.)

Honestly, using an IP blacklist and having an aggressive firewall where dropping packets is the default rule for income traffic is far more effective than hiding behind a VPN.

I understand but, be nice. This is a learning opportunity.

Even though i do agree with you for the most part, there is nothing private about Netflix as a lot of devices use Google DNS to actually work, and Google is not private.

But how i see it your just giving the data to even more people in the end anyways lol.

 

[monim1]

I agree with you. It is the most common problem with VPNs. I am a gamer and I love to play online games. I was a user of HMA and Experss VPN. Problem I had with these VPNs is slow internet connection. So I had to look for alternative. Currently I am using https://hidester.com/. It takes usally 10 seconds to connect and doesn't make my internet connection slow.

 

[Aquinus]

I agree with you. It is the most common problem with VPNs. I am a gamer and I love to play online games. I was a user of HMA and Experss VPN. Problem I had with these VPNs is slow internet connection. So I had to look for alternative. Currently I am using https://hidester.com/. It takes usally 10 seconds to connect and doesn't make my internet connection slow.

Holy thread-necro, Batman!

If you're using a VPN for streaming or games, you're doing it wrong. Any VPN will be slower than just using your internet connection outright.

 

[DRDNA]

Holy thread-necro, Batman!

If you're using a VPN for streaming or games, you're doing it wrong. Any VPN will be slower than just using your internet connection outright.

I can say that when I use my works VPN at my home my Internet bandwidth goes from 25/2 to 200+/200+ ...... up/down .... Now this VPN service is provided to a huge Corporation and that's probably why and I never seen any of these fly by VPN services like for example Betternet VPN even coming close to the example I have given above.

EDIT: Corporate VS Consumer level VPN...apple to oranges I guess.

 

[Aquinus]

I can say that when I use my works VPN at my home my Internet bandwidth goes from 25/2 to 200+/200+ ...... up/down .... Now this VPN service is provided to a huge Corporation and that's probably why and I never seen any of these fly by VPN services like for example Betternet VPN even coming close to the example I have given above.

EDIT: Corporate VS Consumer level VPN...apple to oranges I guess.

I'm calling bullshit on that one. There is no way that a VPN can make your internet go faster than it actually is. You're probably describing remote desktop to a machine on that network via a VPN but, you'll never see faster speeds when tunneling through it. Remote desktop is viewing a machine actually on that network, not using VPN for actual network traffic, just for the RDP connection.

 

[DRDNA]

I'm calling bullshit on that one. There is no way that a VPN can make your internet go faster than it actually is. You're probably describing remote desktop to a machine on that network via a VPN but, you'll never see faster speeds when tunneling through it. Remote desktop is viewing a machine actually on that network, not using VPN for actual network traffic, just for the RDP connection.

Get on YOUR corporate VPN and see for your self....I call bullshit on he who hasn't.

 

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

Im not going to go into a whole thing because A) I dont want to, and B) it's not what youre looking for.

To everyone else, I can understand why as a streamer he may want one. If he is, or hopes to be, a successful streamer, he will want to mask his IP address so that way his location isnt given away to random's on the interwebs and potentially be a victim of swatting.

Look into Torguard and Tunnelbear. AFAIK, both dont log user data.

 

[Octopuss]

I can say that when I use my works VPN at my home my Internet bandwidth goes from 25/2 to 200+/200+ ...... up/down ....

You're just flat out lying.

 

[dorsetknob]

I can say that when I use my works VPN at my home my Internet bandwidth goes from 25/2 to 200+/200+ ...... up/down .

Home Internet 25/2 guess that's your paid plan!!!.
Then you VPN and suddenly get 200+/200+
your either delusional or your ISP is Screwing you on your Original Plan Re possible connection Speeds
Your Saying that you get an 8x speed/connection boost by using VPN for no extra cost
Sorry but that's a Donald to much to believe
Pics for comparison or the internet will call you a fox news item forever and you lose your credibility especially here

 

[Aquinus]

Get on YOUR corporate VPN and see for your self....I call bullshit on he who hasn't.

I have been on a VPN both personal and enterprise and I can assure you that it isn't faster than your internet or the internet at the office. I can safely tell you that you're full of crap and the only way you'd be able to do this is by using remote desktop into a machine on that network and running a speed test inside the network you're VPNing into.

If you're internet is limited to 25/2, that's the best you'll ever see over a VPN tunnel and it is likely to always be less because the VPN overhead for different clients varies between 8 and 20% (more overhead for encryption.) I was also a system administrator for several years and managed a VPN and network for a business. Stop spreading fud and show me proof that your VPN makes your internet go faster through a VPN tunnel and not on a remote machine but, I suspect you won't because it's impossible.

The funny thing about math and computer science is that unless there is a problem, stuff has to add up and your claim does not.

 

[Tatty_Two]

I think at this point, it's a good time to make a Necro thread....... well Necro for good.