Explain VPN, Virtual Private Network to a cranky old guy.

[johngalt]

I have used Nord and StrongVPN. My main application was wanting to watch US streaming services, AmazonPrime and Netflix, while in Japan. For a while I subscribed to both because, on IOS (iPad) anyway, there were times when one or another of the VPN services and/or their various servers would be blocked. E.g., I could stream Netflix from DC but not from Los Angeles. So I bounced around a lot.

Nowadays I only have StrongVPN. When MJ’s The Last Dance was released in the US on ESPN last spring, here in the US I don’t have ESPN but I was able to connect to a server in Tokyo, access the Japanese Netflix service, where it was released simultaneously, and watch it that way.

I also use the VPN accessing websites that I think I may be sketchy, meaning trying to grab data or install viruses. Also use it on airplanes if I connect to the internet.

Here’s a question for you internet/VPN savvy guys: When accessing accounts at banks or other financial institutions from one’s own home, is it useful to turn on the VPN? Or are bank and other financial institutions already sufficiently secure? (I don’t access these accounts when not at home, but if I did, I’d turn on the VPN first.)

A lot of financial institutions keep track of the device and IP of the device used to log in. If you log in from a unfamiliar IP it may block you or require extra authentication.

A couple downsides of the VPN:
You are giving your browsing history to the VPN provider, so it needs to be trustworthy. 'Free' services aren't really free.

It will be a bottleneck. Do they have the capacity to support all users?

 

[DWalt]

Does anybody but Opera bundle a free VPN with their browser? Sure, some have a "private mode", but that doesn't mask your presence or protect your data, it simply keeps you from having a record of sites browsed.

There is something called "Setup VPN" on Firefox which is free, but I have never tried it so I can't say how it works. Firefox is just one of my standby browsers and I seldom use it. Occasionally I will find some sites which are not compatible with Opera and I must use Firefox or Chrome (my other standby). SetupVPN Lifetime Free VPN – Get this Extension for Firefox (en-US)

 

[Onomea]

A lot of financial institutions keep track of the device and IP of the device used to log in. If you log in from a unfamiliar IP it may block you or require extra authentication....

Good point. I’ve been challenged when using a new device to answer security questions.

 

[DWalt]

Yes, one of my bank accounts always goes through the routine of calling my phone to provide an access code before I can log in. But it's not too much trouble, just an extra step. Probably because I am using the VPN. Today, I see that my IP location puts me somewhere west of Wichita KS.