VPN,, Should I??

[Pghpooh]

Wondering if it is worth while using a vpn.
I have a laptop and desktop for home use. I just use the machines to "surf" the net and use on-line banking to pay bills. Occasionally will shop and buy items on-line.
Other then seeing the term vpn here I don't know anything about it.
There are vpn services out there. Are they worth the price? With two pc's are there extra charges for a second unit? What about when grandkids are here and there are 4 people using the internet at the same time?
Oh, I am on the Comcast service and using the Comcast provided telephony modem that is in bridge mode with a older Asus router/wifi.
Do you use a vpn? What do you use??
As you can see, I need all the info I can get!! LOL

 

[AnonymouseUser]

It depends on what you are trying to achieve here. VPN is for masking your IP address for anonymity purposes, and preventing your ISP from tracking everything you do. I had wanted VPN service for years but didn't feel it was totally necessary until Comcast started injecting their own code into my browsing sessions. So Comcast was the final straw in my decision to use a VPN service. On top of that I do believe they throttle and/or disrupt my VPN use at times, and I've switched to alternate ports but the only one they really don't seem to mess with is port 443 (default port for HTTPS/SSL/TLS).

So then, what are you trying to achieve? If it's true online anonymity then VPN or TOR (similar to VPN but more advanced) is essential. If you are trying to bypass business or state-sponsored firewalls or geo-blocking then (Open)VPN is essential. If you are worried your ISP or anyone else might see your banking or Facebook data then you don't have to worry because secure sites use SSL encryption anyway (they can see what domain you use, but that's it). If you are worried your ISP or anyone else might see your data from non-secure websites then VPNs will provide protection there as well.

I have used TorGuard in the past but currently use PrivateInternetAccess (PIA) for VPN. Both have been satisfactory outside of Comcast disruptions. Read this article for an in-depth comparison of VPN services. AirVPN (OpenVPN over SSL) is also well respected for bypassing state-sponsored firewalls that disrupt VPN service.

 

[MongGrel]

Sounds like something you do not need to me, for daily things, as long as you have AV running etc.

 

[frowertr]

Well a VPN isnt just for purposes of anonymity. It has legitimate purposes for business as well. I have a VPN setup at my business so I can tunnel in and connect to my various VMs from my home computer. Much safer to do that than to have a dozen or so ssh ports open to the outside world.

As Anonymous says, what's your intended use here?

 

[AnonymouseUser]

There are vpn services out there. Are they worth the price?

Well a VPN isnt just for purposes of anonymity. It has legitimate purposes for business as well. I have a VPN setup at my business so I can tunnel in and connect to my various VMs from my home computer.

Pghpooh mentioned VPN providers, so I assumed site-to-site VPN wasn't what he wanted, but you are correct in that it's not just for anonymity. Businesses use site-to-site VPN connections to protect sensitive data.

With two pc's are there extra charges for a second unit? What about when grandkids are here and there are 4 people using the internet at the same time?

Most allow multiple users as standard, as many as 5 at a time for the most popular providers.

 

[MongGrel]

Well, he did state it was for home use, unless perhaps he is running a business from home I guess.

 

[frowertr]

As he said, he doesn't really know what it is so it's important that he knows it not JUST for anonymity. That is the reason I mentioned my usage case.

 

[Pghpooh]

I was thinking of using a vpn as a additional layer of security. I use the Comcast provided Norton 360 and the freebie Malwarebytes. Not looking to hide anything, just more concerned about protection what is dumped into my pc's and more so concerned about protecting grandkids when they are here hogging 90% of the bandwidth!!! LOL.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

It doesn't really provide your PC additional security from viruses or malware, and it won't speed up your internet when someone else is hogging the bandwidth (see QoS).

 

[Pghpooh]

Thanks for the info. Somehow I had the thought that a vpn could add a extra layer of protection when using the internet. As for QOS,,, I'll just shut the modem off and make the grand kids play board games!!! LOLOLOL
Once again,,, Thanks for the info.