Does anyone use a VPN?

[SGT ROC]

When I use it, I use Nortons version, since it is with my anti-virus package.

[Scott'n'Wendy]

I have been using cyber ghost for over two years now. Trouble free and ad free. No problem in recommending them.
I find it interesting using a vpn while searching news and switching server country. The news changes. Not necessarily the broad story...but interpretation and relative import.
South of the border you may heard how the gov't up here is trying to regulate the news/youtube/google/podcasts.....a vpn is becoming very important so you can learn the facts and make up your own mind.

[wudwork]

I use ExpressVPN, sometimes. I favor this one as it allows me to choose WHERE my web traffic will originate from. It started for me because of sporting events black-out for locals. Ex: NY Yankees are blacked out in NY metro area. Using ExpressVPN, I choose my WHERE location to be outside of NY metro so I choose a site in Colorado, Arizona, Greece, Germany etc.. There must be a few dozen places that ExpressVPN will send traffic thru. With that said, the overhead of passing thru a VPN will slow down your connection. You would not notice on a cable/fios/starlink etc. but on a cell data, it might be noticable. Also, as mentioned above, getting to some gov't sites is a challenge if going thru a VPN. Lastly, some sites will check where you are FROM and might restrict based on geography. Thats what I mean by "sometimes".

[trailrydr]

......The news changes. Not necessarily the broad story...but interpretation and relative import.
South of the border you may heard how the gov't up here is trying to regulate the news/youtube/google/podcasts.....a vpn is becoming very important so you can learn the facts and make up your own mind.

If thats the case... then Foxnews, CNN, MSNBC, Newsmax .... will be creating their own VPN services.

[Soundsailor]

Google has a VPN that comes with their Google One service: tiered pricing starting at $2 per month.

[Hoopy Frood]

Okay, VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, right? That middle word and Google just seem pretty much at odds. I don't use one, but I rarely do anything that would require one.

[Timmer]

A VPN is most advantageous when going directly from site to site. An example would be a remote work laptop using VPN to get to your work's servers for direct data access back and forth. A general VPN provider doesn't house the Google servers, Amazon servers, the MyGrandRV servers, etc. so you still ultimately will pass traffic on the public internet without the VPN security. They do most often have added security for the data going back and forth between you and them, such as further filtering for malware, masking your IP address so someone can't try to connect directly to your local network or computer, and other functionality. From my perspective, it is sort of like having an armed escort with your for the first half of your travel route but not all of it. As such, I don't spend my money on it. I spend money on those extra security functions that the VPN provider may provide.

[Soundsailor]

A VPN is an important safety tool when using public wifi. Unfortunately, it is fairly easy for a hacker to observe what you're sending since public wifi is unencrypted. A VPN such as Google One's, provides the encryption needed to keep your data safe when using public wifi.

[Michigan_Dreaming]

We use express VPN on our phones and Mac. I’m almost to the point of wondering whether it’s worth its while. ExpressVPN needs to be turned off for some apps (on the phone). Blink cameras don’t like it, pairing WiFi light bulbs don’t like it, DocuSign program doesn’t like it….I,m sure there others I can’t recall right now. Basically anytime something doesn’t work, I turn off the VPN and that usually solves the issue. In the positive side, I rarely get scam emails or pop ups while using the computer.

Bottom line is I like trying to be anonymous whenever possible.

$99/yr

[ajg617]

We use express VPN on our phones and Mac. I’m almost to the point of wondering whether it’s worth its while.

If you own a mobile phone, your PII is probably already on the dark web including the ESN and number of your phone - and that connection occurs long before any VPN use. You can thank T-Mobile twice, Verizon at least once, and AT&T once (but who's counting). All three suffered breaches in 2023.