VPNs are not a one-size-fits-all security solution.
  • LastYearsPumpkin@feddit.chEnglish
    72·
    2 years ago

    Very telling that big sites are only promoting VPN services that heavily advertise… i.e. - give commissions on signups.

    The list of providers they “tested” aren’t even that complete, they didn’t even bother to pretend to check out ones that won’t give a kickback for promotion.

    They don’t give specific recommendations, but the EFF has a good list of things to look for in a provider. https://ssd.eff.org/module/choosing-vpn-thats-right-you

    • brcl@artemis.camp
      1·
      2 years ago

      I find I’m getting high ping with proton and relatively slow speeds. Does it get better with proton unlimited?

        • brcl@artemis.camp
          0·
          2 years ago

          I feel the price is high for a VPN and ad block service. I don’t think I’d use any of their other systems. Do you use calendar, mail, etc from them?

      • stefanideri@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        21 days ago

        Great roundup of VPN options! I’ve been using FastVPN for Windows for about six months now. The connection speeds are solid and the interface is straightforward, which I appreciate. However, I’ve noticed occasional disconnects during peak hours, and their server selection is somewhat limited compared to bigger names. Customer support response times could also be better. It’s decent for basic browsing needs, but power users might want more features.

    • ayaya@lemdro.idEnglish
      117·
      2 years ago

      Mullvad no longer supports port forwarding, making it completely useless for torrenting which is my main use case.

      • LastYearsPumpkin@feddit.chEnglish
        6·
        2 years ago

        I find this interesting because I use Mozilla VPN, which is just rebranded Mullvad, and qBittorrent works just fine on it.

        • redditReallySucks@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          11·
          2 years ago

          You can torrent without portforwarding. The only issue is on rare Linux isos. You potentially will have trouble discovering new peers. At least one person will need portforwarding.

        • Lord_Boffum@lemmy.worldEnglish
          8·
          2 years ago

          It’s more that effective seeding is very hard without a forwarded port. If you only leech, you’ll be fine. But that’s not how the system is envisioned.

        • Lord_Boffum@lemmy.worldEnglish
          6·
          2 years ago

          Had to leave MV because of this. I went to Proton, though I did need special software to support its form of port forwarding without introducing a regular hassle. All good now, mostly.

          • umami_wasabi@lemmy.mlEnglish
            1·
            2 years ago

            I was looking at Proton too but I’m already a customer and the VPN is going to be shared with family members. I worries if they can access my mail if I share my account.

            • Lord_Boffum@lemmy.worldEnglish
              1·
              2 years ago

              You can get around this by generating the files for OpenVPN or Wireguard for them and sending those.

              • stefanideri@lemmy.worldEnglish
                1·
                22 days ago

                I’ve been using fast vpn for android app for studying on my phone and tablet. It’s convenient for accessing educational content and research papers while commuting or studying at cafes.The main issue is it drains battery faster than I’d like, especially during long study sessions. Sometimes the app crashes randomly, and reconnecting can be frustrating when you’re trying to focus. The interface feels a bit cluttered too. It works well enough for basic student needs, but there’s definitely room for improvement in stability and optimization.

          • ayaya@lemdro.idEnglish
            1·
            2 years ago

            Yep I use the binhex container too, makes everything really easy to set up.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    6·
    2 years ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    The once-niche way to protect your online activity took off, in part, due to massive marketing budgets and influencer collaborations convincing consumers that a VPN’s functionality or privacy features could solve all their security woes.

    In other words, secure VPNs work by masking your IP address and the identity of your computer or mobile device on the network and creating an encrypted “tunnel” that prevents your internet service provider (ISP) from accessing data about your browsing history.

    “If you’re just worried about somebody sitting there passively and looking at your data then a VPN is great,” Jed Crandall, an associate professor at Arizona State University, told Engadget.

    If you travel a lot and rely on public WiFi or hotspots, are looking to browse outside of your home country or want to keep your traffic hidden from your ISP, then investing in a VPN will be useful.

    We looked at price, usage limits, effects on internet speed, possible use cases, ease of use, general functionality and additional “extra” VPN features like multihop.

    That said, it works on a bunch of devices from smart TVs to game consoles, unlike some other services that lack support beyond the usual suspects like smartphones and laptops.

    I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • smolyeet@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    2 years ago

    I will have to suggest ovpn. Minus it being slightly more difficult to search issues because it’s too similar to openvpn , I’ve been super happy with it for my use case. I ended up choosing them over mullvad because of the port forwarding issue.

    • stefanideri@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      21 days ago

      I’ve been using fastvpn.com during my online classes and research sessions. It’s decent for accessing academic databases that are region-locked and works fine for video lectures without much buffering.However, it occasionally disconnects during longer study sessions, which is annoying when you’re in the middle of something important. Also, sometimes it takes a few tries to connect to specific servers. The speed can be inconsistent too – fast one day, sluggish the next.Overall, it gets the job done for student needs, just not perfectly.

    • 1984@lemmy.todayOPEnglish
      1·
      29 days ago

      This post is like 2 years old guys. :)

      Ah ok, engadget appearently updated the content to 2025 using the same link used 2 years ago…

    • abbagrey@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      22 days ago

      I run FastVPN for Linux workstation for development work and accessing geo-restricted resources. Setting it up via command line was straightforward, and it integrates well with my Linux workflow. The connection stays stable during long coding sessions. However, there’s no GUI application, which makes server switching tedious through terminal commands. Documentation could be more comprehensive for different distros. Sometimes reconnecting after sleep mode fails, requiring manual restart. Still, it’s one of the better Linux-compatible VPNs I’ve tested for everyday development tasks.

  • stefanideri@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    30 days ago

    I’ve personally tried Best VPN App on my Windows PC for basic browsing protection. It’s straightforward to set up and handles everyday tasks decently. However, speeds can fluctuate during peak hours, and the server selection feels limited compared to premium options. It works for casual use, but power users might find it lacking advanced features. Solid budget option though