Networking/VPN Question

[Ring Shark98]

So Canada has announced that ISPs will be snooping in on shit we download, and I'm not ok with that.

I downloaded and installed HotspotShield Elite and it has assigned me a fake IP address. When I look up my IP, it does say it is in a fake location, but if I look in my router settings it still has my real IP address that leads to my location.

In short, am I still protected? Or is there a better software and/or configuration process I could use?

 

[Senzo Tanaka]

Are you referring to the copyright law last year? Most ISPs in American do the same.

Basically if a 3rd party company sees you uploading copyrighted material on a Bit Torrent client for example, they can send the violation to your ISP who is then required by law to send a notice that you are breaking copyright law. Most ISPs have a 3 strike policy and then you are disconnected.

If anything, it's better than before where companies could sue you for copyright infringement. Now they let the ISPs handle it and give you warnings.

 

[Ring Shark98]

Yeah, that's the one. Then if the company decides to they can sue you (apparently).

Typically shit like this doesn't scare me, but as I get older and more paranoid (they go hand in hand lol), I think it is probably a good idea anyways to tighten up my security, even just for banking apps, etc.

 

[Satanical Eve]

Best way to do it is to pay for a decent VPN and just connect through that. That is what I do whenever I need to do something that I feel my ISP or anyone else need not be able to snoop

 

[SherdogGoat]

HotspotShield works fine as a VPN but it fucks up your computer. I've seen tons of people with the same complain and I had the same experience. It slows down your computer and probably installs adware. Free VPN's are usually all like this. The best thing would be to buy a legit VPN, they aren't too expensive AFAIK. Also, If you just want to browse privately, you can use Tor browser. I would advise you to completely remove HotspotShield from your computer or I can assure you you will regret it with the frustrations it will cause you, garbage software imo.

 

[Senzo Tanaka]

VPN just makes it harder to track you down but if they want to find out who you are, they'll do it.

Your IP goes to the VPN service, they assign an IP address to you and everywhere you connect on the internet is going to show the VPN IP address. VPN services keep logs however and all the copyright company would need to do is contact the VPN service and find out who had what IP at the time.

Basically, don't upload copyrighted material or use public torrents and you should be fine.

 

[the ax murderer]

I don't know your pain bro, I'm operating behind 7 proxys.

 

[The Clifford]

VPN just makes it harder to track you down but if they want to find out who you are, they'll do it.

Your IP goes to the VPN service, they assign an IP address to you and everywhere you connect on the internet is going to show the VPN IP address. VPN services keep logs however and all the copyright company would need to do is contact the VPN service and find out who had what IP at the time.

Basically, don't upload copyrighted material or use public torrents and you should be fine.

But some VPNs don't keep logs, and that is a huge selling point.

https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/buy-vpn/

That is what I'm using now. Like $40 a year and they don't keep records.

 

[Ring Shark98]

But some VPNs don't keep logs, and that is a huge selling point.

https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/buy-vpn/

That is what I'm using now. Like $40 a year and they don't keep records.

Do they throttle download speeds? With this one I just downloaded, it's now slow as fuckin shit.

 

[Ippwnage]

But some VPNs don't keep logs, and that is a huge selling point.

https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/buy-vpn/

That is what I'm using now. Like $40 a year and they don't keep records.

this is what it comes down to. them not keeping logs and not lying about.

 

[The Clifford]

Do they throttle download speeds? With this one I just downloaded, it's now slow as fuckin shit.

Nah, I'm not having any problems with throttling. It will impact game performance, so turn it off for that stuff. I don't want to patronize anybody who is familiar with this stuff, but I know people who wouldn't get the connection.

 

[markulous]

VPN just makes it harder to track you down but if they want to find out who you are, they'll do it.

Your IP goes to the VPN service, they assign an IP address to you and everywhere you connect on the internet is going to show the VPN IP address. VPN services keep logs however and all the copyright company would need to do is contact the VPN service and find out who had what IP at the time.

Basically, don't upload copyrighted material or use public torrents and you should be fine.

Except that once the session is established then it's a fully encrypted tunnel. None of it is in clear text unless you're talking about a split-tunnel VPN.

As another person recommended, PIA is a solid VPN. I use it quite a bit for the fact that it's very reliable, good speeds, and they don't keep logs. They also have good options integrated into its software such as it can kill your internet connection if your VPN goes down so unencrypted traffic does not come through.

 

[SCADA]

So Canada has announced that ISPs will be snooping in on shit we download, and I'm not ok with that.

I downloaded and installed HotspotShield Elite and it has assigned me a fake IP address. When I look up my IP, it does say it is in a fake location, but if I look in my router settings it still has my real IP address that leads to my location.

In short, am I still protected? Or is there a better software and/or configuration process I could use?

Just switch to Shaw... they own all their own infrastructure, so it's all private. Telus an such all use the same public backbone...fuk them

 

[Ring Shark98]

Just switch to Shaw... they own all their own infrastructure, so it's all private. Telus an such all use the same public backbone...fuk them

We actually just switched from Shaw to Sasktel, Shaw were a bunch of bags of douche (not that Sasktel is much better...).

 

[Ring Shark98]

Thanks for the info guys!

I uninstalled Hotspot shield as per SherdogGoat's advice. I bit the bullet and paid for one year of PIA, seems to be masked well, and my DL speed is suffering less.

 

[Grunk]

will look into this too - down here in OZ they passed laws that all ISP gotta keep all logs and metadata for 2 years (using terrorism as an excuse) but we know that they are sucking up big time to the US movie moguls and the Murdochs.

 

[Ring Shark98]

I'm still having issues with my public IP vs the IP listed on my modem information.

I have submitted this ticket to PIA:

The problem: my public IP is listed as the Toronto server, however, my 2Wire modem still lists my real location. I have done the following, as per PIA support:

Ensure port forwarding is disabled, QoS is disabled, and VPN passthrough is enabled (I did this via Firewall --> Allowing individual applications --> Servers --> PPTP Servers).

The modem still lists my real IP address.

Anyone here have any advice?

 

[markulous]

I'm still having issues with my public IP vs the IP listed on my modem information.

I have submitted this ticket to PIA:

The problem: my public IP is listed as the Toronto server, however, my 2Wire modem still lists my real location. I have done the following, as per PIA support:

Ensure port forwarding is disabled, QoS is disabled, and VPN passthrough is enabled (I did this via Firewall --> Allowing individual applications --> Servers --> PPTP Servers).

The modem still lists my real IP address.

Anyone here have any advice?

How do you mean it's listing your real location? If you go to command prompt and type in ipconfig /all, do you see an IP address under the VPN adapter? If you go to google.com and type in "what is my ip address?" does it show the one PIA is giving you or your ISPs? Is the PIA icon in your tray green and says connected?

 

[Ring Shark98]

How do you mean it's listing your real location? If you go to command prompt and type in ipconfig /all, do you see an IP address under the VPN adapter? If you go to google.com and type in "what is my ip address?" does it show the one PIA is giving you or your ISPs? Is the PIA icon in your tray green and says connected?

Correct, Google states that my IP is in fact the Toronto server, but when I go to my gateway.2wire.net (modem information), the Current Internet Connection IP Address is listed as my actual geographic location.

I was just told by the PIA support that I am still under full protection, so I reckon I will not worry about it!

EDIT: Yep, it is bright green and stays green.

 

[markulous]

Correct, Google states that my IP is in fact the Toronto server, but when I go to my gateway.2wire.net (modem information), the Current Internet Connection IP Address is listed as my actual geographic location.

I was just told by the PIA support that I am still under full protection, so I reckon I will not worry about it!

EDIT: Yep, it is bright green and stays green.

So a good way to determine if it's working is to use the command "tracert" (without the quotes) in the Windows command prompt. If you type in tracert google.com on the VPN it should look a lot different than when you are disconnected from the VPN.

Weird that google.com would recognize your ISP ip address. All traffic should be routed through PIA and thus it would have that IP address.