Do you use a VPN?

[bwana]

Isn't it effectively the same thing? How does it do better, are you able to create your own IP addresses?

My understanding is that with the dns service only the initial handshake with the streaming companies goes through their servers. Thereafter everything else, including all your other traffic, is routed normally. AFAIK with a VPN everything gets routed through it.

 

[Brian_G]

It looks like there's quite a few other differences. Just found this;

VPN vs DNS – What's best and easiest for streaming?

First things first—before we get anywhere near the big fight, we need to know who the competitors are. What is a VPN? Virtual Private Network.\ VPN directs your IP a...

www.streamlocator.com

EDIT: This I disagree with.

One thing we’re adamant about is that you shouldn’t ever opt for a free VPN or DNS server or service. No free service has the resources they need to do the job properly...

Many VPNs offer both a paid-for and free service, with different rules and quality but they certainly can have the resources. I've done lots of research into it and don't have issues, just pick thoughtfully.
Certainly for regular streaming it won't do, but I think it's more about "good" marketing by Streamlocator.

 

[PhireSide]

Yes, occasionally.

I have a Wireguard server at home that I use to gain remote access, when required.

I also have a ProtonVPN account that I've used now and then for Netflix

 

[Jean Claude Vaaldamme]

Yes Nordvpn, but only when watching Netflix to see way more content on US or Uk servers

 

[SauRoNZA]

So I know banks needs their employees to use company VPN to access services so I assume this is excluded in the poll hopefully.

I want to know what exactly does a VPN offer?

For me the only thing nice about a VPN is that if the VPN service has plenty of servers on different networks that allows you to switch between them to look for better international routing.

Banks? Just about every corporate needs a VPN to access corporate services.

Except for the more next generation ones using public facing application layer access.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Use Windscribe mostly on my mobile device as it automatically connects when I’m on any network I don’t control.

Once in a while will use it on my Mac to test specific geolocation features or to test user experience from a different country etc.

 

[Barbarian Conan]

I voted no, because I assume it's for personal use. I obviously use one for work when working from home.

 

[Dan C]

What is a VPN ?

 

[Botha22]

Use Windscribe VPN for streaming between 6 - 10pm, to get around ISP throttling. My ISP appears to throttle all streaming despite paying them a fortune for a 100Mbps line. Strangely I get full speed on downloads, would have thought it should be the other way round.

 

[Brian_G]

Strangely I get full speed on downloads, would have thought it should be the other way round.

I've seen similar, think it must mean most peeps are using streaming. Makes sense as most platforms want to keep you coming back for more rather than saving content.

How well does Windscribe help here?

 

[Rickster]

Occasionally, only to use the casino in GTAV online.

 

[Herr der Verboten]

Different kettle of fish. Using a VPN for streaming is overkill in my books and using a smart dns for security is ineffective.

Perhaps, but noted.

 

[Botha22]

I've seen similar, think it must mean most peeps are using streaming. Makes sense as most platforms want to keep you coming back for more rather than saving content.

How well does Windscribe help here?

Works well, streaming ok.
I tried Nord VPN before - Netflix constantly refused to work.

 

[DA-LION-619]

Here's my understanding;
I know some services try to counteract any methods to get past geoblocking etc. with VPN, and that some VPNs offer methods to deal with that too. Presumably DNS services allow further fine tuning.

But I haven't gone into DNS systems so I'm sure there's more to it, and other reasons for its use as well.

This is a very basic summary/crash course.
Most traffic on the internet is encrypted now, so you know source and destination but not what the actual traffic is.

A DNS service basically finds the IP for the domain/hostname name, even though your ISP might see the destination IP there could be multiple domains in use on it(that’s the snooping part).
Normal DNS is not encrypted, secure DNS is.

Using a VPN, all your traffic flows the through VPN provider, so your ISP sees the destination as your VPN IP but not the final destination.

Hence using a VPN but not secure DNS, is often called a DNS leak as your ISP might find out the final destination but not know the actual traffic.

Normally your ISP would handle the transit of your traffic to the destination, so if you’re gaming in Germany and the server is hosted by AWS then at the exchange AWS locally might take care of it based on peering agreements. Using a VPN, your ISP just needs to get it to the VPN provider who then handles getting it to the final destination.
Hence the difference in lag but you’re not going to break the laws of physics here.

Geoblocking really depends on how the service is architected, like I might only need to login from a specific region but then I can consume the service from anywhere. VPNs normally get around this by using a residential ISP IP address in that location as most data centers publish the their IP blocks/ranges, this also means even if the VPN doesn’t keep logs, their hosting service might.
Geoblocking is often combined with payment.

To finally answer the question, I use multiple providers like NextDns, Torguard, Cloudflare Warp, depending on service such as Netflix, Disney+, BBC, Xbox Game Streaming.

 

[Brian_G]

Hence using a VPN but not secure DNS, is often called a DNS leak as your ISP might find out the final destination but not know the actual traffic.

This.
Presume you mean if the VPN's DNS usages aren't secure. Normally a good VPN service wouldn't allow for the destination to be found.

Thanks.

 

[DA-LION-619]

This.
Presume you mean if the VPN's DNS usages aren't secure. Normally a good VPN service wouldn't allow for the destination to be found.

Thanks.

A VPN service can’t really do anything, it’s up to the user to configure it correctly.
I assume most VPN services provide tools that check.

Kinda like websites that use Cloudflare to hide their hosting IP but then send emails from their hosting IP.

 

[SAguy]

Use VPN every day of my life.

I use VPN to connect to some cloud instances and DBs for work. Then I have an OpenVPN server running on docker at home that I connect to when I want to check in on my Hikvision cameras or anything else on the network.

Then I use Bitdefender vpn whenever I'm connected to public WiFi, though I could just connect to my home VPN server... Bitdefender just sends me a popup so I don't forget to connect.

 

[InvisibleJim]

What is a VPN ?

Good question, well presented, deserves an answer.

 

[Arthur]

When away from home I vpn into my home network to manage the inverter, cctv, Sonoffs, rdp to other devices, and read the leccy meter. OpenVPN on a pfSense router/firewall.

 

[susefan]

I have to use VPN to send work emails otherwise they won’t go through. Local isps don’t know our work smtp server.