Best VPN to use - Need Help

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Jimmy Yamazaki

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 17, 2010
7,904
9,444
AFL Club
Geelong
Private internet Access:

On November 17, we were privately notified of an IP address leak vulnerability affecting the port forwarding feature of our service. Essentially, anyone connecting to a forwarded port on any of our VPN gateways could have their real IP address leaked to an attacker specifically targeting a PIA user.

Within 12 hours of the initial report, we developed and tested what we thought was a complete fix, and deployed it to all of our VPN gateways.

On November 26, the researchers who discovered the vulnerability made it public and we quickly noticed that our service was still vulnerable to the IP address leak in certain cases, despite our initial fix. After further investigation, we also realized there was a separate but related issue on our desktop client. To fix this issue we are releasing updated VPN apps to prevent any leaks. We released v.52 on November 27.

Protecting your privacy is our top priority and although exploiting this vulnerability is difficult and requires an attacker to specifically target you, we feel like we let you down with our initial response. Please accept our apologies, we are sorry.

We highly recommend users update to v.52 (or later) of the client. To ensure all of our beloved users remain protected, we have pushed an update to existing clients. Please update immediately from the application.

echnical Facts:

The vulnerability relies on the fact that a direct route exists between the VPN client and server. If the client accesses a forwarded port on the VPN server that is maliciously set up by an attacker, the client will use the direct route using the user's default route, bypassing the VPN entirely.

Our initial fix was to block VPN clients from accessing forwarded ports on the same server at the VPN gateway firewall level, but we soon discovered a flaw in our desktop clients that made the fix incomplete. When the client disconnected, the direct route to the VPN gateway was not removed, thereby making users vulnerable even after they disconnected from the VPN. Beginning with v.52, we remove these "lingering" direct routes to the VPN gateway at disconnect time.

Note: If you are connecting to our service with a native OpenVPN client, or PIA's Android or iOS apps, you do not need a client-side fix.
Sincerely,
Private Internet Access Team
Subsidiary of London Trust Media Inc.
 

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Sep 22, 2003
1,466
2,883
AFL Club
Hawthorn
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HAWTHORN
Hey all.

Looking for some advice on the best VPNs to use - I download torrents, so starting to think I should cover my @rse (hoping that horse hasn't already bolted!).
What are the best (cost efficient) ones, and should you steer clear of free VPNs altogether? I see the suggestion above is DNS4ME - is that the general consensus?

Also, can anyone request some cheap, yet effective, virus scanning software?
 

Jimmy Yamazaki

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 17, 2010
7,904
9,444
AFL Club
Geelong
Hey all.

Looking for some advice on the best VPNs to use - I download torrents, so starting to think I should cover my @rse (hoping that horse hasn't already bolted!).
What are the best (cost efficient) ones, and should you steer clear of free VPNs altogether? I see the suggestion above is DNS4ME - is that the general consensus?

Also, can anyone request some cheap, yet effective, virus scanning software?

PIA should be fine or anything that doesn't keep logs. Just remember to also disable the flash and Java in your browser just in case servers ever get seized so your IP doesn't leak.
 
Sep 22, 2011
29,803
29,052
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Liverpool FC, Washington Wizards
Have had IPVanish for a year, but want something that works with Netflix. Prefer Server based and no logs (used for torrenting mainly)

The two I am looking at are ExpressVPN and TorGuard
Anyone had luck with either?
I'm also keen for a VPN that works with Netflix. Absolutely love it, purchased it 2 weeks ago, but then found out there's only limited titles on the AU version. Any luck able to access the US library via a VPN?
 
Jul 18, 2012
24,995
52,493
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Everton, Mount Buller Demons
Have had IPVanish for a year, but want something that works with Netflix. Prefer Server based and no logs (used for torrenting mainly)

The two I am looking at are ExpressVPN and TorGuard
Anyone had luck with either?
Saw this when you posted, totally forgot to reply when I got it.

I've been using ExpressVPN for about two weeks now. It works totally fine with Netflix - however, they are sneaky. Apparently (happened to me too) most of the time it won't work upon purchase, Netflix that is. You have to E-Mail them and tell them it's not working, they'll then enable it (I guess it's some service or something). I think it's to try keep Netflix off their backs or something.
 
Sep 22, 2011
29,803
29,052
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Liverpool FC, Washington Wizards
Saw this when you posted, totally forgot to reply when I got it.

I've been using ExpressVPN for about two weeks now. It works totally fine with Netflix - however, they are sneaky. Apparently (happened to me too) most of the time it won't work upon purchase, Netflix that is. You have to E-Mail them and tell them it's not working, they'll then enable it (I guess it's some service or something). I think it's to try keep Netflix off their backs or something.
Yeah been reading up on ExpressVPN. Been watching AUS Netflix for a few weeks, enabled and all. Just realized that there is a lot of titles missing from the library, more then expected. Tried a couple VPNs and no deal. Uninstalled them, otherwise Netflix won't load unless I have :(.

Regards to ExpressVPN, Is it worth the 12 month plan ($99 dollars for the year)? I also plan to watch NBA.tv next season so that should work around getting the US version of that too?
 
Jul 18, 2012
24,995
52,493
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Everton, Mount Buller Demons
Yeah been reading up on ExpressVPN. Been watching AUS Netflix for a few weeks, enabled and all. Just realized that there is a lot of titles missing from the library, more then expected. Tried a couple VPNs and no deal. Uninstalled them, otherwise Netflix won't load unless I have :(.

Regards to ExpressVPN, Is it worth the 12 month plan ($99 dollars for the year)? I also plan to watch NBA.tv next season so that should work around getting the US version of that too?
I purchased the one month plan just to try it out and see if it worked after reading on Reddit somewhere it still does. Contemplating myself upping my plan to 12 months, however I've read stories of people doing that with other VPNs and then they've all died soon after and won't work with Netflix anymore so I'm hesitant.

NBA.tv will work (I imagine), I don't think any service is as strict as Netflix and their new policies.
 

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Sep 22, 2011
29,803
29,052
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Liverpool FC, Washington Wizards
I purchased the one month plan just to try it out and see if it worked after reading on Reddit somewhere it still does. Contemplating myself upping my plan to 12 months, however I've read stories of people doing that with other VPNs and then they've all died soon after and won't work with Netflix anymore so I'm hesitant.

NBA.tv will work (I imagine), I don't think any service is as strict as Netflix and their new policies.
Just heeded your advice and went with the 1 month plan, for now. Working a treat. Can't believe how much Australia are missing out on, quite a bit.

Will use this for NBA.tv, can't see why it can't. Doesn't have the restrictions that Netflix would have, I'm sure. Thanks for the advice btw :thumbsu:
 
Apr 10, 2010
6,651
9,172
AFL Club
Fremantle
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AFC Wimbledon
PureVPN seems to be working well enough, $60 a year but does what it needs to including Netflix (only via the laptop and not currently working with the PS3 app but still no problem to TV via hdmi).
 
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Jun 5, 2007
11,050
4,327
Perth
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Arsenal, Juve, Claremont, GSW
Gonna get ExpressVPN, will give it a month to try out before committing to 6+ months.
How does it even work anyway? Do you choose a server in Australia which helps bypass, or do you choose a server in the US or a random Euro country?
Honestly have no idea how it works, I wanna use this for Netflix and torrents.

Purely guessing, but I assume you don't turn it on if you want to play online games/want normal netflix and speeds, choose US if you want the US netflix and then for torrents a random European country.
 
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Sep 29, 2003
2,121
451
A pineapple under the sea
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Tigers
I have Private Internet Access VPN and even if I connect from the USA, the Pirate Bay is still blocked. My son has given me a solution which works well.

Go to the Google Store and activate an extension called Betternet. Connect to Betternet and it bypasses the block and you will have full access;)

I asked my son how he knew about this and he said that the kids at school use this extension to gain access to websites blocked by the school
Went to check out the ExpressVPN site, my browsers tell me the site has an invalid security certificate......... not a good look for a place like that.
 
Jul 11, 2005
15,933
20,852
On the Road to A.G
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Geelong
I have Private Internet Access VPN and even if I connect from the USA, the Pirate Bay is still blocked. My son has given me a solution which works well.

Go to the Google Store and activate an extension called Betternet. Connect to Betternet and it bypasses the block and you will have full access;)

I asked my son how he knew about this and he said that the kids at school use this extension to gain access to websites blocked by the school
Which ISP are you with that are blocking VPNs?
 

Bomberboyokay

Cancelled
30k Posts 10k Posts
Sep 27, 2014
34,227
28,861
AFL Club
Essendon
My ExpressVPN subscription expired. (Good thing money was in another account. They tried to pull an autorenew which sure didn't seem to be selected when I checked a week ago.) Before that, had Unblock-Us which was a joke, didn't work on YouTube.

What's good now? And pays per month not a lumpsum? Any 'cancel any time' ones?
 
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