What can a VPN do?

[the1lemming 4]

Hello,

 

I have been using airvpn now for a couple of months on my Microsoft and Android kit and as far as I am aware I am happy with the service. However I am not an IT professional and I am not exactly sure what a VPN can offer.

 

All I want to do is keep my privacy from advertisers and my ISP. I am not stupid enough to think that I will be invisible.

 

May I ask if I use my phone using my mobile connection, and not a public WiFi connection, that I am not being monitored or logged by my ISP?

 

The same question goes for when I am at home surfing the internet on my broadband connection, am I being monitored or having my web surfing habits monitored and logged by my ISP?

 

I don't know much about encryption or how to set it up on my airvpn account, but is the encryption baked in and I don't need to do anything to make it happen?

 

While using the recommended server when starting airvpn each day, can government bodies, or my ISP demand to see or collect my surfing habits?

 

I'm sure I have many more questions and I may not have worded my questions sufficiently, but I hope you can understand what I am trying to ask about my privacy and wanting to either stop people hacking me while on my phone on free WiFi, on my phone network or at home shopping online.

 

Cheers

[ofiris 15]

Whatever you do on the internet is logged by your ISP. By using a VPN you're making it impossible for the ISP to know what you're searching for. They still keep logs, but those logs don't tell them what you visited.

[eyes878 43]

Your ISP will see a bunch of encrypted data to one VPN server. They will probably be able to work out you are using a VPN if they looked, but they would definitely not be able to see what you are doing, such as what you are searching, what services you are using and anything you may torrent.

 

The encryption is automatic once you connect. After connecting, your entire system's traffic is routed through the encrypted tunnel.

 

While on the VPN, your government, ISP, or anyone else who can see your web traffic cannot collect information on what websites/services you use, nor your habits.

 

If you use the VPN while on public WiFi, it will prevent anybody from sniffing your data. This basically means that if you can establish a connection on any network, then you should be able to assume that your data is safe unless you disconnect.

[the1lemming 4]

Thank you for the replies.

 

I take it from your comments that, to the Average Advert company, I am Mr Invisible?

 

To keep under the radar further, should I stop using Google as a search engine even when connected to a VPN?

 

Cheers

[Guest]

If you use cookie deleter software, and don't use a google+ account they won't know either.

[bluesjunior 43]

If you want a very safe search engine without the Google trackers etc then Startpage in the link below is the best in my opinion. Check it out.

https://startpage.com/eng/download-startpage-plugin.html

[eyes878 43]

I also recommend Startpage, I've used them for a while.

 

If you don't login to account and delete cookies/cache between sessions then that further limits how much you can be tracked. Using NoScript to block tracking scripts is also an option.

[the1lemming 4]

Hello chaps

 

Thanks again for the replies. I shall give startpage a testrun and see how I get on.

 

cheers

[me.moo@posteo.me 80]

I take it from your comments that, to the Average Advert company, I am Mr Invisible?

Be as careful as if you are not using a VPN. Your ISP will not know what you are doing but if your not using https then all your traffic beyond the VPN exit node (exit IP) will still be in plain text for anyone to see if they so wish. Your traffic will be mixed up with everyone elses on that server though and your real IP address will not be seen.

[Guest]

 

I take it from your comments that, to the Average Advert company, I am Mr Invisible?

Be as careful as if you are not using a VPN. Your ISP will not know what you are doing but if your not using https then all your traffic beyond the VPN exit node (exit IP) will still be in plain text for anyone to see if they so wish. Your traffic will be mixed up with everyone elses on that server though and your real IP address will not be seen.

 

What you mean beyond? As far as I know the traffic is encrypted by the Eddie and sent to the servers that then send it to where you were browsing and the returning traffic from the site is encrypted by the AirVPN server and the Eddie then recieve it and decrypt it for your computer. And to me beyond means that the traffic is not encrypted after the VPN node

[me.moo@posteo.me 80]

 

 

I take it from your comments that, to the Average Advert company, I am Mr Invisible?

Be as careful as if you are not using a VPN. Your ISP will not know what you are doing but if your not using https then all your traffic beyond the VPN exit node (exit IP) will still be in plain text for anyone to see if they so wish. Your traffic will be mixed up with everyone elses on that server though and your real IP address will not be seen.

 

What you mean beyond? As far as I know the traffic is encrypted by the Eddie and sent to the servers that then send it to where you were browsing and the returning traffic from the site is encrypted by the AirVPN server and the Eddie then recieve it and decrypt it for your computer. And to me beyond means that the traffic is not encrypted after the VPN node

 

I mean between the VPN server and your destination  (eg. a web site). Your data is encrypted only between your computer and the VPN server. The VPN server decrypts your data before sending it on to its destination. The VPN service has no control over what happens to your data once it sends it on. When it receives data meant for you, it encrypts it before sending it back.

 

A Virtual Private Network is only between you and the VPN's server you connect to, not all the way to whatever the destination is. With https, the s stands for secure, which means it is encrypted whether you use a VPN or not, therefore when https data is sent on by the VPN server it is still https and thus secure from end to end.

[Guest]

 

 

 

I take it from your comments that, to the Average Advert company, I am Mr Invisible?

Be as careful as if you are not using a VPN. Your ISP will not know what you are doing but if your not using https then all your traffic beyond the VPN exit node (exit IP) will still be in plain text for anyone to see if they so wish. Your traffic will be mixed up with everyone elses on that server though and your real IP address will not be seen.

 

What you mean beyond? As far as I know the traffic is encrypted by the Eddie and sent to the servers that then send it to where you were browsing and the returning traffic from the site is encrypted by the AirVPN server and the Eddie then recieve it and decrypt it for your computer. And to me beyond means that the traffic is not encrypted after the VPN node

I mean between the VPN server and your destination  (eg. a web site). Your data is encrypted only between your computer and the VPN server. The VPN server decrypts your data before sending it on to its destination. The VPN service has no control over what happens to your data once it sends it on. When it receives data meant for you, it encrypts it before sending it back.

 

A Virtual Private Network is only between you and the VPN's server you connect to, not all the way to whatever the destination is. With https, the s stands for secure, which means it is encrypted whether you use a VPN or not, therefore when https data is sent on by the VPN server it is still https and thus secure from end to end.

 

Yes I'm aware what a VPN does lol I was just saying why your statement confused me

[me.moo@posteo.me 80]

Thought you were aware, you were confusing me

 

Hope its made it clear to those who might think they are 'safe'.