Help for a noob on a Mac please

[Neo1123 1]

I am a total noob. I am connected to air vpn and the internet seems to be functioning fine. I did look through the "how to" threads and found them to be very helpful. But....since I am still a noob I need further assistance.

 

-How do I use the service correctly? I'm using safari, normally. Do I need to do anything extra? If airvpn is functioning properly are all my internet activities through safari scrambled? Do I need to do the RNS thing? Should I only use safari? Do I need to do anything special when using Tor? I am aware that I cannot torrent through tor?

 

-When I do the ipleak test my IP address does not come up. It confirms the server I selected. Is there anything else I should be looking for? I'm also slightly bewildered about the "Network Lock" function. Should I be using it?

 

-I am primarily using a vpn to torrent. If I pass my ipleak test is there anything else I need to do to remain anonymous? Am I good to go at that point? I was planning on using Pirate Bay on safari. is that a good combination? I'm pretty sure I changed the port correctly.

 

when looking at my speeds they spike and drop down to zero. Is this the standard for speed I should be expecting? I tried a test torrent and a 15 song album took about 5 minutes. I haven't done any torrenting in about 8 years so I'm unsure if that is normal. I would like to optimize my torrent speeds, though. Is there anything a noob like myself could do to optimize my speeds through qbittorrent? 

 

I apologize if this post is redundant or annoying. Thanks in advance to any and all for help/advice.

 

Here are my logs..hope it is formatted correctly.

 

[spoiler]I 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - AirVPN client version: 2.10.3 / x86, System: OSX, Name: 10.12.1 / x64

. 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - Reading options from /Users/austincarstens/.airvpn/AirVPN.xml

. 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - Data Path: /Users/austincarstens/.airvpn

. 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - App Path: /Applications/AirVPN.app/Contents/MacOS

. 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - Executable Path: /Applications/AirVPN.app/Contents/MacOS/AirVPN

. 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - Command line arguments (0):

. 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - Updating systems & servers data ...

. 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - Operating System: Unix 16.1.0.0 - Darwin Austins-MacBook-Pro.local 16.1.0 Darwin Kernel Version 16.1.0: Wed Oct 19 20:31:56 PDT 2016; root:xnu-3789.21.4~4/RELEASE_X86_64 x86_64

I 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - OpenVPN Driver - Expected

I 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - OpenVPN - Version: OpenVPN 2.3.8 (/Applications/AirVPN.app/Contents/MacOS/openvpn)

I 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - SSH - Version: OpenSSH_7.2p2, LibreSSL 2.4.1 (/usr/bin/ssh)

I 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - SSL - Version: stunnel 5.17 (/Applications/AirVPN.app/Contents/MacOS/stunnel)

I 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - Session starting.

I 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - IPv6 disabled on network adapter (Wi-Fi)

I 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - IPv6 disabled on network adapter (Bluetooth PAN)

I 2017.01.28 12:07:00 - IPv6 disabled on network adapter (Thunderbolt Bridge)

I 2017.01.28 12:07:34 - Checking authorization ...

. 2017.01.28 12:07:40 - Systems & servers data update completed

! 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - Connecting to Alderamin (Austria, Vienna)

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > OpenVPN 2.3.8 x86_64-apple-darwin14.4.0 [sSL (OpenSSL)] [LZO] [MH] [iPv6] built on Aug 13 2015

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > library versions: OpenSSL 1.0.2d 9 Jul 2015, LZO 2.08

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > MANAGEMENT: TCP Socket listening on [AF_INET]127.0.0.1:3100

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > Control Channel Authentication: tls-auth using INLINE static key file

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > Outgoing Control Channel Authentication: Using 160 bit message hash 'SHA1' for HMAC authentication

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > Incoming Control Channel Authentication: Using 160 bit message hash 'SHA1' for HMAC authentication

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > Socket Buffers: R=[196724->262144] S=[9216->262144]

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > UDPv4 link local: [undef]

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > UDPv4 link remote: [AF_INET]185.9.19.106:443

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > TLS: Initial packet from [AF_INET]185.9.19.106:443, sid=fc042afa fd763760

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > VERIFY OK: depth=1, C=IT, ST=IT, L=Perugia, O=airvpn.org, CN=airvpn.org CA, emailAddress=info@airvpn.org

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > Validating certificate key usage

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > ++ Certificate has key usage  00a0, expects 00a0

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > VERIFY KU OK

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > Validating certificate extended key usage

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > ++ Certificate has EKU (str) TLS Web Server Authentication, expects TLS Web Server Authentication

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > VERIFY EKU OK

. 2017.01.28 12:07:47 - OpenVPN > VERIFY OK: depth=0, C=IT, ST=IT, L=Perugia, O=airvpn.org, CN=Alderamin, emailAddress=info@airvpn.org

. 2017.01.28 12:07:50 - OpenVPN > Data Channel Encrypt: Cipher 'AES-256-CBC' initialized with 256 bit key

. 2017.01.28 12:07:50 - OpenVPN > Data Channel Encrypt: Using 160 bit message hash 'SHA1' for HMAC authentication

. 2017.01.28 12:07:50 - OpenVPN > Data Channel Decrypt: Cipher 'AES-256-CBC' initialized with 256 bit key

. 2017.01.28 12:07:50 - OpenVPN > Data Channel Decrypt: Using 160 bit message hash 'SHA1' for HMAC authentication

. 2017.01.28 12:07:50 - OpenVPN > Control Channel: TLSv1.2, cipher TLSv1/SSLv3 DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384, 4096 bit RSA

. 2017.01.28 12:07:50 - OpenVPN > [Alderamin] Peer Connection Initiated with [AF_INET]185.9.19.106:443

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > SENT CONTROL [Alderamin]: 'PUSH_REQUEST' (status=1)

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > PUSH: Received control message: 'PUSH_REPLY,redirect-gateway def1 bypass-dhcp,dhcp-option DNS 10.4.0.1,comp-lzo no,route-gateway 10.4.0.1,topology subnet,ping 10,ping-restart 60,ifconfig 10.4.13.73 255.255.0.0'

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > OPTIONS IMPORT: timers and/or timeouts modified

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > OPTIONS IMPORT: LZO parms modified

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > OPTIONS IMPORT: --ifconfig/up options modified

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > OPTIONS IMPORT: route options modified

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > OPTIONS IMPORT: route-related options modified

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > OPTIONS IMPORT: --ip-win32 and/or --dhcp-option options modified

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > Opening utun (connect(AF_SYS_CONTROL)): Resource busy

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > Opened utun device utun1

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > do_ifconfig, tt->ipv6=0, tt->did_ifconfig_ipv6_setup=0

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > /sbin/ifconfig utun1 delete

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > ifconfig: ioctl (SIOCDIFADDR): Can't assign requested address

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > NOTE: Tried to delete pre-existing tun/tap instance -- No Problem if failure

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > /sbin/ifconfig utun1 10.4.13.73 10.4.13.73 netmask 255.255.0.0 mtu 1500 up

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > /sbin/route add -net 10.4.0.0 10.4.13.73 255.255.0.0

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > add net 10.4.0.0: gateway 10.4.13.73

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > /sbin/route add -net 185.9.19.106 192.168.0.1 255.255.255.255

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > add net 185.9.19.106: gateway 192.168.0.1

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > /sbin/route add -net 0.0.0.0 10.4.0.1 128.0.0.0

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > add net 0.0.0.0: gateway 10.4.0.1

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > /sbin/route add -net 128.0.0.0 10.4.0.1 128.0.0.0

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > add net 128.0.0.0: gateway 10.4.0.1

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - Starting Management Interface

. 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - OpenVPN > Initialization Sequence Completed

I 2017.01.28 12:07:52 - DNS of a network adapter forced (Wi-Fi)

I 2017.01.28 12:07:53 - DNS of a network adapter forced (Bluetooth PAN)

I 2017.01.28 12:07:53 - DNS of a network adapter forced (Thunderbolt Bridge)

I 2017.01.28 12:07:53 - Flushing DNS

I 2017.01.28 12:07:53 - Checking route

I 2017.01.28 12:07:55 - Checking DNS

! 2017.01.28 12:07:56 - Connected.

. 2017.01.28 12:07:56 - OpenVPN > MANAGEMENT: Client connected from [AF_INET]127.0.0.1:3100

. 2017.01.28 12:07:56 - OpenVpn Management > >INFO:OpenVPN Management Interface Version 1 -- type 'help' for more info

 

[/spoiler]

 

[LZ1 673]

Hello!

 

Welcome to AirVPN!

 

When you said you checked the how to threads, I assume you didn't check the new user guide, seeing as you're asking a couple of questions which have already been answered in it .

You can find it in my signature or in the How To forum.

 

Tor is not meant for torrenting and you don't need it, if it's just for hiding your IP address, as that's the point of the VPN.

If you can confirm you're not leaking anything, then it's fine to visit the piratebay with the Safari browser.

But it's actually the torrenting which can get you in trouble, if it's of copyrighted items. But if your ISP blocks torrent sites, then even just being able to get access to the torrent site, would confirm that the VPN is working .

 

- You're already using Airs DNS.

- You don't have to do anything extra, unless you're leaking, which you won't with Network Lock. But it all depends on what you want to achieve. VPNs alone don't make you "anonymous".

- You can use Safari if you want. Others may prefer other browsers, which may be more extensible, in regards to addons.

- Your check on ipleak should confirm that your DNS and IP address are those of AirVPN and not your own.

 

There's already a collection of torrenting and other guides in my new user guide. You should at least do some portforwarding for your torrenting.

I hope you'll find it useful.

[Neo1123 1]

I saw that after I posted  ...

 

Thank you for the concise reply! I appreciate the patience along with the advice!

[LZ1 673]

No worries. Enjoy your time with AirVPN.