Do I need a VPN?

[Panja 2]

This is probably the worst question to ask, I know...
But I'm trying to understand, for myself, if I need a VPN or not. Will I benefit from using one of not?
I'm tempted to purchase a BlackFriday deal but can't figure out if I really benefit from it?

I'm a heavy internet user, using NewsServers as well.
My backend is a pfSense firewall.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a VPN service?
Of course the obvious: speed and latency will be less.
But what are the more not so obvious?
Can some tell me in Sesame Street language?

[OpenSourcerer 1435]

If you use torrents for possible illegal filesharing, a VPN is preferred.
If you are at least concerned about your ISP spying on you, a VPN might get your back (but so do other methods).
If you want to be safe in potentially unsafe networks like public WLAN hotspots, a VPN is advisable, but your own via Wireguard or so might be enough.
If you want to spoof your real location to watch movies from another country in which you are not, a VPN does the job (so does a proxy btw).
... some other use cases I don't think of right now.

When explicitly not to use VPN:
If you fear for your life in your country because of what you might say as a journalist for example, use Tor instead.
If you want to use it as part of your buffer when doing real cracking on the internet. It's forbidden by ToS of almost all providers I came across.
 

On 11/27/2019 at 10:16 AM, Panja said:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a VPN service?

All of the above use cases and not-to-use cases.
Also, when you connect to a public VPN provider's server, you transfer your trust from your ISP to the VPN provider.
Umm.. yeah. Others can maybe add more.

[Panja 2]

Thanks for the reply and your info!

I rarely use Torrents but I do use Usenet for downloading Linux ISO's...
I do have my own OpenVPN server running for being "protected" in public places.
Spoofing my location is not something I'm interested in.
 

[Staff 9972]

Hello!

It's also important to understand Tor limits. Let's start from here:
https://blog.torproject.org/bittorrent-over-tor-isnt-good-idea

Consider also any other case involving applications or system processes binding to real network interface, or consequences of UPnP and STUN. As you can see, your "real" IP address will be revealed outside Tor usage.

The same might happen with a generic proxy and even with a VPN, but not when you are connected to a VPN server with "Network Lock" enabled. In such a case, the firewall rules will block communications outside the "VPN tunnel" with the important, additional bonus that the p2p software and any other software can not "discover" your real IP address and transmit it against your will to any third party.

Furthermore, consider those cases when UDP is needed: Tor does not support it. Moreover, Tor network is too slow for practical purposes meeting certain needs. For example, those who need to stream audio and/or video, or have VoIP etc., or any other system based on p2p (from cryptocurrencies networks to VoIP, from streaming to videogames) and need to keep their real IP address hidden, may rely on VPN.

At the same time, nothing prevents you to launch Tor after the system has connected to a VPN with Network Lock enabled, and use Tor over OpenVPN for sensitive data exchange in TCP. Doing so provides also two side effects that are relevant in many cases, i.e. hiding Tor usage from the eyes of ISP and government, and hiding real origin and destinations you contact even to our VPN servers. At the same time, system processes, that you might be unaware of, will always have their traffic either tunneled over the VPN or blocked, so you real IP address will not be exposed.

Kind regards
 

[OpenSourcerer 1435]

On 11/28/2019 at 8:52 PM, Panja said:

I rarely use Torrents but I do use Usenet for downloading Linux ISO's...
I do have my own OpenVPN server running for being "protected" in public places.
Spoofing my location is not something I'm interested in.

Well, then three of the good reasons are already gone. The way I see it, you are not in dire need of a VPN right now. But as I said, others might add more reasons.