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Whenever I read something about Windows 10, be it a news article or a forum post, I also read the word "privacy nightmare". It refers to excessive data collection practices by Microsoft's new operating system. Some of these can't even be disabled by going the usual way using built-in settings. Luckily, these are the forums of a VPN provider where you can find guides on what to look out for when you want to forcibly shut down the unnecessary "spying". And I wanted to contribute to this by introducing software which helps with this task. O&O ShutUp10 Focused on privacy settingsMust be installed: NoIcons after every setting warn you about possible risksShows you what exactly is changedConvenient search if you look for a specific settingDoNotSpy10 Focused on disabling services like Cortana, sensors, telemetry, and othersMust be installed: Yestraffic light coloring of settings indicates possible impact on the systemshows brief explanations for every settingfree download is ad-supportedW10Privacy Focused on privacy settings and all pre-installed appsMust be installed: NoMore detailed toggles, like just preventing OneDrive's sync feature instead of disabling/uninstalling it as a wholetraffic light coloring of every setting indicates possible impact on the systemhovering over a setting shows some info on what is done when toggledMaybe we should not ditch the OS but ditch the name: Microsoft Privacy Nightmare, or PN. Microsoft PN. Would really be a witty step after the last creative developer left Microsoft sometime after the Vista release. If you ask me, they instead hired devs who get an instant erection seeing so much data.... from just one Win10 installation.

Hello, How secure do you think Windows 10 is compared with: Windows 7 Linux Mac OS Android iOS While I think the security is better than before, I don't think it's safe from Microsoft.... What do I mean by security? The ability to get around authorization and authentication. Or if you have feel there is another area of weakness - please share. Now I know I am going to hear about Linux being much safer, I assume it is because it's modular and security at each level, whereas MS is one giant block of code. Is that correct? Also, Linux is very similar to Unix (is it a derivation) which enjoys almost 40+ years of being developed - so I understand it has a time advantage. I am not a developer so please feel free to dumb it down. Thanks for your time, Mr. V

Hi I have a problem with the client. I am running windows and linux. With both OSs I have the problem with checking routes. With Linux I can run the terminal based connection and everything is fine though. I have the following log output using Windows (even though in the logs it says "IPv6 available" I disabled the function for my internet interface on purpose to be able to use the VPN without problems): BR, evidenz

Hello, I'm trying to install Eddie on two accounts on the same laptop. As it seems I have to install Eddie on both accounts instead of 1. That's ok, but if I want to use & configure Eddie, the configuration will then be used by only 1 account. The second one will for instance, not auto start-up and auto connect. Is this working as intended? For the record, both accounts have the same priviliges. Regards,

So I have software on my machine which i wish to block connection to the internet on. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​I have my machine set to boot up, run air vpn, air vpn automaticly activates network lock ( this is where the issue occurs ) , then air vpn connects to a whitelisted server. ​ ​ ​ ​Now the problem is that airvpn removes my blocked in and out traffic rules in my firewall for the software i wish to prevent from connecting to the internet at all. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Is there a way to add rules that airvpn writes when it re configures the firewall settings

Recently joined and trying to lock down the fort. How can I patch up the DNS leak? I disabled IPV6 on Ethernet 2 and Wi-Fi adapters, and IPLeak appears to pass. Just DNS leaking.

Hello fellow AirVPN users, Here is my issue that I'm experiencing with AirVPN: Problem: I'm experiencing issues with IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity on my Windows 10 machine. I started experiencing this shortly after installing the AirVPN client. I mainly use this machine on one of two WiFi networks (home and work) and the issue behaves differently on each network. Work Network: On my work network, "No Network Access" is displayed for both IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity on my WiFi status dialog box. I cannot make any sort of internet connection on any application on this network nor can I log-in or connect to AirVPN. I also see a yellow triangle over my WiFi icon on my Windows notifications taskbar. Home Network: After restarting/rebooting/booting/waking the computer, the WiFi status lists "No Network Access" for both IPv4 & 6 connectivity. However, when I try to log-in and start an AirVPN server connection through the client, the IPv4 connectivity status changes to "Internet" while the IPv6 connection remains on "No Network Access." The yellow triangle disappears over my taskbar WiFi icon and I'm able to connect to the internet with my browser. My IP address seems to be properly displayed as my AirVPN server's IP and no DNS leak is detected by dnsleaktest.com. However, I used to have IPv6 connectivity on this network prior to installing AirVPN client on this machine. If I disconnect and close AirVPN, the IPv4 connection remains on. Attempted Solutions: 1. Disabled network lock 2. Ran Windows Network Diagnosis: stated that machine seems to be configured correctly yet DNS connectivity cannot be obtained. 3. Ran a series of "netsh int tcp set..." commands based on the instructions at this website. No success. Any help would be appreciated. AirVPN works well on my Linux machines but it's critical that I'm able to use it on this Windows machine. Thanks!!

New member for about a week. I downloaded AirVPN client app for Win10 and cannot connect to any server. I connect to internet through Asus 88U router LAN wired. Please help.

Hi, After a lot of testing, searching, and experimenting with settings in the Windows 10 client, I've not been able to solve a DNS leak in the Windows 10 client. I have, however, been able to stop the leak by using a newer version of OpenVPN. The Windows AirVPN client currently uses OpenVPN version 2.3.8, a version which does not support the "block-outside-dns" option, which would solve the DNS leak. Version 2.3.9 supports this option, and the current version is 2.3.10, so upgrading the OpenVPN version in the Windows client would solve the leak. More here: https://www.dnsleaktest.com/how-to-fix-a-dns-leak.html I've tested the option in the most recent version of OpenVPN(Without the AIrVPN client) and the leak is fixed. The latest version is available here: https://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/downloads.html Another issue with the client is that when you try to specify a custom path to OpenVPN, it doesn't work and uses the built-in version with the client. So this is a request to upgrade OpenVPN in the client and enable the "block-outside-dns" option too. Fixing the custom path would be great as well. I think this would help us all because privacy is a very important part of VPNs. Thanks, Henleys

Hello, does anyone know how to create a portable Windows 10 install to act as a live CD on otherwise non admin computers so that i may use the VPN? I have already tried WintoUSB and the program fails with the error "failed to start system API". Does anyone know of another way or different software i can use?

Hello, i wanted to ask the AirVPN community, is it possible to access AirVPN servers on a machine that you do not have admin permissions, such as a library or workplace?

Hello! I am using ESET Smart Security 9, which comes with a personal firewall. This causes the Windows Firewall to be turned off, causing Network Lock to not work. My question is: what are the firewall rules I have to set in ESET's firewall in order to only allow VPN traffic to go through?

Is it possible to configure Comodo Firewall (or Windows firewall) to block a particular browser (e.g. Firefox) from accessing the internet when via the VPN interface (TAP adapter), while everything else is allowed to use the VPN connection?

Hi, I just followed some instructions and managed to get my netgear wndr4500 upgraded to have dd-wrt on it. it's the latest kong version of the firmware. i did this so that i could get my airvpn to come through my router. which i then set up following your guide. it was fully functioning, my only problem was that the speed had dropped to less than a 20th of the download and slightly slower upload (pictures linked). the speed with my isp's router is 100mb, so it's already slightly slower with dd-wrt but not a big deal. but the speed with the vpn activated is just too slow for what i need. I could use some help in resolving this. Thanks, Grand Kai.

Guys, It seems I have had the problem of several other people concerning connection issues. After Installing the AirVPN client which in turn installs the open VPN driver. After the first server connection with seems to corrupt my secondary adapter which is a broadcom ethernet adapter. I have found a workaround by going to device manager and deleting both the Broadcom driver and the TAP_V9 driver. Then I performed a scan for hardware change and Windows will reinstall my ethernet driver. Everything will function normally until the next time I connect via AirVPN. Additional notes: on my custom gig I have the option to connect either through a ethernet cable or Wi-Fi. I find that even when unable to connect via the ethernet, I am still able to connect via Wi-Fi. This leads me to believe that there is a conflict between the Broadcom driver and the TAP-V9 (OpenVPN driver). Y'all have a nice day, Greg

EDIT: a deeper study of improperly called "WebRTC leak" has brought up how the initial approach by a wide part of communities discussing it has been totally wrong, has missed the core reasons and has proposed "solutions" which are questionable. Please see here to get a more balanced and informed view of the so called "problem". http://www.clodo.it/blog/an-alternative-approach-to-so-called-webrtc-leaks WARNING: the following post was written hours after "WebRTC leak" hit the news. It is now to be considered outdated. It is also inappropriate when it uses the word "vulnerability". However, the way to prevent applications to talk outside the tunnel is the same, enable Network Lock or set proper firewall rules. It is absolutely nothing new, just like the whole fabricated "WebRTC leak" affair. ============================================================================ Hello! Browsers supporting WebRTC run in a Windows-environment can seriously compromise the security of VPN-tunnels by allowing the true IP address of the user to be read. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebRTC#Concerns WebRTC is supported in the following browsers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebRTC#Support According to our tests we can at this moment confirm that Linux and OS X appear to be not affected. EDIT: OS X users please see here, according to this report OS X is vulnerable as well. https://airvpn.org/topic/13490-vpn-security-flaw-does-this-affect-airvpn/?do=findComment&comment=24757 You can test your system here: http://ipleak.net Windows users can fix the vulnerability in one of the following ways: - by enabling "Network Lock" in our free and open source client Eddie - by configuring a firewall to prevent leaks. In our "How-To" section we have guides for Comodo and Windows Firewall - by disabling WebRTC on the browser (WARNING: you can't do that in Google Chrome desktop edition, you'll need an extension). This page seems quite accurate https://www.browserleaks.com/webrtc#webrtc-disable EDIT: in the above linked page, the extension recommended for Chrome does not really prevent leaks - by running a browser which does not support WebRTC Kind regards AirVPN Support Team

I m connected to Talitha and all DNS is going trough the VPN. I took a look at my windows firewall (which i enabled due to "network lock") and it shows a lot of these: date time action protocol src-ip dst-ip src-port dst-port size tcpflags tcpsyn tcpack tcpwin icmptype icmpcode info path 2015-06-29 11:33:34 DROP UDP 192.168.2.94 54.172.47.69 58683 3478 0 - - - - - - - SEND 2015-06-29 11:33:35 DROP UDP 192.168.2.94 54.172.47.69 58683 3478 0 - - - - - - - SEND 2015-06-29 11:33:37 DROP UDP 192.168.2.94 54.172.47.69 58683 3478 0 - - - - - - - SEND 54.172.47.69 --> is an amazon IP After allowing this IP, my IP get leaked by webrtc. (tested on https://ipleak.net/) Can anyone explain this behaviour?

Hi to all. Little issue here. i want to cast a video through chromecast to my tv (with apps like crunchyroll or youtube), but when my android phone was air-connected (with openvpn) the chromecast results as "not found" on my network. if i turn off the vpn connection, chromecast return available. instead sending chrome tabs working normally with PC (windows 7). what can i do, any suggestions?

As the title says I'm confused about what these dozens of windows components actually do online and how I should assess each one. There's virtually nothing on the forums or the internet about them, especially with regard to VPN privacy, so how do you deal with them? To put this question in context. Privacy is essentially a trade-off between convenience and security - I want my system to be secure but not at the expense of much slower connections or to ruin my interaction with the internet. I don't need the highest level of privacy but I do like to understand what I'm letting through and what I'm not. Like most applications some Windows components can be blocked (eg OneDrive) and cause no problems, but some will stop Windows working altogether while others seem to be okay but cause problems in the background. If you let one through why not let them all through? It's a minefield. To put this question another way, what's the point of a VPN if Microsoft can uniquely identify your system and is being told a thousand times a day what it's doing. Unless I've got it all wrong?

Hello I was wondering if it was possible for me to use AirVPN on all of Windows besides firefox, I'd like to use it for my daily computer use along with torrenting and other applications but I don't want to get banned on alot of sites that I use that do not allow VPN's on their sites. I'd imagine something involving proxies would be possible but I'm not sure how I'd do it exactly...

I downloaded the AirVPN Client (Ver 2.8.8) on my new system an as soon as it the screen pops up about Network Lock and MalwareBytes kicks in stops a Malicious outbound connection to 91.220.163.33 port 8. I am already running full antivirus and obviously malware premium (paid version). Why is there a outbound from AirVPN Client? It resolved back to here: IP address: 91.220.163.33ISP: TOV Commercial Company 'Olevan plus'Country: Ukraine (UA) Now the real kicker is I kept the interface up for a bit and went to search at Google and they came back and stated it looks like you have some unusual activity coming from your IP address please verify the following letters. Now in all my years using AirVPN I have never had to do this or ever had this nor had malwarebytes block an outbound. The old version (on my other computer) without network blocking does not have this issue and I am afraid to upgrade it until I get a few answers. Thanks for any insight or help!

Hi everyone! I've been trying to solve this issue on my own with no success, and this community seems very generous. I hope someone can help, this is driving me bonkers! To keep things short and sweet, I need to map a network drive on Windows 7 using an airvpn server. I want to access it using a public IP but I don't want the vulnerabilities that port forwarding my router would entail. I think I only need to know what ports need to be forwarded, but nobody seems to have a real answer for this! As an aside, I don't understand how a VPN actually protects data. Researching the issue of mapping a WAN path led to people suggesting using a VPN for specifically the reason of protection, but my exerience with it so far suggests that nothing is accomplished through letting a VPN be the middle man. As an example, if it turns out that I have to use port 445 for Windows to be able to map the network drive, I would have to connect to AirVPN's server, and have port forwarding set up on that server from, say, port 10000 to port 445. From there, the data would be forwarded to my public IP - my router. Well, my router will just drop the data there unless I set up port forwarding from inbound port 445 to private port 445 at my client's IP, effectively doing the same as I would have to do without a VPN. Even if I configured the VPN to send data out on port 10000, I would still have to set up port forwarding from port 10000 to port 445. So, if I do not use a VPN, I have to port forward from inbound port 445 to private port 445 at my client's IP, and if I do use a VPN it's port forwarding from inbound port 10000 or 445 to private port 445, leaving the same vulnerability as before. Am I wrong? Can anyone shed some light on this? It seems that Windows dislikes AirVPN altogether! I can connect using Debian to the VPN via openvpn, but on a different computer running windows I can't connect using the GUI interface. Here's the process I used: step one 1.) Connect via ssh to my dedicated server (note that I specify port 2244 because I wanted to avoid port forwarding to port 22 because of the vulnerabilities I described in the indented paragraph.. I really need answers on this). step two 2.) Launch openvpn using config files that are generated via AirVPN's awesome generator! step three 3.) Connect using the server's IP address (from step 2's screenshot) step four 4.) Enter user credentials.. step five 5.) AAAAAAANDDD...!! step six 6.) Nothing! In this case, the diagnosis given is that Windows is trying to communicate to the VPN on port 1723 and can not get a response, but I don't know how I would fix this. I disabled the router's (and computer's) firewall to check if it is being filtered, but it didn't have an effect. So! to summarize: I need help mapping a network drive through a VPN in Windows 7I need help understanding how a VPN makes a connection more secure (if this is the case) and how I can better configure a router to reduce vulnerability if this is the caseI need help connecting to a VPN through the Windows 7 GUI I am really, really appreciative of any help i can get. Can anyone give some guidance? P.S.: On the server, I can not use the provided binary files because the server is a flashed Pogoplug V4 which has ARM CPU architecture. I can't use the binaries on the clients either, to keep things clean. I can only work with things that can be done through terminal or command prompt, or things that come with Windows / Debian, without having to download anything (excluding openvpn on the server computer).

Hello, Below are two scripts, one for Viscosity for Mac, and the other for Windows that you can implement into Viscosity to close any program you specify upon VPN disconnection. They are very easy to implement. It should take you no longer than 30 seconds. The 5 step instruction process is included in the link. I hope this helps you out! Link for Mac: https://torguard.net/blog/how-to-setup-a-vpn-kill-switch-on-mac-with-torguard/ Link for Windows: https://torguard.net/blog/how-to-setup-vpn-kill-switch-in-windows-with-torguard/ SIDE NOTE-For Windows that don't use Viscosity there is another VPN killswitch that is free and works with every VPN. It is called VPNCheck.

WinXP, AirVPN interface. After disconnecting the default DNS servers aren't reset. Or it could be the routing. Quite simply you can ping IPs (use 8.8.8.8 to test) but can't resolve names. This old computer has a very cut down version of XP and the usual way to change DNS is not available to me. Does anyone know a tool to change the DNS servers? Also have this bug: https://airvpn.org/topic/13642-blacklist-bug/ and https://airvpn.org/topic/13444-client-not-showing-score-or-latency-very-slow-speeds/ I will post there if I find a way to help. I have a usable connection now with a server in the same country (which has censorship so isn't popular). It seems the latency is the biggest problem, for example resolving DNS.

I am trying to connect via a batch file: CLI.exe -netlock -advanced.windows.dns_force -login=<username>-password=<password> -connect -server -port=443 -protocol=UDP First thing to mention is that CLI.exe must be run as administrator in Win 8.1, if not the ARP flush fails. In the command line I can see "netlock activated" but if visit www.ipleak.net webrtc and dns is leaking. edit: I also have the problem with the GUI WebRTC and DNS is leaking.