Originally Posted by
gfunkdave
So is your ISP.
But that's not the point. The point in using VPN like this is to appear to be in the USA to Netflix or other websites that require you to be in the USA. Think of the VPN as less a security thing and more a network reconfiguration that lets you "be in the USA".
Originally Posted by
silam
Some of you guys may want to learn how VPNs work a bit better just so you have an idea of what you are potentially exposing yourself to. When you route your traffic through a VPN all of your data you send through the internet is going through another computer.
If you run your own VPN service, the weak point is how secure is your VPN service. If you run through a vpn service you don't run, the question is how ethical is the company, and will they do something illegal. This isn't a post to cause paranoia but to bring awareness. Your passwords are not in clear text for someone to read and steal, but information is still routed through someone else's system.
Originally Posted by
Veritrope
I know reasonable people may differ on this but, to my way of thinking, I'm less fearful of an established commercial service with a reputation to preserve doing something "illegal" with my data than I am of using a misconfigured VPN connection which makes me *think* that I'm safe when I'm not. Moreover, bouncing your traffic off a proxy whose provenance is uncertain can also be a bit dicey, IMHO.
One more thing to consider: If you have technical ability to run and maintain your own VPN server, this is best from a "data integrity" standpoint -- but may fall short when it comes to geo-restricted web services and browsing speed. If you're using a VPN primarily for video streaming, getting around Facebook blocks, etc., your risk profile is probably different than someone with extremely sensitive information.
Just my $.02....
I'd rather give my trust to an established commercial service like a well-reputed VPN provider than have my traffic sniffed on an open, unsecured wifi access point. (VPN traffic is encrypted between the VPN endpoints [your computer and the VPN provider].) For that matter, I'd probably trust the VPN provider with my surfing habits more than I'd trust some random Internet provider or content filter wherever I'm at...not to mention snooping governments routing traffic through Great Firewalls.
As for running your own VPN: I agree, if you have the technical knowledge to set it up securely. But if you set up a VPN concentrator on your home Internet connection with a 1mbps upload, it won't matter that the hotel you're at in Singapore will pump 50mbps to you--you won't be watching Netflix in HD, since you can't pump more than 1mbps (minus VPN overhead) out to you (ignoring crypto speed issues).
Originally Posted by
theworld
Basically we have limited bandwidth from HK to international locations, meaning access to foreign websites results in slower load times.
That seems odd to me. Isn't HKG a hub of sorts for international traffic? Traceroutes I run to places across the Far East seem to all go through either Tokyo, Singapore, or Hong Kong.