VPN Newbie - Seeking recommendations

[bodean]

I run an ASUS AC66U router at home. I am on the road a lot at hotels with public wifi on my Macbook Air.

Currently I am using Private tunnel. They have a limited free plan though. Wondering what my other options are. I heard my router can use/setup VPN (although not sure how to config it). Would this be a better/free alternative?

 

[CaptainSTX]

What are you trying to accomplish with a VPN connection?

If you want secure access to devices and files on your home LAN then you can set up a secure VPN server on your router.

If you want to surf the web, check e-mail, etc. from insecure public WiFi access points then you need to run VPN on your smart phones, laptops, tablets, etc. when you connect on public access points. Figure on spending $6 - $9 a month for a VPN service. The cost varies depending on how long you sign up for, VPN features and how many devices you want to connect using simultaneously without running the VPN on your home router. Depending on the device and its processing power you probably will experience a 5% - 10% reduction in throughput.

Finally if you want to run a VPN on your home router that will allow all devices connected using the router then you can do so using a VPN provider for $6 - $9. Depending on the VPN provider and the type of service you sign up for you also maybe able to connect some other traveling devices at the same time your home router is connected to the VPN provider. Running a VPN on your router can result in a 25% reduction in throughput. with a less powerful router such as a 54G the reduction could be even worse.

As for VPN providers I have tried and you might want to consider are: StrongVPN, IPVanish, Astrill and HideMyAss. HMA was the slowest and most aggravating to use. With the other three there were trade offs in speed and features.

Good luck.

 

[bodean]

my main goal with VPN is surfing the web securly when on public wifi. Bank sites, etc. Going through my router would not be as effective as signing up for a service?

 

[stevech]

Bank web sites and the like all use SSL/HTTPS. Pretty secure.

Public WiFi is risky if you have any open shares from folders on the drive, or have UPnP enabled, or use passwords not via HTTPS

and so on.

Here's a paranoia: touch-tone phone used to enter password via keys. Wide open to any eavesdropper who opens the telco's green curbside cross-box and hooks up aligator clips. Or some crook inside a phone company C.O. I just don't do it.

 

[belden_jeff]

VPN recommendation

I highly recommend Hidemyass, IPVanish, Private Internet Network and PureVPN. they are great VPN and among the top performing VPN in the market today. Visit bestvpnservicemag to see a list of top performing VPN.

 

[chadster766]

I run an ASUS AC66U router at home. I am on the road a lot at hotels with public wifi on my Macbook Air.

Currently I am using Private tunnel. They have a limited free plan though. Wondering what my other options are. I heard my router can use/setup VPN (although not sure how to config it). Would this be a better/free alternative?

The LRT214\224 have many stock VPN options.

1. You can have one at the home and travel with the other one. They can connect to each other via a hardcoded IPSEC VPN.
2. Have just one at your home and connect to it via OpenVPN client or PPTP client.

These a SMB routers.

 

[RogerSC]

We used ExpressVPN in Europe this summer. Installed easily and worked well, but not free. As I recall, it can be used on up to 5 devices, so I used it on my iPad and Android phone while traveling, and my wife used it on her iPhone as well.

Also use LastPass, so not entering passwords via a keyboard *smile*. I really like LastPass as well, and use it on my iPhone and iPad as well as Android phone and desktop. My passwords are quite complex and random *smile*. Also not free if you use it on mobile devices.