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Should I get a VPN?

As far as I know a VPN basically routs your data through the VPN's server and then ur ISP, instead of straight to your ISP. But what does that actually do? Can my ISP still see what websites I've visited or what I've downloaded? Can the VPN? What are the pro's con's of a vpn that I should consider?

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You wont be safe, the only thing it's good at is getting around ISP or regionally imposed restrictions. When it comes to actual security, it wont do you much good and all the ads are lying to you.

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If you don't really know why you'd need a VPN, you probably don't need one.

 

As to how it works:
Your network traffic still goes to your ISP the same way, because that's the only physical connection you have. But instead of going out into the web, you have a (hopefully secure, meaning everything you send is encrypted) connection with another server. If I was your VPN provider, you'd basically send all of your traffic to me. I'd unpack all of it and then let it exit my network, as if it came from a computer from my network.

 

If you wanted to watch a youtube video, youtube would send that video to me, I'd pack it up again and send it along to you. You notice that I can potentially do whatever with your data in this scenario. Normally this doesn't matter, because if you use HTTPS, your traffic is also encrypted, so I can't see the data you send/receive. But I still know who you are talking to.

 

The most useful thing to use a VPN for, is to set one up at home. That way you have access to all your local resources like PCs/NAS/Smarthome appliances without exposing them to the internet.

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8 minutes ago, adm0n said:

If you don't really know why you'd need a VPN, you probably don't need one.

 

As to how it works:
Your network traffic still goes to your ISP the same way, because that's the only physical connection you have. But instead of going out into the web, you have a (hopefully secure, meaning everything you send is encrypted) connection with another server. If I was your VPN provider, you'd basically send all of your traffic to me. I'd unpack all of it and then let it exit my network, as if it came from a computer from my network.

 

If you wanted to watch a youtube video, youtube would send that video to me, I'd pack it up again and send it along to you. You notice that I can potentially do whatever with your data in this scenario. Normally this doesn't matter, because if you use HTTPS, your traffic is also encrypted, so I can't see the data you send/receive. But I still know who you are talking to.

 

The most useful thing to use a VPN for, is to set one up at home. That way you have access to all your local resources like PCs/NAS/Smarthome appliances without exposing them to the internet.

Thank you very much for the (very clear btw) explanation

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40 minutes ago, Mangrovius said:

As far as I know a VPN basically routs your data through the VPN's server and then ur ISP, instead of straight to your ISP. But what does that actually do? Can my ISP still see what websites I've visited or what I've downloaded? Can the VPN? What are the pro's con's of a vpn that I should consider?

It basically hides where you're browsing from, interest depends on the country you're in and the restrictions it forces..

 

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1 hour ago, Mangrovius said:

As far as I know a VPN basically routs your data through the VPN's server and then ur ISP, instead of straight to your ISP. But what does that actually do? Can my ISP still see what websites I've visited or what I've downloaded? Can the VPN? What are the pro's con's of a vpn that I should consider?

Practically speaking, a VPN is just a proxy with encryption. Its got its uses but unless you're trying to hide from your ISP/government things they don't want you to access, then its really just picking who gets your data. 

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