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Old 12-05-2017, 12:41 PM   #1
MooseMagnet
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Best VPN for Linux Mint - Torrenting, Chat, etc. ?


I haven't posted in quite some time. Though I've been using Linux Mint for several years. I consider myself a newbie when it comes to VPN. I've googled various versions of the question, but just get more confused. Open VPN looks good, but don't think I have the knowledge to configure it. Does anyone have an simple, yet functional, VPN they can recommend?
 
Old 12-05-2017, 12:50 PM   #2
273
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Sorry to take this off the zero reply list but I feel you're not clear what you are asking for:
Would you like recommendations for VPN providers who will tunnel your browsing into another countyr or would you like to use one of your own servers as a VPN server?
 
Old 12-05-2017, 02:27 PM   #3
rtmistler
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I agree very much with 273's thoughts.

Have you tried to download and install OpenVPN? Please take the time to read up on their documentation and information. Perhaps once you've loaded it on Mint and started to work with it, you'll have more detailed questions.
 
Old 12-05-2017, 04:26 PM   #4
MooseMagnet
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I will install OpenVPN, then pose more questions if/when I have any. Thank you much.
 
Old 12-05-2017, 06:32 PM   #5
sundialsvcs
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I have several comments in My Blog here which specifically concern OpenVPN.

However – if your purpose is to "Torrent, Chat, etc." under cryptographic protection, then you're going to need some service at the other end, with the software setup on your end that they require.

Also note that this is basically only good for "much stronger security in the airport, hotel, or coffee shop." Your traffic will emerge from their tunnel somewhere, and they will have the capability to intercept it. (Most probably, they are equipped to fulfill – and, to anticipate – law-enforcement subpoenas or court-orders that you may or may not be informed of.) It ought to go without saying: "keep your nose clean." It is perfectly legal to use encryption to protect your communications because "it's nobody's business but yours," but take care to remain "quite-obviously within the confines of the law." Remain "above suspicion."
 
Old 12-05-2017, 10:54 PM   #6
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PIA is a good vpn provider. They'll help you get openvpn working with their service. But keep in mind, if you want a vpn to cover your tracks, the vpn server keeps a log of who does what. If law enforcement finds mischief coming from a vpn service IP address, they'll ask the vpn provider for your actual IP, and the vpn provider will gladly roll over on you to save their own skin.

But if you just want anonymity, knock yourself out.
 
Old 12-05-2017, 11:17 PM   #7
MooseMagnet
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Ah... So that's what they mean when the provider says they "don't keep logs" ?
They're saying they do not keep logs, which means my activity can not be tracks.
I'm not planning on any illegal activities, just trying to understand.
I'll read sundialsvcs's blog, and elsewhere to get more understanding.
 
Old 12-06-2017, 08:21 AM   #8
AwesomeMachine
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Well, openvpn doesn't do anything without a vpn server.
 
Old 12-06-2017, 09:06 AM   #9
sundialsvcs
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MooseMagnet View Post
Ah... So that's what they mean when the provider says they "don't keep logs" ?
They're saying they do not keep logs, which means my activity can not be tracks.
I'm not planning on any illegal activities, just trying to understand.
I'll read sundialsvcs's blog, and elsewhere to get more understanding.
I suggest that you "of course, should" take for granted that they "keep logs," because they could be hit with a subpoena or a search-warrant at any time and they are required by law to comply with it.

If, for example, a Court had probable cause to believe that their service was being used by a felon, and even though they were suspected of no wrongdoing themselves, they would have to comply with the Court's lawful requirements ... and that means records. "Due diligence."

(And, hey, I'm cool with that. I don't want the Internet to be used to commit a felony, thank you just the same. "Bust his/her a*s!")

Last edited by sundialsvcs; 12-06-2017 at 09:08 AM.
 
Old 12-06-2017, 09:18 AM   #10
rtmistler
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MooseMagnet View Post
Ah... So that's what they mean when the provider says they "don't keep logs" ?
They're saying they do not keep logs, which means my activity can not be tracks.
I'm not planning on any illegal activities, just trying to understand.
I'll read sundialsvcs's blog, and elsewhere to get more understanding.
I think a lot of what you're going to find is that the people who started the concepts of doing this, with the intentions for masking illegal activities, have already prompted the appropriate personnel/agencies to pay attention and to consider these techniques as something to monitor.

And absolutely we're not here to draw conclusions or imply that you are looking to head down that path.

I think what you may wish to think about are what this does for you. For instance sundialsvcs points that it will not protect from surveillance, but it may protect you from casual disclosure of personal, confidential information. Also the points made, for instance by AwesomeMachine that you need a provider with a server to attach to, the OpenVPN is a client.

Going back in time I'll share a bit of a perspective, because I have written not only the protocols, but the IETF documents for PPTP, L2TP, and some of IPSec.

A VPN tunnel originally was NOT for security, but instead to provide an "in network" IP address for the client into the destination server's domain. Because if I'm elsewhere and I have some public IP, I'm "not trusted" and my work network will not allow me to be seen as internally attached. Meanwhile if they have a VPN server and I attach to it, this action gives me a trusted IP address which falls within the domain of my work servers, and thus even though I'm not physically there, it appears as if my computer is plugged in to the work network and therefore I can use the file servers, build servers, source code control, bug tracking, order entry, ... you name it. Whatever I normally could access at my desk, I can do remotely. And that was the full intention of VPN.

Soon they realized that securing that data, because it is transmitting over the general Internet was a great idea, so IPSec and IPSec tunneling became one of the first concepts.

These ideas have grown and been modified to work for today's situations and technology.

And yes also there are servers as well as whole distributions, (Tails and the use of Tor) intended to abstract who you are, where you are, so that you can do ... whatever ones intentions are, without being potentially found. And from there you may wish to review sundialsvcs blog as well as other discussions on the subject to find out how abstract you really are, versus not.

Sorry for the length, just providing a bit of history of VPNs from my perspective.

You should understand whether or not this really benefits you in any way.
 
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Old 12-06-2017, 01:14 PM   #11
273
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sundialsvcs View Post
I suggest that you "of course, should" take for granted that they "keep logs," because they could be hit with a subpoena or a search-warrant at any time and they are required by law to comply with it.

If, for example, a Court had probable cause to believe that their service was being used by a felon, and even though they were suspected of no wrongdoing themselves, they would have to comply with the Court's lawful requirements ... and that means records. "Due diligence."

(And, hey, I'm cool with that. I don't want the Internet to be used to commit a felony, thank you just the same. "Bust his/her a*s!")
Are you really suggesting that because these tools can be used by criminals it's fine for governments to see everything?
 
Old 12-06-2017, 02:03 PM   #12
urbanwks
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 273 View Post
Are you really suggesting that because these tools can be used by criminals it's fine for governments to see everything?
This exactly. It’s like saying that because I have knives in my house they should be watching me 24/7 because I might stab someone.

Also, PIA does not keep logs of any kind. If you don’t want to trust them saying that, there has been at least one recent case where logs were subpoenaed by the FBI and they were not able to provide anything usable. The best they can do is state if you paid them for service, and that’s only if you paid with a credit card/etc. They accept a wide range of gift cards as payment (Starbucks, McDonald’s, etc).
 
Old 12-07-2017, 01:22 AM   #13
jojolendir
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MooseMagnet View Post
I will install OpenVPN, then pose more questions if/when I have any. Thank you much.
i did this to..i have zero knowledge, try install vpn using script instead manual (there's many of them in github)..just make sure it fits with your environment (edit line or two)
 
Old 12-07-2017, 10:51 AM   #14
MooseMagnet
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This is very interesting. Thank you, everyone, for your input. When I was back in the woods in rural Montana I wasn't too concerned about downloading TV shows, because I thought it extremely remote that any agency would pester and old man back in the woods. But now that I'm renting in the city, and using WIFI (with permission) to connect to the landlord's internet service, I'm more concerned, because I don't want any hassles to befall the landlord. Haven't downloaded any movies lately, because there are increasingly more highly interesting webinars available. And movies have become boring. But... honestly, I do like to download a good Western now and then.

I have friends and relatives who use IPVanish for everything, simply for privacy with emails, browsing, everything. So I thought it time for me to subscribe to a service also. Not so much to torrent entertainment illegally, but for general privacy.

Yes, I understand that OpenVPN is a client, and I must subscribe to a service. Once again, looks like I didn't pose the original question correctly. Probably doesn't matter which client I use, as long as it gets along with Mint? It's the choice of service that I'm wondering about. I google the question, but get so many varied choices with different prices, strengths, weaknesses, etc. that I get confused.

Looks like PIA is Linux friendly, so I'll try them. If I get arrested and put in jail for downloading episodes of Vikings, I'll report my experience from the prison library internet connection. Being facetious, yes.

This is a never-ending education - Linux, Internet, etc. Probably because it's constantly evolving.
 
Old 12-07-2017, 12:21 PM   #15
rtmistler
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Downloading freely available content is exactly that, and there should never be any discussion about authorities or jail.

Downloading protected content, but that which you have a right to download, is also exactly that, with the same ending thought.

There should be no need to protect ones self from monitoring of any kind if you are downloading content legally.

It is perfectly fine to discuss protecting ones self, your own data, or the concept of surfing the net anonymously.

Discussing that downloading content "may" potentially lead to some repercussions, no matter what the OS is, is not good.

Discussing how to protect ones self from monitoring in order to conduct what can be construed as an illegal act is not a subject allowed on LQ.

Please review the LQ Rules for any concerns about going too far down a path discussing things like piracy.
Quote:
Posts containing information about cracking, piracy, warez, fraud or any topic that could be damaging to either LinuxQuestions.org or any third party will be immediately removed.
 
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