Is it really necessary to have a VPN?

[giddyup]

I admit it, I have been downloading free torrents for nearly 10 years now, with no VPN, and no repercussions, so why would I be paying for something (VPN) that I don't need? Am I being naive?

[Matzzon]

Nope, there is nothing that says you need to have one. If you can look away from that you are better off with one.

[giddyup]

10 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

  If you can look away from that you are better off with one.

Tell me why.

[Matzzon]

4 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Tell me why.

Because it gives you a possibility to be anonymous whenever you wish. I guess you do worry and feel unsafe, due to the opening of this thread.

Pretty simple logic acually.

[giddyup]

2 hours ago, Matzzon said:

  I guess you do worry and feel unsafe, due to the opening of this thread.
 

Not really, it just seems that VPN's are a popular subject and I can't really work out if I need one or not.

[torturedsole]

4 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Not really, it just seems that VPN's are a popular subject and I can't really work out if I need one or not.

You'll know why once you get that knock on the door.  

[Daffy D]

A VPN will hide your browsing but will not hide your browsing history or Torrent downloads.

 

 

 

 

[torturedsole]

4 minutes ago, Daffy D said:

A VPN will hide your browsing but will not hide your browsing history or Torrent downloads.

The first kills off the second and third points.  Very confusing post, btw. 

[Matzzon]

16 minutes ago, Daffy D said:

A VPN will hide your browsing but will not hide your browsing history or Torrent downloads.

 

 

 

 

What did you just post? Really???

Would you please eleborate on that and show your great knowledge? ????????????????????

[giddyup]

32 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

You'll know why once you get that knock on the door.  

10 years, still waiting.

[torturedsole]

3 minutes ago, giddyup said:

10 years, still waiting.

Which brings us on to the question as to why you even bothered with this thread.

[giddyup]

Just now, torturedsole said:

Which brings us on to the question as to why you even bothered with this thread.

I'm asking for a good reason as to why I should have one, thought I already explained that. Begs the question, why are you responding?

[J Town]

It would appear you understand the whole concept of a vpn and what it's used for. Technically what you do, downloading torrents, is illegal. EVERY time I've tried downloading without a vpn when visiting relatives in the states I get a very nasty email (actually my relatives get it and ask me "What the hell?"). I have access to an account for U.S. cable which requires the appearance of being in the U.S. so a vpn is mandatory. You? You take a very small risk. I doubt you'll get popped for it, but the bridge players doing NOTHING illegal were busted. A vpn would be strictly for peace of mind.

[torturedsole]

6 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I'm asking for a good reason as to why I should have one, thought I already explained that. Begs the question, why are you responding?

You're bored aren't you.  

[giddyup]

1 minute ago, torturedsole said:

You're bored aren't you.  

What excuse do you have?

[torturedsole]

2 minutes ago, J Town said:

You take a very small risk.

That's until the Thai authorities have a token crackdown and giddyup's plastered all over the news for being a bad farang.  

[JHolmesJr]

When you use a VPN, you disguise your location.

Let's say you pick Berlin for your VPN.

Your Thai ISP will see you connecting to a server in Berlin (not illegal).

The torrent site and all the seeds you're leeching from will think they is communicating with

a server in Berlin (you're still safe)

However your Thai ISP could probably see that you are downloading some big packets of data

from a server in Berlin (I don't know the implications of this)

 

To be found guilty of something, your local IP address would need to be flagged by your Thai ISP, the torrent site and the VPN provider. VPN providers in many cases dont keep logs so that is in your favour.

 

VPNs are good if you are using wifi that you dont trust...like at airports, cafes etc. Good for unlocking geo-locked content...eg accessing Netflix USA from Thailand.

 

But you shouldn't use it for confidential stuff like online banking etc as the VPN co could get your passwords etc. Some VPNs slow down download speed considerably as well. And many are very secretive....so you dont know who the owners are....and who has access to your data. VPN is also for people like journalists and protesters who need to disguise their communications

Edited December 4, 2019 by JHolmesJr

[giddyup]

3 minutes ago, J Town said:

It would appear you understand the whole concept of a vpn and what it's used for. Technically what you do, downloading torrents, is illegal. EVERY time I've tried downloading without a vpn when visiting relatives in the states I get a very nasty email (actually my relatives get it and ask me "What the hell?"). I have access to an account for U.S. cable which requires the appearance of being in the U.S. so a vpn is mandatory. You? You take a very small risk. I doubt you'll get popped for it, but the bridge players doing NOTHING illegal were busted. A vpn would be strictly for peace of mind.

The bridge players were busted by local police, not sure if there is a unit that is concentrating on those who illegally download, they'd certainly have their work cut out in Thailand, but you never know I guess.

[Eindhoven]

Seedbox is better than a VPN for when it comes to Torrents. VPN is for when you need to be in a different location.

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

That's until the Thai authorities have a token crackdown and giddyup's plastered all over the news for being a bad farang.  

 Then you can have the last laugh, until then.....

[torturedsole]

Just now, giddyup said:

 Then you can have the last laugh, until then.....

I'm not laughing in fact I have a very dry sense of humour.  Think Jack D, but dryer.  

[torturedsole]

4 minutes ago, giddyup said:

 Then you can have the last laugh, until then.....

It's not the Thai authorities that you've to be concerned about.  It's the producers that come thereafter wanting the big bucks in recompense.  

 

Edited December 4, 2019 by torturedsole

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

It's not the Thai authorities that you've to be concerned about.  It's the producers that come thereafter wanting the big bucks in recompense.  

 

Be interested to know how often or the likelihood of that happening in Thailand. Be up for a pretty penny if it was backdated.

[torturedsole]

5 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Be interested to know how often or the likelihood of that happening in Thailand. Be up for a pretty penny if it was backdated.

I don't concern myself with odds, I protect my interests.  I use a VPN constantly with all my online activities - iPad, Mac, PC, smartphone - all constantly running VPN.  If truth be told I don't download torrents but protect myself from all the other invasions of privacy and security concerns.  

[JHolmesJr]

31 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

It's not the Thai authorities that you've to be concerned about.  It's the producers that come thereafter wanting the big bucks in recompense.  

 

 

not really...some years back a Hollywood studio brought some charges against people who downloaded an oscar

screener....the expected damages were in hundreds of thousands...the judge asked the defendants to cough up the price of a cinema ticket...IMO a great and fair judge.

[canthai55]

VPN will hide your location

Want security ? Use PGP

https://www.openpgp.org/

With the TOR browser

https://www.torproject.org/

And a good VPN

https://nordvpn.com/

 

 

[torturedsole]

8 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

not really...some years back a Hollywood studio brought some charges against people who downloaded an oscar

screener....the expected damages were in hundreds of thousands...the judge asked the defendants to cough up the price of a cinema ticket...IMO a great and fair judge.

Fantastic but not always the case.  Rather than leave myself open to security concerns I run a VPN for multiple reasons.  I do not download torrents but I could with little chance of recrimination.

 

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/917847/The-Pirate-Bay-Torrent-Warning-Download-UK

[Skallywag]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

Not really, it just seems that VPN's are a popular subject and I can't really work out if I need one or not.

I cannot access my U.S. online banking or Social security website without a VPN.  I also use it here on ThaiVisa, even though I try not to say anything derogatory about Thailand or the government.

I also use it to download my favorite television shows from torrent sites. 

[JHolmesJr]

I keep a free VPN for occasional use I case a website won't let me connect from my location.

I just used it. slow and laggy....altho it was free....the paid ones perform better Im told.

[torturedsole]

13 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

just used it. slow and laggy....altho it was free

It's free for a very particular reason.