VPN covers what, browser + every email program?

[THAIPHUKET]

Assume working from gmail with multiple email addresses and also with Thunderbird.

How does a VPN fit into the set-up?

WEVPN is downloaded on the browser.

[RichCor]

It depends. It depends because, on a computer, the vpn connection can be provided at different insertion levels and operation dictated by its software and option setting to accomplish its task.

 

If the implemented VPN is in an external network box, and you connect through it then ALL network traffic is considered captured and redirected.

 

If the implemented VPN is OS-based then ALL network traffic can be considered redirected ...all except what is necessary to communicate with the VPN Host. *Some networking tasks - such as DNS lookup, WebRTC, IPv6 - might NOT be redirected through the VPN (this is known as VPN leak). Some OS-based VPN also have 'split' options that allow some background network traffic to go out locally (like DNS lookups) to increase overall transaction speed.

 

If the implemented VPN is application-based then ONLY that application's traffic can be considered redirected ...that is UNLESS the application (or application extension/addon) is invoking an OS-based or OS-level VPN solution (in which you'll have to research what the heck it actually does and doesn't do). 

 

 

WeVPN is the new kid on the block. While I can find reviews non of those reviews truly test the integrity of what the different WeVPN software packages do in each of the installed instances. The OS-level installed package might be great, but is the browser-extension/addon really stand-alone and protecting only browser traffic? Their website conflates (mixes) the two so the description can't be used to differentiate them ...but my guess is the 'browser extension' version only effects the browser traffic (it doesn't redirect (protect) any other application or OS-initiated data traffic).

 

WeVPN secured proxy extension for Chrome

Secure all your browsing activity    <-- hint

WeVPN.com

 

WeVPN Review: Is This New VPN Any Good?
Review / By Monkey  (article undated so might as well be an ad for the service)

 

WeVPN Review 2020

vpncompare.co.uk | Written by David Spencer | Updated on August 5, 2020

 

[THAIPHUKET]

Very resourceful again.

None of the admittedly few reviews I've read go that detail.

I went by Tom Spark reviews.

He talks about number of devices that go per subscription. Which can be rather misleading. 

In other words a complete categorization if missing.

Do I get it right?

[THAIPHUKET]

Interesting. NordVPN is highly rated by vpncompare.co.uk but Tom is rather critical. That's why I took WeVPN.

You understand so much more about IT that it would be helpful to know which of these rating sites talk more to you ..

But back to the original subject

A Router based VPN gives the best all-round protection.

Do you have a link How to instal one. Would it work with most popular VPNs?

[RichCor]

9 minutes ago, THAIPHUKET said:

A Router based VPN gives the best all-round protection.

There exist all these different VPN solutions precisely because a single implementation doesn't work for everybody. A 'hardware' implemented solution typically forces ALL connected end-users to use the VPN service. Sure it gives 'protection' to all connected devices but this might not be ideal if you want to use local banking or trying to complete an online 90-day report and the websites block out-of-Thailand traffic -- which is why the per-device VPN solution work 'better' for most people.

 

In your initial post you said you do gmail (which is typically webmail) and use Thunderbird (an email client that can also access gmail). In this instance you'd want to use either an OS-based or OS-level version of a provider's VPN solution to make sure everything you're doing is redirected through the VPN tunnel when it's turned on. 

[RichCor]

35 minutes ago, THAIPHUKET said:

it would be helpful to know which of these rating sites talk more to you ..

There are so many use-cases for VPNs, and some VPN review or test sites won't cover all of them, and most review sites don't even adequately cover the use-case they say they cover.

 

Initially a VPN (Virtual Private Network) was used to create a virtual tunnel that data traffic could travel over a very unprivate yet ubiquitous Internet without being interpreted or disturbed -- all while being cheaper than paying for a private lease line. Primarily it was used to connect distant buildings or end-users back to the mother local area network.

 

But then state censorship and geo-fencing happened. VPNs were repurposed to allow end-users to hop over or slide under bad sections of the Internet and make their 'public' Internet connection somewhere very distant from where they actually were.

 

So what these two or three use-cases require from their VPN solution is very different from one another. My VPN usage has been more traditional (linking building-to-building or user-to-building network), I don't have need for censor or geo-fencing avoidance so don't know of any 'good' websites that cover them. The magazine sites do an OK job but they're more focused on the superficial and not the actual security verification side (unless a researcher published a bug, leak, or data breach).

[THAIPHUKET]

 You said

 

Here you see what  programs are active via a Chrome Browser. Two VPN's , WeVPN and NordVPN to compare. My lawyer suggested use of a VPN

 

Do I understand right,  I'm running on OS-level = because everything is channeled through the Chrome Browser  ?

 

0scn 

 

[robblok]

If you have a good router you can even implement the VPB on the router itself making it even better. 

[stouricks]

21 hours ago, THAIPHUKET said:

Interesting. NordVPN is highly rated by vpncompare.co.uk but Tom is rather critical. That's why I took WeVPN.

You understand so much more about IT that it would be helpful to know which of these rating sites talk more to you ..

But back to the original subject

A Router based VPN gives the best all-round protection.

Do you have a link How to instal one. Would it work with most popular VPNs?

More importantly, will it work with YOUR router. The one I got from 3BB will not allow VPN (express) to go on it's input.

Put a VPN as a browser extension is useful.

[stouricks]

3 minutes ago, robblok said:

If you have a good router you can even implement the VPB on the router itself making it even better. 

N is the key before B!   555 LOL

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, stouricks said:

More importantly, will it work with YOUR router. The one I got from 3BB will not allow VPN (express) to go on it's input.

Put a VPN as a browser extension is useful.

Yea that is why i got my 3bb router in bridge and have a better asus router do the rest

 

[RichCor]

6 hours ago, THAIPHUKET said:

Here you see what  programs are active via a Chrome Browser. Two VPN's , WeVPN and NordVPN to compare. My lawyer suggested use of a VPN

 

Do I understand right,  I'm running on OS-level = because everything is channeled through the Chrome Browser  ?

 

As both the NordVPN and WeVPN appear to be displayed on a Windows Taskbar in your posted image both application are running on/at the OS-level (presumed to be redirecting ALL Internet-bound network traffic through the 'virtual' tunnel to the VPN Provider server).

 

You're running OS-level because everything is happening and presumably channeled through an OS-level  VPN redirection (affecting all applications, all Internet traffic). [The redirection isn't occurring in the chrome browser but is happening externally through an OS-level helper app]. 

 

If the VPN was only browser based (running as a browser extension/addon) then its control interface would NOT show up on the Windows taskbar but would only be visible in the Browser and only browser-based traffic would be effected. **except where the extension also has an 'OS installed component' that allows the extension-based interface to interact with an OS-level helper app outside the normal 'sandbox' of the browser environment. It gets confusing when there are 'installed' components of a browser extension/addon  ...where you then need to read the actual product instruction manual to (hopefully) see what it's supposed to do for you. Maybe the helper app is set to only redirect the browser's Internet interactions.

[THAIPHUKET]

YOU: then its control interface would NOT show up on the Windows taskbar 

That it does show up makes me feel save< thank you!

[RichCor]

28 minutes ago, THAIPHUKET said:

show up on the Windows taskbar 

That it does show up makes me feel save< thank you!

The better way to 'feel safe' would be to test and see what Internet facing Public IP Address your apps were reported as connecting from. You will easily be able to do that with your browser (by visiting a 'What is my IP Address' or identity 'leak' website) but testing your other apps wouldn't be as simple unless you controlled connecting system assets and could read their connection logs (or they presented the connection statistics when connecting or completing send/receive tasks).

 

At minimum I'd suggest visiting the browserleaks.com website and run all the 'tests' by clicking the icons on the left menu (especially IP, WebRTC, Geolocation, Content Filters) to see what it 'reports'. (Hint: It shouldn't show anything pointing to "Thailand").

[THAIPHUKET]

Very thoroughly testing! The technical terminology is beyond my paygrade. 

 

Guess , I overlooked this ( Hint: It shouldn't show anything pointing to "Thailand")

 

BUT WHAT IF?

[RichCor]

2 hours ago, THAIPHUKET said:

Guess I overlooked this ( Hint: It shouldn't show anything pointing to "Thailand")

 

BUT WHAT IF?

 

The "What If" depends on why you chose to use a VPN.

 

If you are trying to obfuscate your actual location then having "Thailand" show up in the results indicate that obfuscation isn't totally working ...they can deduce you're actually connecting from Thailand.

 

Same if you are using a VPN to jump GeoFences (appear as if in another country). Websites or webservices might choose to deny you service instantly or later if they detect another country of origin data element. 

 

 

[topt]

On 10/8/2020 at 3:56 PM, THAIPHUKET said:

that it would be helpful to know which of these rating sites talk more to you ..

This was the most comprehensive site I found to compare VPNs a while ago especially if you are into privacy. If you click on the heading Choosing a VPN it may help you further understand some of the things @RichCor was talking about -

https://thatoneprivacysite.net/

 

However note that I think it is over a year old since it was updated and WeVPN was not included.