VPN

[mrjon]

would like to bring my Amazon Firestick and vonage router with me to Thailand.

The vonage router has not been an issue in the past but the Firestick will be a new challenge. I want to view, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc but I understand that I need a VPN to do that.

I sort of understand the VPN concept but am not knowledgable in it.

What are you guys using that is simple and gets the job done?

Also, will using this VPN effect my Vonage router use?

Thanks

Edited June 14, 2015 by mrjon

[luxoretired]

look for hola better internet .you can see what others deem you may not .like the newspaper or tv channel .i do not know about your requirements but for example you can watch tv from a home country thats blocked either in los or at its source.

[GeorgeBrown]

"Vyprvpn" is what i use, and is an excellent service, its about $9 a month. It's all about speed and Vyprvpn is a fast system.

Tunnel bear is a free one that is useful too..

[Somtamnication]

I use torguard. Very good. Stay away from Hola. They sell your bandwidth to others; in effect, making you a gateway for bots. https://www.google.co.th/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDMQFjAFahUKEwjlr_iqlpDGAhUPNLwKHQGtALk&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.ycombinator.com%2Fitem%3Fid%3D9614993&ei=Qvh9VeWGBI_o8AWB2oLICw&usg=AFQjCNECn9mBeZYizeMYWvAhCTr49gz2RQ&bvm=bv.95515949,d.dGc

[ignis]

Always used Zenmate for a long time, but a few weeks ago UK is no longer on the free list = No BBC iplayer, so now have Tunnelbear.

[kentb21]

I've used and am happy with VpnOneClick @ $9.99 a year for 3 years with my iOS devices, but only use for Pandora, YouTube, etc. I'm not sure if it will work for your purposes.

Mr Jon, I'm very curious how you use your Vonage device here in Thailand, as I have and love Vonage in the U.S. (and a few extra of their modems) and would like to know the details of how to use it here? Currently when I travel I use the Vonage Extensions app with my cell tel for free calls anywhere in the world. As I remember the days of having to wait in line at the Thai Post Office and pay 50 baht per minute to make an international tel call, I'm often amazed at how easy they make it nowadays.

[mrjon]

Thanks for your replies, does anyone use ‘Media Hint' for Firefox?

[mrjon]

I've used and am happy with VpnOneClick @ $9.99 a year for 3 years with my iOS devices, but only use for Pandora, YouTube, etc. I'm not sure if it will work for your purposes.

Mr Jon, I'm very curious how you use your Vonage device here in Thailand, as I have and love Vonage in the U.S. (and a few extra of their modems) and would like to know the details of how to use it here? Currently when I travel I use the Vonage Extensions app with my cell tel for free calls anywhere in the world. As I remember the days of having to wait in line at the Thai Post Office and pay 50 baht per minute to make an international tel call, I'm often amazed at how easy they make it nowadays.

Using Vonage is the same as using it in the states. I just bring my little black box (their router VDV23-VD) plug in the power supply, run a cable out of the Ethernt port on the Modem to the Vonage box and a phone cable from the Vonage router to a phone. I only use it for a landline but I understand that they have cell phones or mobile apps for on the go (at additional rates) I have used Vonage since day one and can't say enough good about it,why more people don't use it is beyond me.Let me know if this helps.

[Chivas]

Always used Zenmate for a long time, but a few weeks ago UK is no longer on the free list = No BBC iplayer, so now have Tunnelbear.

Tunnel bear may be ok for occasional use but if you're using the free version useless for iplayers etc as only 500mb per Calender month.

Only a few Dollars to upgrade though to become unlimited

Edited $5 a month rolling, or $50 for a Year can activate on 5 Computers/Mobiles if you want to

Edited June 23, 2015 by Chivas

[Chicog]

Sideload Kodi onto the AFTVS and install a custom build from totalxbmc.tv that includes Stalker.

I'm planning on trying this out in the hotel in a few weeks (using a Netgear Trek to navigate the hotel wifi login).

[Chivas]

Always used Zenmate for a long time, but a few weeks ago UK is no longer on the free list = No BBC iplayer, so now have Tunnelbear.

Tunnel bear may be ok for occasional use but if you're using the free version useless for iplayers etc as only 500mb per Calender month.

Only a few Dollars to upgrade though to become unlimited

Edited $5 a month rolling, or $50 for a Year can activate on 5 Computers/Mobiles if you want to

Quoting myself but have downloaded Tunnelbear for Smartphone you have the opportunity every month to "tweet" once a month an advert for TB and they add 1 GB to the 500MB ......as mine was for listening to BBC Radio 1.5gb all up will be useful for free each month as Radio uses very little

[RichCor]

Always used Zenmate for a long time, but a few weeks ago UK is no longer on the free list = No BBC iplayer, so now have Tunnelbear.

Tunnel bear may be ok for occasional use but if you're using the free version useless for iplayers etc as only 500mb per Calender month.

Only a few Dollars to upgrade though to become unlimited

Edited $5 a month rolling, or $50 for a Year can activate on 5 Computers/Mobiles if you want to

Quoting myself but have downloaded Tunnelbear for Smartphone you have the opportunity every month to "tweet" once a month an advert for TB and they add 1 GB to the 500MB ......as mine was for listening to BBC Radio 1.5gb all up will be useful for free each month as Radio uses very little

Just be careful NOT to do that here in the forum ...it's the quickest way to get your account suspended.

[BB1950]

Thanks for your replies, does anyone use ‘Media Hint' for Firefox?

I used to use it. It worked fine for a few years. Then they it changed it to a subscription service and 'Media Hint' for Firefox offered on Mozilla's AMO (http://addons.mozilla.org) no longer worked. It's no longer offered on Mozilla's AMO.

I now use Hola for Chrome and Hola for Android which isn't as good. I don't use Hola for Firefox because I was concerned early on about P2P security issues as Firefox is my main browser! I use NetWorx and I can instantly tell when my bandwidth is being used. I can also see which applications are using the net.

Skype is another P2P application which shares your bandwidth, yet there never seems to be much mentioned about it. I guess the public really doesn't understand what P2P sharing is or the inherent security risks.

[Chivas]

Always used Zenmate for a long time, but a few weeks ago UK is no longer on the free list = No BBC iplayer, so now have Tunnelbear.

Tunnel bear may be ok for occasional use but if you're using the free version useless for iplayers etc as only 500mb per Calender month.

Only a few Dollars to upgrade though to become unlimited

Edited $5 a month rolling, or $50 for a Year can activate on 5 Computers/Mobiles if you want to

Quoting myself but have downloaded Tunnelbear for Smartphone you have the opportunity every month to "tweet" once a month an advert for TB and they add 1 GB to the 500MB ......as mine was for listening to BBC Radio 1.5gb all up will be useful for free each month as Radio uses very little

Just be careful NOT to do that here in the forum ...it's the quickest way to get your account suspended.

What.....??

Twitter not Thaivisa

Edited June 29, 2015 by Chivas

[Chivas]

Thanks for your replies, does anyone use ‘Media Hint' for Firefox?

I used to use it. It worked fine for a few years. Then they it changed it to a subscription service and 'Media Hint' for Firefox offered on Mozilla's AMO (http://addons.mozilla.org) no longer worked. It's no longer offered on Mozilla's AMO.

I now use Hola for Chrome and Hola for Android which isn't as good. I don't use Hola for Firefox because I was concerned early on about P2P security issues as Firefox is my main browser! I use NetWorx and I can instantly tell when my bandwidth is being used. I can also see which applications are using the net.

Skype is another P2P application which shares your bandwidth, yet there never seems to be much mentioned about it. I guess the public really doesn't understand what P2P sharing is or the inherent security risks.

I have Hola on the Laptop. One it doesn't work and secondly I cant remove the programme from the PC. Hola support are blanking my emails. Avoid...

[BB1950]

I have Hola on the Laptop. One it doesn't work and secondly I cant remove the programme from the PC. Hola support are blanking my emails. Avoid...

Hola isn't very difficult to remove. It depends on which version you've installed.

You can uninstall Hola as follows:

• Hola extension for Chrome:

1. Right-click the Hola icon in Chrome
2. Click "Remove from Chrome"
3. Click Remove in the popup

• Hola extension for Firefox:

1. Ctrl+Shift+A to open Add-ons page in Firefox
2. Click "Extensions" on the left hand side
3. Click Remove on the right hand side of the Hola listing

• Hola client for Windows:
• Windows XP:

1. Click Start > Control Panel
2. Select "Add/Remove Programs"
3. Select Hola from the list
4. Click Uninstall

• Windows Vista/7:

1. Click Start > Control Panel
2. Select "Programs and Features"
3. Select Hola from the list
4. Click Uninstall

Note: You may want to reboot if you are having networking problems.

[RichCor]

I used to really love the HOLA browser extension.

Then HOLA recently implemented a 'feature' that severely compromises user privacy.

Besides the botnet issue, they recently started a background service that offers instant playback of video torrents when you hover over a torrent link. It instantly identifies the video and offers to stream it (no download needed). "Great feature", I thought.

But I didn't see anywhere where they said they'd be sending browser page data back to their servers for analysis. Exactly what data gets sent back for that hover link action to work?

So while I still like HOLA when I need to get around a problem issue, I now leave the extension disabled in system settings (and not just turned OFF) when I don't need it.

Though, don't know why I bother. Everyone is probably doing it. I probably should get in the habit of waving "Hi" to George as he watches people, when logging in, through their built-in laptop camera.

Hi George.

[fasteddie]

I bought IPVanish to access the uk national lottery abroad, doesn't help, the crafty lottery spots it's a vpn, gutted!

[DaveBKK]

Skype is another P2P application which shares your bandwidth, yet there never seems to be much mentioned about it. I guess the public really doesn't understand what P2P sharing is or the inherent security risks.

Slightly off topic, but Skype is not longer P2P and no longer shares bandwidth. This change was made many years ago when Microsoft took over. Skype sends traffic through a central server making it much easier to monitor and control.

[DaveBKK]

Re: Hola and MediaHint and any other "free" VPN or proxy service.

Look guys, these so called free services have to make money somehow, at a minimum just to support their operations and bandwidth. How do they do it? They monitor what you're doing, they share your bandwidth, they track what you're looking at and what your doing and resell info to advertisers, they inject their own ads overtop sites and services, etc. etc. These are only the "nice" things. The nasty guys can inject malware and crapware on your system so you'll have ads and junk popping up all over the place recording impressions and clicks that they make money off of.

There is no free...there's a price to be paid somewhere / somehow. Be very very wary of any free proxy/vpn service.

[mrjon]

I settled for PIA Private Internet Access

It's doing what it is supposed to do, I don't even realize it is there, although I'm having trouble getting on my android device, probably something I'm doing wrong.

All in all I would say for $6-$7 / mo it works for me.

[KhunBENQ]

Skype is another P2P application which shares your bandwidth, yet there never seems to be much mentioned about it. I guess the public really doesn't understand what P2P sharing is or the inherent security risks.

Slightly off topic, but Skype is not longer P2P and no longer shares bandwidth. This change was made many years ago when Microsoft took over. Skype sends traffic through a central server making it much easier to monitor and control.

Yep. easy to recognize if you have more than one device with Skype.

All "synchronized". Before you always had differing threads/content.

I don't know the details, but guess that all content is decrypted at the server for "convinience" ?

[Aforek]

Hello,

Avast has also a VPN ( Avast SecureLine ) when I choose a location ( for Instance Singapore or Paris ) , http://whatismyipaddress.com/fr/mon-ip give me the good location

is it enough to tell that this VPN is secured or are they other tests to do ? Thai autorities are able to know that we use a VPN or does it make them completely blind ?

thanks !

[chakeeoyen]

The OP is using an Amazon Fire Stick. I'm pretty sure unless there's an option to root it, install a custom firmware or download an .apk and install it, the VPN will need to be setup on the router itself.

[RichCor]

Hello,

Avast has also a VPN ( Avast SecureLine ) when I choose a location ( for Instance Singapore or Paris ) , http://whatismyipaddress.com/fr/mon-ip give me the good location

is it enough to tell that this VPN is secured or are they other tests to do ? Thai autorities are able to know that we use a VPN or does it make them completely blind ?

thanks !

a VPN 'encapsulates' data to be delivered or received from another known point.

While the data it's transporting 'can' be encrypted, it does't have to be.

Some VPN services are hybrid, so it really depends on the protocols and specifications being used/followed by them st to what can be clearly seen,

All packet traffic is visible. While some portions of that traffic can be 'encrypted' (as it is in the case of HTTPS transactions when shopping online) the IP origination and IP destination data is sent in the clear. So, yes, anyone monitoring can see that 'encapsulated'/'encrypted' data is being passed through their network.

Think of it like this. I want a luxury car. Thailand either taxes the heck out of it or prevents their import outright.

So I have the car stripped down to the smallest of parts and send them in similar sized containers commonly used by others.

To fool x-ray scanners the delivery service I use might have some items wrapped to look like other objects, obfuscating what's really being delivered.

As the containers arrive the original is reassembled.

But Customs Officials may have an issue with 'all' the containers being delivered, or who/where they are being delivered, garnering unwanted attention.

Then again, there are a 'lot' of other similar containers and packages going through Customs.

Unfortunately, most of the many pieces of my luxury car are still missing.

[bamnutsak]

the VPN will need to be setup on the router itself.

Yes. The OP will likely need a WiFi router, behind his broadband access device, capable of running a VPN natively. Some newer routers have this capability in stock releases, while others will have to be flashed with custom firmware (like DD-WRT, OpenWRT, Tomato) in order to run VPN services. You may also have to subscribe to a paid VPN service. I use an Asus RT-N16 and Hide my Ass with my Chromecast, and for some other WiFi-capable devices.

There is no need to put the Vonage adapter behind the VPN.

Edited August 7, 2015 by bamnutsak