despite use of VPN my IP address is recognized

[THAIPHUKET]

_{Talking for example about my bank account or The New York Times. I thought by using a VPN service I would be anonymous ---totally--.}It makes my life easier but I was surprised that my --registered --email was accepted without further ado.

_{That implies what? How anonymous am I really?}

[lopburi3]

You will have an IP number from the VPN - so you will appear to be posting from the country that the VPN server is registered as being in. There is nothing anonymous about it - you have an IP number. But if the VPN service does not keep records or provide response to legal actions there is no way for others to know who used that IP number beyond the VPN service.

Banks and other services will often put a cookie on your computer for security rather than depend on IP numbers (which in many countries/for travelers change all the time).

[Tywais]

If you are connected to a VPN but using a whoami check and it still sees your local (Thailand) IP then probably due to WebRTC. If running Firefox then you can use this plugin, Chrome has a similar plugin - Disable WebRTC

Or you can just do the below using about:config in Firefox. I use the about:config myself.

Mozilla Firefox users can actually turn off the default WebRTC functionality directly in Firefox settings by typing ‘about:config’ into the search bar and browsing to the ‘media.peerconnection.enabled’ option and setting it to FALSE.

"WebRTC leaks your actual IP addresses from behind your VPN, by default."

[KhunBENQ]

??? Complete misconception, false assumption in the thread title.

It's not your IP address recognized!

Changing of an IP address does not provide "anonymity".

A VPN does not mean that you are anonymous to the website if you visited it before.

Cookies on your PC are not affected by a VPN.

Entered user names and passwords in website forms are not affected by a VPN. They are stored by the browser.

To get the anonymity you expect you should combine VPN with the use of an anonymous mode of the browser.

(where the VPN is not really necessary as your IP will rarely be "recognized"/"memorized" by websites except for geoblocking).

Which browser do you use?

[KhunBENQ]

I am writing this post with a Singapore IP (VPN).

And the forum still knows my dog

The Thaivisa site or my browser do not care anyhow about my IP.

Be right back from Thailand!

[KhunBENQ]

"Back in Thailand". EDIT: Now!

The anonymous browser modes are called:

"Private Browsing" in Firefox (New Private Window)

"Incognito Mode" in Chrome (New Incognito Window)

"InPrivate Browsing Mode" in Internet Explorer

And as written you do not even need a VPN to achieve this kind(!) of anonymity.

But VPN adds another level (no man in the middle can see what you browse).

[THAIPHUKET]

Glad I asked. Need to digest this. Tks Gents!!!

[chrisinth]

I have difficulty following what a 'registered' email account has to do with your IP address.

Unless you are running a mail server from your machine.

[KhunBENQ]

I think I know what the OP means.

He started his VPN and opens the link for NY Times and there he sees his email address/account name or whatever and is suprised as he expected he would be "unknown"/"unregistered".

But as described it's completely normal behavior.

Just use one of the anonymous browser modes, open the NY times link and you will be "unknown".

Same for Thaivisa forum.

[Pib]

Using VPN does not hide you from the world...it just gives you a different IP address and ability to securely reach servers/websites. Like using a VPN service that say gives you a U.S. IP address instead of a Thailand IP address. Regarding the private browsing the various browsers, such as Incognito Mode in Chrome all that does it stop Chrome (your browser in this case) from saving certain info about your visits to a website...see more info here how how Incognito Mode works.

[THAIPHUKET]

There is no need to hide my history from myself

[lemonjelly]

Password autofill settings on browser ?

[Guest]

If you are connected to a VPN but using a whoami check and it still sees your local (Thailand) IP then probably due to WebRTC. If running Firefox then you can use this plugin, Chrome has a similar plugin - Disable WebRTC

<klipeti klip>

"WebRTC leaks your actual IP addresses from behind your VPN, by default."

I think that applies only to proxies, which falsely claim to be VPNs. The proxies only re-route predefined ports to the destination address.

Real VPN's (OpenVPN etc) should not work on the browser, but on the operating system level. This way all the traffic is routed via VPN server.

One service to test if one is using real VPN. https://ipleak.net/

[Tywais]

If you are connected to a VPN but using a whoami check and it still sees your local (Thailand) IP then probably due to WebRTC. If running Firefox then you can use this plugin, Chrome has a similar plugin - Disable WebRTC

<klipeti klip>

"WebRTC leaks your actual IP addresses from behind your VPN, by default."

I think that applies only to proxies, which falsely claim to be VPNs. The proxies only re-route predefined ports to the destination address.

Real VPN's (OpenVPN etc) should not work on the browser, but on the operating system level. This way all the traffic is routed via VPN server.

One service to test if one is using real VPN. https://ipleak.net/

I use OpenVPN and PrivateTunnel. Before I disabled WebRTC my IP would show up as my 3BB IP. So not proxy related in my case and some other reports.

[Guest]

I use OpenVPN and PrivateTunnel. Before I disabled WebRTC my IP would show up as my 3BB IP. So not proxy related in my case and some other reports.

That is weird. I tried now with Firefox. I confirmed that I have media.peerconnection.enabled as default value: TRUE.

The ipleak.net website can see my 2 local addresses. One for my home network, another for tunnel provider internal ip. Both 10.x addresses.

It also can see my OpenVPN server IP address, but nothing related to TOT Thailand.

[cyberfarang]

Don`t believe what anyone tells you, there are no ways to hide an IP address.

[taxout]

This site runs a variety of tests:

https://www.doileak.com/

Many of the tests, such as checking time zone and connection hops, don't disclose your real IP address, but do suggest whether you're using a VPN, and if you're detected using a VPN that alone can cause problems with Netflix, banking sites and such.

[Pib]

Use Whoer.net gives similar results...be sure to also click the Extended Version tab for more details on your connection. With all that info, sites can use "deductive reasoning" sort of to get a general idea of what part of the world you are really logging on from.

[Guest]

These sites are good for making the difference between a proxy and real VPN.

VPN transfers all the traffic on operating system level through the VPN pipe and does not allow any type of traffic to go through directly to the local ISP. VPN has nothing to do with browser.

[Chicog]

If it's privacy you're after use Tails.

But it's not going to be private if you use existing email addresses and stuff.

Tails will start completely clean with no cookies, etc.

https://tails.boum.org/

[THAIPHUKET]

Interesting suggestion and unheard off. Tks