Help Choosing VPN

[PeterV1066]

Hullo World,

Could anyone advise me which VPN service to subscribe to?

Using Windows XP Pack 3 on a laptop. Connecting to the

http://WWW using

a dongle and, sometimes, using a works internet connection. (Occasionally an unsecured WiFi link and other times an ethernet cable.) The works links prohibit certain functions such as BitComet and Limewire and, as I have to live-in for weeks at a time, the restrictions get a bit annoying. (Trying to download series 3 of The Mentalist on a Dongle was proving a bit expensive!) I would also like to access TV on demand from the USA and use Skype to call the missus who is also in the USA.

Which VPN service will allow me to bipass the works prohibitions; download lots of torrents at a reasonable speed; access the USA and use Skype. Lastly, I need a service where support is geared toward the more moronic spectrum of human imbecility as I never did manage "Port Forwarding" and I will need someone to log on to my computer and do the initial set-up.

Many thanks in advance for allowing me to pick your brains.

Peter

 

[nicksheppard]

Hi Peter,

Afraid you've misunderstood what the vpn can do for you.

The restrictions you mention are going to be a result of controls on the work network that you are connecting to.

Changing the type of vpn isn't go to do anything about those restrictions. The question should be 'what can you get a vpn connection to?'

Your vpn link builds on top of your internet connection so ultimately the speed at which you're connecting is determined by your internet link. Your might want to look at having a remote computer which you can access. e.g. if you had a home computer in the usa with logmein/remote desktop or similar you could connect to that for browsing. Unlikely to assist with tv series etc.

Anyway, my rambling is over, hope this helps a little.

 

[Noway2]

I think instead of a VPN, per say, you are looking more for a proxy. If you have a stable home machine, you could use it as an SSH server and then tunnel your traffic through that with a SOCKS proxy. The only thing you local provider would see is encrypted traffic between your physical connection and your home IP. Deep packet inspection to restrict service would also probably be futile for them too.

Normally, I would say this is quite simple to set up, in fact easier than a typical VPN. It would involve port forwarding if you are using a router at your home, as well as some effort to ensure that the SSH was configured securely.

 

[PeterV1066]

Hi Guys!
Thank you for the advice.

The people at Astrill and StrongVPN all said that their VPN would bypass the works restrictions and allow me to "appear to be" in the USA and so able to access their TV web sites. Are we talking at cross purposes?

Peter

 

[Noway2]

I don't think we are talking at cross purposes, but those services aren't really what I think of a being a VPN, but rather that they are proxy services. To me, a VPN is where you create a virtual, secure, tunnel between to physically networks and allow them to appear as one to share resources. I guess in this aspect, you are using a VPN, in that you are connecting to their network and your system is becoming a part of it. However, you are really just using them to provide a less restricted proxy to the internet.

Before you consider paying an unknown, potentially untrusted, 3rd party to provide this service (along with whatever other 'free' things that they decide to include or what traffic they decide to monitor for their benefit), I would look at whether setting something up to your home for free would work.