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Question
Saturday, March 26, 2016 10:41 AM | 1 vote
Hi, guys!
I subscribed to a free VPN. I configured its settings to launch upon startup and try to make a connection upon startup. This way, I am hoping that all internet traffic would pass through the VPN (Am I correct in this assumption?).
Now, I know that I can set a VPN connection in Windows 10 settings or Control Panel. However, I do not know how to do it. There are several boxes that I need to fill up but I don't know where or how to find the appropriate answers.
I mean: When I go to Settings, then to Network & Internet, then to VPN, and click Add a VPN connection, these are the boxes that appear:
- VPN provider: When I click on this, "Windows (built-in)" appears. Should I just leave it? Or should I change it? How?
- Connection name: What should I answer here? Should I enter the domain name of my VPN provider (e.g., http://????VPN.com)
-Type of sign-in info: It asks me to enter a user name and password. Should I use my user name in the account that I created in my VPN provider? Other options are smart card and one-time password -- what are these?
I do not understand a lot about these things, but what I know is that using a VPN helps in terms of security and privacy.
All replies (16)
Saturday, March 26, 2016 1:27 PM
A VPN is used to connect to another network or computer normally through a public network (internet). "Virtual PRIVATE Network".
What you are looking for in terms of privacy is something like the Tor Network:
https://www.torproject.org
Best regards, George
Saturday, March 26, 2016 1:55 PM
Thanks for the reply, George.
I have already set Tor Browser as my default browser (thanks to Ramesh Srinivasan reply to my question in a separate forum and to Christian Strempfer who gave instructions in another forum). However, I have read some articles (though I admit that I do not fully understand what they say) that say that I can use a VPN before/ after I go to the tor network.
So I subscribed to a VPN provider (the ones like AirVPN, ExpressVPN, etc.). I subscribed to a free VPN and made a free VPN account in their site. What I do now is I run the VPN first, then the provider automatically looks for servers. Afterwards, I open the Tor Browser.
However, I see that there is an option in Windows 10 to add a VPN (Windows>>Settings>>Network&Internet>>VPN>>add a VPN.
This is my understanding: If I am able to "add a VPN" (whatever that means), I will be able to use a VPN server (?) from the VPN provider automatically. Hence, if I open up a browser, I will enter the Tor network from the VPN server first.
In doing so, I am hoping that I will be able to increase my security/ privacy.
Saturday, March 26, 2016 1:57 PM
You are mixing VPN with Anonymous Proxy. Tor is the anonymous proxy, you don't need another layer of the same thing.
Best regards, George
Saturday, March 26, 2016 2:26 PM | 1 vote
Here is a link to an article about combining Tor and VPN: https://www.deepdotweb.com/jolly-rogers-security-guide-for-beginners/combining-tor-with-a-vpn/
Here is a quote from that link:
"If you choose to use TOR over a VPN, the benefits are that you would be again, hiding from your ISP the fact that you are using TOR. Also, your VPN would only be able to see that you are connecting to TOR nodes and that you are sending encrypted data. The VPN would not be able to see what data you are sending over TOR unless they decrypted it, because remember, all information relayed over TOR is encrypted."
Here is another link: https://www.bestvpn.com/blog/42672/using-vpn-and-tor-together/
Here is a quote from said link:
"The cool thing is that VPN and Tor can be used together in order provide an extra layer of security, and to mitigate some of the drawbacks of using either technology exclusively.
"Tor through VPN
"In this configuration you connect first to your VPN server, and then to the Tor network before accessing the internet: Your computer -> VPN -> Tor -> internet
"Pros:
- Your ISP will not know that you are using Tor (although it can know that you are using VPN)
- The Tor entry node will not see your true IP address, but the IP address of the VPN server. If you use a good no-logs provider this can provide a meaningful additional layer of security
- Allows access to Tor hidden services (.onion websites)."
Hence, my question.
Saturday, March 26, 2016 2:52 PM
Had you started this thread with this post you might have gotten more relevant replies. Those of us who answer questions scan the thread titles and often skip threads with titles that are vague.
It is obvious you know about the issue. I merely mention this since you are newly registered.
Can you rephrase your issue more specifically?
BTW long time TAILS/UPR user here.
Wanikiya and Dyami--Team Zigzag Windows IT-PRO (MS-MVP)
Saturday, March 26, 2016 3:02 PM
1. I have subscribed to a VPN provider.
2. Windows 10 has an option to "add VPN".
3. What does "adding a VPN" mean? How do I "add a VPN"?
Saturday, March 26, 2016 3:02 PM
Btw, I don't know what TAILS/UPR means? Sorry.
Saturday, March 26, 2016 3:09 PM
Smile You should have read your own links.
UPR=Ubuntu Privacy remix
Tails'=The Amnesiac Incognito Live System
https://www.bestvpn.com/blog/10314/linux-distributions-built-for-security-and-anonymity/
Wanikiya and Dyami--Team Zigzag Windows IT-PRO (MS-MVP)
Saturday, March 26, 2016 3:41 PM
Haha! I'm sorry.
But my question isn't answered yet. How can I make it clearer. Huhu
I think this forum is only for tech guys, maybe I shouldn't have come here.
Saturday, March 26, 2016 8:37 PM
Hey, guys! Any help?
Let me try to make my issue clearer.
1. I subscribed to a free VPN provider. (It fetches servers from across the globe, giving me different IPs each time I launch the app.)
2. Windows 10 provides an option to add VPN (In Windows>>Settings>>VPN>>add VPN). In order to do that (add VPN), I have to put entries to boxes that requires me to enter (1) VPN provider); (2) connection name; (3) type of sign-in info. What should I or where can I find the entries necessary to fill those boxes.
Btw, I also know that in Control Panel>> Network and Internet>>Network and Sharing Center>> Change adapter settings, I can also set up a VPN connection. But again, I don't know how.
3. What I wish to do is to make something like this: When someone uses my laptop (me or, say, my brother or a friend or a co-worker who borrowed it) and connects via WiFi or LAN to go to the internet, my device would automatically use a VPN server provided by my free VPN provider. Hence, my device --> any VPN server chosen by the Free VPN provider --> Tor Network --> Internet.
(Note: I think I have figured out how to go through the Tor Network by default, i.e., by making the Tor browser the default browser.)
In the mean time, what I do is to launch the application first (double-click on the icon to launch the Free VPN provider), before I open the Tor browser.
Correct me if I'm wrong: I am thinking that when I set up a VPN connection in WIndows 10 (and, say, disable all other connections), all my internet activity will automatically come from the VPN server that will be fetched by the VPN provider. Now, if someone, say my brother, opened up my laptop to surf the net; and if, say, he doesn't know that he has to luanch the VPN provider software first -- then I won't have to worry because I know that when he connects to the internet, he will be using a VPN server. Also, when I use my device, I don't have to launch the application first. I just have to open my browser knowing that I will automatically enter the Tor network from the VPN server provided by my FreeVPN provider.
I hope I am making sense now.
There may be two answers to my query: (1) My understanding is incorrect, and what I am thinking simply cannot be done -- hence no one can give me instructions how to do it; (2) I may be able to configure my PC (by means of the Free VPN app) to automatically fetch a server by means of "adding a VPN" -- and someone will tell me how to do that.
Saturday, March 26, 2016 11:50 PM
The Add a VPN in Settings|Network & Internet will only work with the built-in Microsoft VPN client. I know it has an arrow for a dropdown list but no other providers work.
Bill
Sunday, March 27, 2016 12:53 AM
Free VPN services can be tricky and you should not trust your info on their hands!
Sunday, April 3, 2016 7:25 AM
Ok. Thanks.
Sunday, April 3, 2016 7:28 AM
If I choose Windows 10 as my provider, what does it mean? Does it mean that if I add VPN with Windows 10 as my provider, I will still enjoy VPN services? Will Microsoft track my traffic via VPN? How do I configure it?
Sunday, April 3, 2016 7:38 AM
I chose Cyberghost. I have installed and used it. Now, I configured it to open my default browser after being able to connect to a server. Now, I have already configured tor browser to be my default browser. So, hopefully, after connecting to a VPN server, I will then enter the tor network before accessing a website. I hope that works.
Anyway, my problem is this: Windows and my anti-virus/ anti-malware are regularly doing background updates. Do they use VPN/tor or do they go directly to the internet when they do so?
So that is my problem. In using android, for example, there is an option with Tor (Orbot) to "torify everything" so all apps enter the tor network before going to the internet. The only thing that I need to figure out is how to enable all my android apps to use the VPN server also.
When it comes to my laptop, I think only when browsing/ using the browser do I enjoy privacy/ security. Other apps that access the net do not allow me to have privacy/ security.
Wednesday, June 12, 2019 4:31 AM
Hi! I've been used free VPN for several months. You should leave Windows (built-in) in a appropriate box. Connection name is your personal info, you create it by yourself. Username and password should be given by a VPN provider.