VPN: do any of these damn things work? TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2017
A couple of years ago I tried PureVPN. I wrote a bunch of posts. You can click on the VPN label to the right to read them.
This week I tried two more such services ... modest objective: protect my devices when away from home from garden variety pain in the ass intruders...
I wanted to be able to protect a Chromebook and an Android tablet...
ExpressVPN (based in Bermuda) ...
NordVPN (based in Panama; billed to Latvia) ...
Do they really have servers all over the planet or are they a couple of guys in their underwear with a server hooked up to a generator? Are some a giant scam that uses customer info to rob them even more blind than the money charged for "service"?
____________________________
The link was sent to the three companies:
| from: | Ken | ||
| to: | support@nordvpn.com, support@expressvpn.zendesk.com, PureVPN | ||
| date: | Tue, Feb 14, 2017 at 6:43 PM | ||
| subject: | Tech Thoughts: VPN: do any of these damn things work? |
Surprisingly, PureVPN replied and offered a three day trial. I accepted.
EpressVPN has an app for installing its stuff on a Chromebook. NordVPN and PureVPN offer instructions, which are their screenshots implementing generic Google instructions. Here are the links:
Only PureVPN mentions:
- Check Save identity and password
NordVPN does not show that on its screen shot.
All three seem the same.
Last night I got on my Chromebook as a guest. I then successfully implemented PureVPN. The IP address that it used to represent my computer was in Chicago. I learned this from independent software.
After a while I stopped using my Chromebook and when I went back to it a couple of hours later, the VPN connection had dropped, according to a Chromebook message.
Feb. 16, 2017, 9:00AM loading PureVPN app (5.6.0) onto tablet running Android 7.1.1. It displays as "Best Free VPN". It's not free.
I'm prompted for ID and password, then mode and I select privacy.
I appear to be connected. It shows United States and an 108 IP address, which traces to Bayside, which is local.
With no guidance and after viewing settings, I click on the plug icon, figuring that it will disconnect but instead it brings up location options. I click the icon to select location. I select Italy and when I find my way back to the main screen it shows in the lower left: Italy and a 172 IP address.
When I ask Google for my IP address, it initially shows the Bayside address and "Your public IP address". However, iplocation.net shows 172 ... Milan, Lombardi (IT).
whatismyip.com also shows Milan.
OK, so PureVPN has me in Italy. Let's see how long the connection lasts.
Feb. 16, 2017, 9:30AM Windows 10: From the PureVPN website, I'm downloading the app. Installing. Stealth. OpenVPN. Blah, blah, blah. It's been "finishing" for almost twenty minutes; appears to be stuck.
Oh, in another window there's a prompt for approval to install:
MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE TERMS
MICROSOFT VISUAL C++ REDISTRIBUTABLE FOR VISUAL STUDIO 2013
I clicked OK. C++ finished and then so did PureVPN.
I logged in and selected "security and privacy" as I had done with the Android app. Then I requested a server in Canada. The PureVPN Windows app shows that my real IP address is hidden and that Montreal is were my IP address is. Cool.
Now let's see how long these connections last. Android is still in Milan, Italy since 9:20 AM.
I also need to try my Chromebook again.
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