I live in the UK, and it seems that ISPs are starting to issue warnings about downloading, mainly torrent use. I very occasionally get the odd film via bit torrent. Music I usually get from China Forums via password protected, and often protected RAR files. I can truthfully say I have no interest in porn or any nasty stuff. Do any members here use paid VPN software? I am thinking of using Private Internet Access which is currently "on offer" at $39.95 for 12 months, and allows up to 5 connections etc. I know it will slow down access a bit. Would be very grateful to hear some expert opinions on VPN, as it is new to me. PIA is supposed to be one of the easiest to setup and use. Many thanks
Hide My ass - HMA Pro VPN here ... one of the key reason to use HMA is that their filipino server is working one, some you can not say many of them. We have not seen any real reason to change to other one either.
As you are such a nice person and have "have no interest in porn or any nasty stuff" (excuse the sarcasm, but I love in the real world) I will answerv that very clearly. THere is an organisation, called the MAAFIA, and a few thousand lawyers worldwide that prey on people like you. So so yourself a favor and use a VPN. Even that will not you 100% secure, because you simply acnnot see what these companies are doind, or not doing, behind your back. You have no way top verify, that some is NOT keeping records. Of the reasonable ones PIA is arguably the best choice and the slowdown is very, very reasonable. Trust me: Given the governments of the world, it is insane, or at least really, really stupid to not use the net anonymously!
This board is against piracy, so I'm surprised you got so many answers. But since you did, I'd add that you can get films the same way you get music, thus not needing to pay for VPN, but I can say no more about this. As for your risk of using torrents, if indeed you only "very occasionally get the odd film via bit torrent", your risk of getting in trouble should be small and, if you are targeted, you'll probably get a warning first before any action against you, so that you can stop in time. But you understand that I'm neither giving any guarantee of this, nor encourage the activity.
You're wrong: THIS Board is NOT against PIRACY at all, just against Piracy in special means! So as for many of the so called RULES of this Board: it's all about simply Like and/or Dislike! And for sure, about WHO write/ask about WHAT! Regarding the VPN, there in some countries some nasty and bad regulations what's allowed and what's not, if using the Internet. The use of a VPN is an easy way for to bypass such Rules! And that has NOTHING and ALL to do with PIRACY and/or PRIVACY! It's all about the way how someone look at it!
@ pisthai OK, no need to get pissed high and shout (use of capitals). So first the Rules: “3.3 No warez or links to warez” Well, I used the word piracy which is a synonym to warez. If you want to give your own interpretation to the Rules, it’s your business – and risk - but don’t give us a loud lesson about it too. And now: The very first statement of the OP is: “I live in the UK” Do you consider the UK as a country with “nasty and bad regulations” that have “NOTHING and ALL to do with PIRACY”? If so, I inform you that you are misinformed, because the only reason the use of torrents for downloading music and films, as the OP says, is forbidden, is precisely because of piracy (violation of intellectual rights). P.S. on posting etiquette: If you want to stress something, use bold letters, not capitals. Use of capitals in posting is equivalent to shouting.
OK, here we go! First at all: I didn't get pissed etc., I know exactly what I dealing with on this Board and which members! Secondly: Piracy and Warez are quite different! There a lot example found on this board where Piracy is simply allowed every day multiple times! Warez are much different, even they're part of piracy as well!! You simply wrote Piracy in your OP and NOT Warez! If you had done just that, my answer would have been different! Thirdly: I never was been in the UK, I live in Thailand and here the situation has also it's 'down's'! My remark regarding 'nasty and bad regulations' was just in general, which for sure, differs from country to country! The Internet is just a global institution and publications (in Forum's) are therefore also global! I'm not in a position to judge and/or classify what's in a country I didn't know, except from New's (what they are ever)! You maybe, even I doubt it because you didn't be a UK native! And last, but not least: Talk to people and Members on this forum who 'breach' that Posting Etiquette all day, that would be appropriate! This is my only answer, nor more will be given. Period!
Thanks very much. I did look at the free versions. but a lot of the reviews were talking about a slower browsing speed. I am happy to pay for what seems to be a good product. I have just installed, entered my name and password, and all seems well. I tried a jokes site that my ISP was blocking, and all worked.
I use the paid version of Private Internet Access and I'm very happy with it. It was the $40 a year offer. I'm traveling at the current time and it always connects to whatever WiFi is available. The tech support is great. Send them an eMail and you will get a response within an hour. Many sites restrict VPN usage and PIA will do their best to get the site white listed, and will tell you if it cannot be done. Then you can get after the site that won't give you access using a VPN and ask them why. Target comes to mind. Anyway, they give you an option to connect to many different servers. I chose US California and I always get an IP address in the same range. This is important if you are using Gmail because different IP address will be blocked. But it seems that Gmail doesn't care about the last numbers in the IP address and doesn't complain. So for example any IP address in the 192.80.20.xxx will be allowed by Gmail. Unfortunately you have to configure each Gmail account individually for the first time to allow for this new IP address, and you have to configure Outlook as well. Somewhat of a PITA at the outset, but once it gets set up, it runs very smoothly. Just be sure to select the same server each time. I'm no expert but will be happy to answer any questions that I can about PIA. .
Cheap cheap cheap, all I hear entire day. Privacy wise you have to pay, and I prefer money over my private data. So spent that bucks on a proper VPN server instead of trying to get 'a good deal' which then my anyway leak your information. I use PIA since 5 years, never any IP leak or issue which wasn't fixed asap. CK