Lex Luthor |
10-22-2017 09:08 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Msmith
(Post 13168753)
He was downloading some TV shows. Our ISP sent 34 emails within one hour to warn about the illegal download. I showed the messages to him. He said that it was his first time so he would stop. But what of the consequence? Should I contact our ISP about this?
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As you've seen in this thread, there are people who think a VPN is unnecessary. Ultimately it's up to you to decide which way to go. The following post on Reddit addresses the question of whether or not you should use a VPN:
https://www.reddit.com/r/torrents/co...ly_need_a_vpn/
Quote:
Do I really need a vpn?
submitted 3 years ago by [deleted]
All I download is movies and tv shows throughout the week via pirate bay and utorrent. I haven't thought much about using a VPN or beefing up any security since I haven't ever received a notice from my isp (big C), so inform me, please, why I would honestly need a vpn...
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Some of the top answers:
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So, I was in your shoes. I had/have torrented or downloaded illegally since I was in the 8th grade (approx 15 years ago). I never once got a DMCA from any of the internet providers that I had.
That all changed this year when I cancelled my Directv subscription and decided to get the last couple of episodes of Games of Thrones off of torrents. I also grabbed Real Time with Bill Maher as I like that show as well. Big mistake doing so without a VPN.
You see, a good amount of the companies have given up on sending DMCA notices, but HBO has not. Within the span of the last two weeks of the Game of Thrones season, I was hit with 6 DMCA notices from various HBO programs, including Games and Real Time.
It also would seem that some porn companies are still sending out DMCAs as well. I didn't even realize I was getting DMCAs cause I log into my Comshit account just to pay the bill. I don't use their shitty email, but I checked it out of the blue and saw 7 or 8 of these notices in my Comcast inbox.
After I paid my bill, I came here and found this Private Internet Access discount link, used it, paid my 30 or so dollars for a year's subscription and haven't had a DMCA since.
As far as the torrent swarms are concerned, all of my traffic is coming out of the Netherlands whenever I download now.
So, this was kind of long winded, but here's the breakdown. Can you see yourself continuing to download without a VPN and have these scummy DMCA lawyers know that you are you and could possibly take you to court for damages? Or, would you rather pay 30 dollars for a year's worth of security and privacy and not have to worry about getting your internet shut off because you loaded up your torrenting program with 10 downloads before bed, wake up and they are all seeding and you are nailed with DMCAs?
This is just my story, which sounded similar to yours, so I decided to share. The choice you make is ultimately up to you, but I would highly recommend PIA.
edit: Once you get the VPN, make sure you google and grab the CheckMyTorrentIP.png torrent. It is basically just an empty file that will never stop "downloading", just keep it always in your torrent program. It's announce in your torrent program will tell you your current IP. You can check your IP with the VPN turned off in the announce for this file, turn on your little PIA green guy, pause and restart the .png and your should see your IP change to whatever region you have picked to have your traffic to come out of. It's a nice, quick, easy way to make sure your ass is covered before you load up a download sesh.
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The 6 dollars you pay for a month for safety definitely outweighs the cost of you getting caught. There is not need for the risk if you can easily avert it. It's like finishing in a girl and knowing she's not on birth control. The condom would have saved you thousands.
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Because you're playing roulette with 5 bullets chambered.
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I had gotten away with it for years without a VPN until that one fateful day where a certain company didn't like a certain thing I downloaded so my certain cable provider shut off my internet until I got it resolved.
Use a VPN. I pay ~$6 a month for peace of mind, added benefits of security, and as a plus I can view Europe's Netflix lineup which is quite different if not better than America's.
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I hate this question. Do you need a condom? No, but it keeps you out of trouble. Do you need a VPN? Same thing. If you're a daredevil and you like going in bare, then not having a VPN shouldn't bother you. You're just at a higher risk.
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Basically the whole condom analogy is exactly why you should use a VPN, although be warned not all VPN companies are created equally. You have to make sure the service you pay for does no log information which keeps them from being able to rat you out. Cryptostorm for example does not log. Happy hunting!
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The guy who made the comment below has obviously interacted with Pawnmower (or someone just like him).
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I've seen tough guys like you online before. Fearless, unafraid of the copyright police. But when they get caught, they become quivering weasels. They end up having to be fugitives, on the run for the rest of their lives, looking over their shoulders, waiting for the tap on the back and the prison life. Why not just pay $40 for a year of VPN, and give yourself some protection? Forget about a reason why you should, and come up with a reason why you shouldn't, when it's safer and cheap. No brainer there.
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