VPN Software

[BigRichard]

Is there any software out there to setup VPN on a local computer on your home/small business network? I have set that up myself before and I am just looking for more ease of use for my small business. MY IP address isn't static so I was hoping some platform had where you could install some software on a PC on your network and it just manages the connection for you through software you install elsewhere on any other PC. You don't have to know any IP... you just log into the account and boom... you can connect. Is there anything like that?

[Molitoth]

Torguard offers this.

Black Friday put the cost at $30 a year.

[BigRichard]

Originally Posted by Molitoth

Torguard offers this.

Black Friday put the cost at $30 a year.

It looks like maybe they do offer something like what I am wanting but it isn't part of their $30 a year stuff... it is a completely different plan and it is a bit more expensive. I still might consider it.

[Otter]

I use Proton VPN. Not sure what level of security you're looking for but if it's truly sensitive data it offers a hop through Switzerland and absolutely cutting edge encryption.

It's not the cheapest and it doesn't play well with Linux sometimes but if you're just looking for a software base VPN you can't go wrong. Now is a good time to buy as well as there's a lot of competition in the market.

Just don't go free vpn or your data becomes the payment method, you'll be guaranteed slow performance, no recourse or support for problem. Make sure the package you buy supports the number of clients you'll be using it on including tablets, desktops and smartphones.

Also, check for discount codes as they almost all have one before paying full retail. If I'm not mistaken Mozilla also just came out with their on VPN and they've always been reliable as far as privacy.

https://protonvpn.com/

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/products/vpn/

Good luck!

[BigRichard]

Originally Posted by Otter

I use Proton VPN. Not sure what level of security you're looking for but if it's truly sensitive data it offers a hop through Switzerland and absolutely cutting edge encryption.

It's not the cheapest and it doesn't play well with Linux sometimes but if you're just looking for a software base VPN you can't go wrong. Now is a good time to buy as well as there's a lot of competition in the market.

Just don't go free vpn or your data becomes the payment method, you'll be guaranteed slow performance, no recourse or support for problem. Make sure the package you buy supports the number of clients you'll be using it on including tablets, desktops and smartphones.

Also, check for discount codes as they almost all have one before paying full retail. If I'm not mistaken Mozilla also just came out with their on VPN and they've always been reliable as far as privacy.

https://protonvpn.com/

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/products/vpn/

Good luck!

I am not looking for VPN that a company hosts... I am looking for software that puts a VPN on my business network that I can connect to very easily. I have setup VPN before on my home network and it is just a bigger pain than it is worth at times. If the IP address changes then I have to get it again and if I am away from the network it can be a bitch to find. I would prefer some software that is installed on a computer/server on the network then they have other software you can install on other devices which allows me to just login to their software service and allow me to connect to my own VPN that is hosted on my local business network.

[Otter]

Originally Posted by BigRichard

I am not looking for VPN that a company hosts... I am looking for software that puts a VPN on my business network that I can connect to very easily. I have setup VPN before on my home network and it is just a bigger pain than it is worth at times. If the IP address changes then I have to get it again and if I am away from the network it can be a bitch to find. I would prefer some software that is installed on a computer/server on the network then they have other software you can install on other devices which allows me to just login to their software service and allow me to connect to my own VPN that is hosted on my local business network.

Ah, I missed your goals. Reading too fast.

In that case, what Fish said.

[Fish]

Buy yourself a router that has internal VPN capabilities. Configure VPN at the router level. Every device that connects to the router via ethernet or wireless will be behind the VPN with no additional configuration necessary.

[BigRichard]

Originally Posted by Fish

Buy yourself a router that has internal VPN capabilities. Configure VPN at the router level. Every device that connects to the router via ethernet or wireless will be behind the VPN with no additional configuration necessary.

Still not what I am looking for. I don't want my stuff on my network to be VPN'd somewhere... I want to be at my home(or in Florida or Nebraska) and VPN into my business network. I want the software to manage that VPN connection. I don't want to hassel with configuring everything and then having to know my IP address to connect to.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by BigRichard

Still not what I am looking for. I don't want my stuff on my network to be VPN'd somewhere... I want to be at my home(or in Florida or Nebraska) and VPN into my business network. I want the software to manage that VPN connection. I don't want to hassel with configuring everything and then having to know my IP address to connect to.

Ahh I see. Sorry. Well then you'd have to have a machine/server on your business network running a VPN server and configured with access to the network. My organization uses Palo Alto Globalprotect. But that's more geared toward large environments with lots of different devices and connection capabilities. There are others that are cheaper and more basic.

That would need to be OK'd by your business's system admin and allowed on the network, because normally that kind of network traffic would be blocked. And you'd still need to configure each remote device at least once to tell it what remote VPN server to connect to. After that you'd simply need to hit the Connect button to reconnect. Technically you could use an MDM solution to autoconfigure if you have MDM capabilities. But since you don't already have a VPN connection in the office I'm guessing you are not using MDM.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Fish

Buy yourself a router that has internal VPN capabilities. Configure VPN at the router level. Every device that connects to the router via ethernet or wireless will be behind the VPN with no additional configuration necessary.

Can you walk me through how to do this? And which VPN service would your recommend?

[Fish]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Can you walk me through how to do this? And which VPN service would your recommend?

What are you wanting constant VPN for? Because it's not a simple setup, and there are performance drawbacks.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Fish

What are you wanting constant VPN for? Because it's not a simple setup, and there are performance drawbacks.

Everyone says to use one and I may have a cheap IPTV I like to use that lets me watch anything. I’m a Boomer when it comes to technology though so please guide me.

Check your Rep.

[BigRichard]

Originally Posted by Fish

What are you wanting constant VPN for? Because it's not a simple setup, and there are performance drawbacks.

Originally Posted by lewdog

Everyone says to use one and I may have a cheap IPTV I like to use that lets me watch anything. I’m a Boomer when it comes to technology though so please guide me.

Check your Rep.

If you truly want to do that and you know nothing of networks or how they work and have 0 troubleshooting skills you might want to give something like this a try - https://www.flashrouters.com/

They supposedly send you a router already all configured for your VPN service. Do your own research on this though.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Everyone says to use one and I may have a cheap IPTV I like to use that lets me watch anything. I’m a Boomer when it comes to technology though so please guide me.

Check your Rep.

OK. This is a bad idea for you.

VPN software is meant to provide secure data encryption across networks that are not secure. It's intended to be used for purposes like securely connecting to your work network from across the globe, and be able to access the files on the server in your datacenter and copy those files to your laptop desktop. The VPN server encrypts all data that you transfer from point A to point B, so it cannot be captured by any other shady internet users and stolen.

It was never intended to be used for watching TV. Or being on all the time, outside of situations like a remote office that you want to have the same network access as in the main office. But VPN providers started advertising services to hackers who were trying to illegally download copyrighted games/movies/TV/etc. Essentially using the VPN as a middleman to anonymously access illegal data. The way copyright owners catch people is they search for any internet user downloading their stuff, log the IP address, and then confront your ISP saying you've stolen intellectual property. But with a VPN enabled, they can't see what it is you're downloading because it's encrypted. That is where you get the idea that "Everyone says to use one." To prevent getting caught by Universal or Nintendo, etc.

But here's the problem.. when you use a VPN in this manner, it requires that all data you send acrross the internet, must travel from your computer, to the VPN, then to the site you're wanting to go to, then back through the VPN server again, then back to your PC. Which will decrease your transfer speeds by much more than half the speed you would be getting without the VPN. Which usually results in buffering and lag when streaming. It also causes your location to be reported as the location of where the VPN is physically located instead of where you are. Which can present all kinds of problems with websites that require your location. Like YoutubeTV and Hulu Live, etc. require you to check in from your home location(home address) to continue using their service. You won't be able to do so with the VPN enabled, and if it's enabled at the router level it's on all the time. If your VPN is located outside the US, then it would actually prevent you from accessing quite a few US based streaming options, like Netflix. Since they have separate access outside the US. It could also give you local news stations from where the VPN is instead of your actual home address. There are many other geographic related issues this causes as well. You should really only use a VPN when you have to. It should not be viewed as just another security piece like your virus scanner.

In addition, the site you mentioned specifically mentions that a VPN is not needed:



Another thing you should note.. that IPTV site you referenced me is not exactly legally legit. It's based in the Netherlands so they can skirt around copyright violations and show you stuff from all kinds of different providers like Netflix and HBO at the same time. You aren't going to get into any legal trouble or anything just by watching, unless you try to stream the same feeds to other people. But you should know what it is.

Thank you for attending my TEDTalk.

[kccrow]

Why can't he just use something like LogMeIn Pro? or TeamViewer?

Seems you guys are shooting to bake a cake when the objective was a cookie.