• @[email protected]
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    868 months ago

    I have this vpn because it comes for free with my Google Drive subscription. I have never used it because it does not do what I expect it to do

    • privacy, it’s Google.
    • pretend to be in a different country is not available
      • chiisana
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        298 months ago

        Security when you’re on untrusted network. I can trust Google to snoop my banking data and update the spending power info on my ad profile, I can’t trust the random dude in trench coat also using the public wifi when I am traveling out of my roaming coverage.

        I joke of course, but the security aspect is still valid.

        • @[email protected]
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          128 months ago

          What is it that you’re doing that is still not using some form of authenticated encryption? Almost everything is https, ssh, almost all mailservers have tls support, irc does have tls support… What’s left that needs to be encrypted by a VPN?

          • @Vash63
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            58 months ago

            The addresses themselves that you’re connecting to as one example. Also often DNS.

            • chiisana
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              68 months ago

              Strictly speaking, Encrypted Client Hello (ECH) paired with DNS Over HTTPS (DOH) can resolve this. But not many people have their systems setup this way, so it is still pretty niche.

              • @Vash63
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                48 months ago

                That also doesn’t resolve the carrier seeing which IPs you’re connecting to, which can often be traced back to services or sites.

            • @[email protected]
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              38 months ago

              What’s the threat model here? I can think of no DNS shennanigans that would not be detectable through the authentication mechainsms in TLS (chain-of-trust). Not having to trust network infrastructure is exactly what TLS is for.

              • chiisana
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                8 months ago

                Most DNS requests are clear text, which is why DOH was introduced to secure it such that no one can snoop on you looking up something-embarrassing.com. Also, the initial request, before you get the SSL certificate from the web server, you must tell the server at 169.169.169.169 that you’re looking for the certificate for something-embarrassing.com before they can get you the correct certificate. This is why ECH was introduced. Neither of which have became mainstream yet, and so there are still some basic leakage going on.

        • @Electricblush
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          28 months ago

          It’s not the guy in the trenchcoat next to you you need to worry about.

          It’s the fact that some unknown entity owns/has set up the WiFi.

          Anyone working with complex network setup and admin will tell you how much you can abuse owning the network a user is connected to.

          The network guys at work never use public WiFi, not hotels or anything. Neither do I, even with my much more limited knowledge of network administration.

      • @[email protected]
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        28 months ago

        The biggest thing was being able to switch it on and off from the notifications menu. It is/was super convenient.

        Not surprised this is being shut down because it lacked many of the features that most major vpns had.

        But that feature was unique.

        • @ripcord
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          48 months ago

          Is it that unique? I can connect/disconnect my Wireguard from the notification bar / utility tiles

        • @[email protected]
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          18 months ago

          Any VPN app can be turned on from the notification short cuts or atleast WireGuard and Windscribe can.

          • @[email protected]
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            18 months ago

            Huh. I didn’t know that. I only have two vpns, mostly because they come with a product I subscribe to.

            Good to know

    • @FinishingDutch
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      38 months ago

      I didn’t even know it was a thing they offered. But if it doesn’t even work as a proper VPN, I’m not surprised nobody used it…

      • @smooth_tea
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        38 months ago

        Pretending to be in another country is not what a VPN should do for it to be a proper VPN.