VPN

Warning: Free VPN's can be dangerous. Do not use them. See: https://www.wizcase.com/blog/maybe-a-free-vpn-is-the-right-choice-for-you/#blog-toc-4

Deprecated

This article is deprecated and succeeded by Virtual Private Network (VPN).

Original Article

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) enables a computer to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if it were directly connected to the private network, while benefiting from the functionality, security and management policies of the private network. This is done by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of dedicated connections, encryption, or a combination of the two ones.

One of the major benefits of using a VPN connection is that the Internet Server thinks you are located in another region than you are in (it may think you are living in Europa, Africa or USA).

VPN ?

A VPN supplies network connectivity over a possibly long physical distance. In this respect, a VPN is a form of Wide Area Network (WAN). VPNs enable file sharing, video conferencing and similar network services. Virtual Private Networks generally don't provide any new functionality that isn't already offered through alternative mechanisms, but a VPN implements those services more efficiently / cheaply in most cases.

A key feature of a VPN is its ability to work over both private networks as well as public networks like the Internet. Using a method called tunneling, a VPN use the same hardware infrastructure as existing Internet or intranet links. VPN technologies includes various security mechanisms to protect the virtual, private connections.

Proxy Server

A proxy server is a server (a computer system or an application) that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client connects to the proxy server, requesting some service, such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource available from a different server and the proxy server evaluates the request as a way to simplify and control its complexity. Proxies were invented to add structure and encapsulation to distributed systems.

A VPN tunnel uses one or more Proxy Servers to access the content.

VPN Software

Many solutions and always the question: 'What are the experiences?' I would like to see at home in Germany sport broadcasts from Dutch NOS (and all the live streams). The results until now:

1. Hola a plugin VPN for Firefox and Chrome. Yes they work, but fail when the sites are full loaded like WC football, Wimbledon or Tour de France.
2. Express VPN trial version on my iPhone. It works like charm during the Hockey World Championships in The Hague 2014.

Since 2015 I am an Express VPN user. I paid € 86.16 per year.

OS VPN Software

• Express VPN, Easy to use VPN for all devices i.e. Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows (appox. $99,= yearly).
• Hide my ass, Free Proxies and Pro VPN ( approx. $80,= yearly).
• Tunnel Bear, Canadian based VPN Software (approx. ($50,= yearly).

Browser extensions

• Hola, Extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

See also

• Mprow wiki, Personal information on Express VPN on Local wiki.
• Virtual Private Network (VPN)