VPN, torrents & Mac OS X

[Cuppa]

Just wondering if there might be anyone here who uses a VPN together with uTorrent & a Mac? If so I would like some advice about which VPN service to use.

[clubbyr8]

I use VyprVpn, but not on a Mac. Works very well but a bit exxy..... It has a Mac version and an iPhone app.....

https://www.goldenfrog.com/vyprvpn/refer-a-friend/get-a-free-month?ar=c693n2an328ie_1

[NissanGQ4.2]

naughty naughty naughty boy

[LaughingBeagles]

There are many lawful torrents you can pick up as well, although not sure why you would use a VPN. I use VPN Authority (about $64 per year with six or so US servers, about four or five UK and one or two other countries). I use Vuze client for my Mac and PC and just set it up to use it with my VPN.

Here is how to set it up, http://wiki.vuze.com/w/Proxies_And_VPNs and here's a slightly more detailed tutorial, http://wiki.hidemyass.com/Tutorials:Force_Vuze_to_only_load_Torrents_through _VPN.

I like VPN Authority as it has a range of servers, is not flaky and has served me well for four or five years now (but not to download torrents admittedly). I have been able to stream things like the Smithsonian YouTube channel (country specific) without and hassles at all in data degradation etc. Here's a link to them https://www.vpnauthority.com/

Hope that helps.

[rusty_nail]

what are you trying to achieve cuppa? why do you feel you need a VPN?

[lucus30]

Might be easier to use a seed box or not use torrents ha ha

[Cuppa]

what are you trying to achieve cuppa? why do you feel you need a VPN?

Privacy from the likes of Google & our government, less vulnerable to identity theft, ability to watch stuff on BBC’s version of iView, & greater protection against viruses/spam when using torrent sites.................I think. Still trying to get my head around it.

[Cuppa]

There are many lawful torrents you can pick up as well, although not sure why you would use a VPN. I use VPN Authority (about $64 per year with six or so US servers, about four or five UK and one or two other countries). I use Vuze client for my Mac and PC and just set it up to use it with my VPN.

Here is how to set it up, http://wiki.vuze.com/w/Proxies_And_VPNs and here's a slightly more detailed tutorial, http://wiki.hidemyass.com/Tutorials:Force_Vuze_to_only_load_Torrents_through _VPN.

I like VPN Authority as it has a range of servers, is not flaky and has served me well for four or five years now (but not to download torrents admittedly). I have been able to stream things like the Smithsonian YouTube channel (country specific) without and hassles at all in data degradation etc. Here's a link to them https://www.vpnauthority.com/

Hope that helps.

Thanks will follow up.
So why do you use a VPN?

[rusty_nail]

Privacy from the likes of Google & our government, less vulnerable to identity theft, ability to watch stuff on BBC’s version of iView, & greater protection against viruses/spam when using torrent sites.

ok gonna break up your answer there because a VPN wont help with most of those things.

1. Privacy from the likes of Google & our government, less vulnerable to identity theft:
Turn off cookies depending what browser you use its fairly simple usually found under preferences or internet options

2. ability to watch stuff on BBC’s version of iView:
Yes VPN will help with this

3. Greater protection against viruses/spam when using torrent sites
VPN Definately wont help with this, it will give you anonymity but at the end of the day you can still get viruses/spam. If your worried about ads, use an ad blocker program, I use Firefox, and i run a plugin called ADP, it blocks/disables most ads and popups. the biggest misconception about viruses is that you will go to a site thats abit sus and look once at it and youll have viruses, this is not the case. you need to accept a plugin to run physically execute a file to get viruses on your computer.

the biggest problem is most people just rush to get what they want and so they just click rapidly through things to get to what they want and thats how you get viruses.

so read the comments before you download a torrent and make sure the file is legit. if it seems too good to be true it usually is.

[innocent.bystander]

Some good advice from Rusty.

For the discerning user/privacy aware/paranoid/survivalist folks, there is the Tor browser project. For Mac, here: https://www.torproject.org/docs/tor-doc-osx.html.en

I use this VPN service, currently running specials for 2 years (~USD$60, about AUD$81 i.e. around $3.50 a month): https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/slickdeals-two-year-deal#moneyback They don't keep logs, I have found the services very fast (there are POPs throughout Europe, US and here in Australia).

Cheers
Tony

[Cuppa]

Thanks for the advice.
For anyone like me who is interested in learning about such things I came across this easy to understand article on why & when to use either Tor or a VPN.

https://thetinhat.com/tutorials/darknets/tor-vpn.html

[LaughingBeagles]

Thanks will follow up.
So why do you use a VPN?

Mate, I use VPN as indicated by Rusty, to use Channel 4OD and certain (not all) BBC programs in the Uk, Hulu, HBO, ABC (US) and before Netflix hit Oz I used it for that and so on, a bunch of country specific youtube channels (Smithsonian, National Geographic for example). I know it works with torrents because I've "tested" it (used to download a version of Linux to my box (Nopix for example)). ;)

In other words, it really opens up a bunch of options for a small price.

[jack]

When you get it all setup and running flawlessly Cuppa you can so me. :thumbup: