• Open VPN

    From wasbit@wasbit@REMOVEhotmail.com to alt.comp.freeware on Tue Dec 16 09:30:40 2025
    From Newsgroup: alt.comp.freeware

    I have the occasional need for a VPN
    - https://openvpn.net/community/
    - https://www.vpnbook.com/freevpn

    This 8:41 minute video explains how to install & connect
    - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTJtFzViM9M
    --
    Regards
    wasbit
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  • From VanguardLH@V@nguard.LH to alt.comp.freeware on Tue Dec 16 13:23:30 2025
    From Newsgroup: alt.comp.freeware

    wasbit <wasbit@REMOVEhotmail.com> wrote:

    I have the occasional need for a VPN
    - https://openvpn.net/community/
    - https://www.vpnbook.com/freevpn

    This 8:41 minute video explains how to install & connect
    - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTJtFzViM9M

    I could not find a free (community) versus paid features list to compare
    the two.

    How many entry nodes are available, and in which countries?
    How many exit nodes are available, and in which countries?
    Does the free tier pipe also include tunneling of media content? (*)

    (*) Looks like you are not using OpenVPN's network with the free
    Community edition, and then finding server configs to import into
    the Community edition. What passes through the VPN network could
    very well depend on who is operating the entry node.

    From the video, looks like there are only 5 exit nodes in different
    countries (7 regional exit nodes if you choose to omit P2P downloading).
    Most are within the European theater, so not that effective against
    geofencing.

    Also, from the video, looks like all you get with OpenVPN Community is a frontend GUI, and don't really get any VPN servers, and why the video
    author notes you also have to add the VPNbook service that actually
    provides the VPN network. Probably there are other available server
    configs you could use with OpenVPN. The OpenVPN Community just provides
    the GUI. The VPNbook download provides some servers to add to configs
    you add to OpenVPN. For me, too much dependency across different
    sources: GUI, and elsewhere the server configs you have to import.
    Proton VPN is much easier to setup, and use. Not really looking for a
    nerdy solution. Nope, not a VPN wizard, and don't want to become one.
    With the numerous sales on VPN providers, and if I paid for a VPN, I'd
    go with Norton VPN instead of Proton VPN (sale pricing is close, but
    Nord is a better and faster VPN). For now free Proton VPN is all I need
    for occasional need, and only to circumvent geofencing.

    I currently use free Proton VPN on my desktop PC. The free version does
    not pipe media content (e.g., video stream) through their network since
    that would severely tax their free service. They have an Android app,
    but I've not yet used it. The free version only has 6 entry nodes (in different regions). So far, that's enough for me. Maybe if I keep
    hitting geofencing at all available entry nodes in the free version then
    I might consider getting a VPN with more entry nodes, or just find a
    different non-geofenced web site.
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