Securing your internet connection

Smoker's Lounge Security & Legal
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#1

This topic is part 3 of 4 parts series about Security and electronic traces

  1. Does OG log IP addresses?
  2. How secure is my Internet connection?
  3. How to hide my location / IP address? :arrow_left:
  4. How to post photos online anonymously?

Hello and welcome.

In this post I will explain how to use a VPN/Proxy Server to encrypt your internet traffic and anonymize your location.

Method 1. Tails/Tor (Free)

In this method we will be using the Tor Network to encrypt our traffic and anonymize our location.
There are several ways of using the tor network but for this guide, we will use tails live USB.

Tails is a live operating system that runs on a USB stick or DVD. Tails uses the TOR network and is setup with privacy in mind. Tails will encrypt your internet traffic and hide your location. Whenever you shutdown tails, all of your history and information is wiped out. When you start it again it is fresh and new again. Tails does not erase or modify your current operating system or hard drive in any way.

1.) Google and Download Tails.

2.) Google and download Unetbootin.

2.5) Plug in your USB drive. This will be erased.

3.) Open up UNetbootin and click the “DiskImage” bullet.

4.) Choose ISO and navigate to the Tails iso file you downloaded.

5.) Select the drive letter that represents your USB drive and click OK. This will erase the USB drive and install Tails to it.

6.) Reboot your PC and choose to boot from your USB drive. Tails will start. Follow the instructions and you are done.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TAILS & TOR

It is not recommended to run tails as a virtual machine as virtual machine software uses your hard drive to store cache and can leave crumbs behind.

It is possible for a specific tor exit node to determine the location of your computer. If you happen to use one of these exit nodes, your location and activity could be seen by that exit node.

It is possible to use a vpn to protect against this but if your already have a VPN why bother?

Method 2. (Paid Method)
There are several cheap VPN services out there to choose from.
I recommend IPVanish or NordVPN. IPVanish comes with several key features that make it easy for a novice user to stay protected.

1.) Google IPVanish (or whatever VPN you choose) and sign up and download and install the software.

2.) Log in using your credentials and click the settings tab on the left.

3.) Click the Connection Tab on the top and select Auto Reconnect, Kill Switch, Block Lan Traffic, Enable IPV6 Leak Protection & Enable DNS Leak Protection.

4.) Choose your server and connect. You are done.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT VPNs
It is important to choose a VPN that has a kill switch and DNS and IPv6 Leak protection. If you do not have these features then your VPN could and will probably be rendered useless.

If you use Linux or have any questions, Feel free to ask.

Ganja.

10 Likes
How to post photos online anonymously?
Lets be careful shall we?
Tracking external links
How secure is my Internet connection?
#2

Yeah, Tails rules… Thanks for sharing… There is already some info about it …

Your post should be definitely added to FAQ :slight_smile:

Best things in life are free - including Linux :smiley:

3 Likes
#3

Back in tha day before i did anything that might of drew attention to me .wanting to learn to grow, browsing topics only, no post or membership. OG had security forum.first place i studied. Had a link with ip add’s. Learned about firewalls , pinging etc. Would jump from my comp- to pot friendly nation and use open add that was firewalled and i couldn’t ping myself. Would do this thru at least 3 diff comp’sin 3 diff countries before logging in as member and post. Is that ip address link still available . if not it needs to come back to. Made me feel safe even knowing that if they wanted be bad enough they probly had ways to still find me. But keeping small and not to arrogant, braggy kept me out of spotlight

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#4

World has changed also,… there is now big number of countries where growing is allowed and new ones keep joining every month… :slight_smile:

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#5

Salutations Ganja,
Salutations everbody,

A close relative of mine asked some related questions recently. Ain’t it difficult not to feel hopeless after reading articles with titles as catastrophic as that one below?!..


ZDNet: Cisco comble une vulnérabilité importante de ses firewalls (2018-Feb-1)

Sorry for the French text, it’s essentially saying that Cisco’s products proved vulnerable still very recently.

:weary:

I dunno, it’s like those huge companies never learn or something. One has got to wonder how we’re supposed to get any smarter, Windows was supposed to be nearly trouble-free each time a new version went out since v3.1! … E.G. it never really ends. Just like the anti-virus manufacturers - go wonder!

But it’s not hurting to try doing our best anyway, right? :dart:

Do i want RSA 4096 bits encryption if that causes P2P/streaming to fall as slow as 0.3 Mbps, for example??

Honestly i don’t do P2P/Streaming, it’s been a long long time.

Our host recommended choose a VPN featured with the “Kill Switch”, DNS and also “IPv6 Leak Protection”, which sounds well advised.

I’ve notice that VyprVPN/Golden Frog (incorporated in Switzerland) puts focus on an ability to avoid detection and throttling/blocking. Which must be why ExpressVPN advertises in clear writing that their VPN works with Netflix/Kodi, Torrents and Gaming - while it appears Netflix can detect PureVPN then block streaming, despite claims in favour of this China-based VPN product… As for the free VPN alternatives it’s not really free, there’s still a price to pay one way or another!

:fearful:

A recent read informed me that its better rely on OpenVPN than PTPP, that router-based VPN also exists which would secure the whole house:

[ www.expressvpn.com/fr/vpn-software/vpn-router ]

Etc., etc.

How about combos as “Avast SecureLine VPN”:

[ www.avast.com/en-us/lp-aff-secureline-vpn ]

Or “AVG Secure VPN”:

[ www.avg.com/en-ww/secure-vpn#pc ]

Is there an advantage having a VPN based in Switzerland instead of Panama? Etc.

Personally i’d consider something router-based in order to avoid loading the processor resources, because those must be quite limited as it is already. It’s running Windows 7 (64 bits) but was sold with XP pre-installed, i think… No SATA3 inside, etc.

Maybe i should have told this person to spend on an SSD 1st, after changing the motherboard, then argue it’s probably more economic just to start from the ground up again!.. To spare everyone the nightmare.

Good day, have fun!! :peace:

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#6

I personally use avast, don’t know if i like it or not much… I am not a tech guy.

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#7

I use hope and prayer does that count? :confused:

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#8

Salutations MadScientist,

Stapples advertises “Avast HMA! Pro VPN for Unlimited Devices”, but at 39.99 $/yr (CAD) that sounds too good to be true.

It depends what the objectives are. Maybe it’s all about preparing a symbolical petri dish for some vast experiment…

Good day, have fun!! :peace:

3 Likes
#9

They say the power of focus and ability to believe goes a long way, people call it faith…

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#10

3 years using private internet access, had 3 days down in that time (less than an hour each) and it maxes out above my 120Mbps (15MB/s) connection.
they say its 1Gbps but cant comment on that.
Works on Linux no problems, kill switch and filtering
Never have issues with streaming but only use Kodi havent tried netflix etc in years

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#11

Hi again,

Actually faith inspired me this slogan:

« It has happened before, just not yet! »

:peace:

2 Likes
#12

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA

I get it man!

2 Likes
#13

Do you people use VPN when you post/visit on cannabis sites and forums? Or am I being paranoid?

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#14

No but I probably should. All I have is my phone, no computer or wifi, so VPNs slow me down to unbearable internet speeds. Worse then dial up most of the time.

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#15

the gov will find a way to stop seed tradng they want low thc%

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#16

Good luck with that, they cant stop it now…

4 Likes
#17

I agree. Impossible.

#18

Not a bad idea, that’s for sure.

Ironically, I have a 3 year deal with NordVPN and I don’t even use it for weed sites. I am simply no longer worried about it because we are a few months from legalization and there are “illegal” dispensaries all over the place.

I’m pretty happy with the NordVPN service, by the way. Fast, easy, discrete.

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#19

I used to have PIA (Private Internet Access) didn’t like them.

Recently I switched to Cyber Ghost. Excellent company, good interface lots of connections
and cheap $2.75 a month.

2 Likes
#20

kali should work for yuh

1 Like