Which is "safer" from a hotel room (public or private IP)?

I always log in from hotels and am faced with the question if I want a public IP address (ostensibly for VPN) or a firewalled hotel IP.

Which should I pick?

I'm not using VPN (which they seem to indicate the public IP is for) but it seems like I'd get more "privacy" from the public IP address as the other IP address would be associated with the hotel (wouldn't it?)

Basically, I'm confused.

Which would YOU pick and why?

Does it matter?

Reply to
Tia B. McMahon
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typically the private IP is a NAT address that will give you more protection that a public IP. besides the hotel firewall, you should use the Windows Firewall and if you are running Vista, set the IP to public even though the hotel uses the word private.

NAT addresses d>I always log in from hotels and am faced with the question if I want a

Reply to
Barb Bowman

You get more protection by using the hotel's private LAN IP, because the computer is behind a border device such as a router or FW appliance most likely, and they protect the computer from the Internet while the computer is on the hotel's private LAN.

However, that doesn't account for other computers on the hotel's LAN from trying to access your computer. They can see your computer. So, you have to run a personal firewall/packet filter on your computer to protect the computer on the hotel's LAN.

Reply to
Mr. Arnold

Hi Routers provide some level of security from the Internet. However to be secure (Router or Not) you should use Software firewall, Antivirus, and AntiSpyware on your computer.

Why? Internet Basic protection -

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If you are already using such protection then it does not matter so match whether you use the public IP or the private.

However if you are using Wireless there is another concern that has nothing to do with the Internet or the type of IP per-se.

If the Wireless transmission is Not encrypted (I.e. at least WPA level) other guests at the hotel can sniff, or "join" you on the Network and might obtain private information.

Therefore, if the choice is secure Wireless vs. none secure use the secure. Jack (MVP-Networking).

Reply to
Jack (MVP-Networking).

I do use VPN, so I elected the "public" address. This puts me outside the firewall, directly exposed to the internet.

This is not a good place to be. My firewall immediately started popping up assaults, all blocked, but still, if you aren't running VPN, don't go there. You should elect the safety of hiding behind their firewall. In either case, the IP address that you get would be traceable to that hotel. The firewall probably makes all of the firewalled guests look very similar to one of the public addresses.

Reasonable firewalls work with VPN. I don't know why some hotels want to even offer the opportunity for a public connection.

The first place that I recall seeing that was at an Embassy Suites Hotel in Denver. I probably even tried my VPN behind their firewall. It works behind NAT routers, it should work behind firewalls.

Reply to
dold

No, they don't

Huh? Why?

Nonsense.

Reply to
Sebastian G.

It shouldn't make a difference if you're in front or behind a firewall (public vs private) when using a VPN connection. I do it all the time. I connect to a hotel's wifi (or wired) network and then immediately make a VPN connection back to the home office. All my traffic is then encrypted and routed back through the VPN to home. Works great and has worked for more than five years from dozens of different hotels... ALL WITH PRIVATE, NAT-ROUTED addresses.

I could see where someone might want public IP addresses, but not for typical web surfing or reading mail. It'd also make it "easier" on the hotel to not have to deal with support questions regarding how some traffic won't work if it's behind a NAT routed connection.

-Bill Kearney

Reply to
Bill Kearney

I do the same with a Secure Shell (SSH) tunnel back to my home SSH server...

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Reply to
Sooner Al [MVP]

So do I, usually. But this one hotel in Denver, either Marriott or Embassy Suites, downtown, popped up the question. The private address didn't work for my VPN. The public address was unfiltered.

Reply to
dold

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