HotSpotVPN ?

This group has been a big help to me. Another question please.

I just signed up at HotSpotVPN (thanks to an earlier post) and installed as they instructed but I do not understand how it works.

I have a HotSpotVPN wireless Internet connect icon but it only works when I am already connected to a network. How does that work? Am I suppose to log on as usual then connect using HotSpotVPN?

Dennis

Reply to
Dennis Vogel
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That is correct. With VPN, there are two pieces to the connection. One is a network transport, which would be whatever internet connection you establish. The other piece is the encrypted tunnel to some VPN server.

With this service, you encrypt your wireless or public data to their server, and then, presumably travel from there to some other locations.

Your data will still travel unencrypted on the internet from their site, unless you use some other encryption as well.

This also means that all of your data travels through their servers, subject to whatever sniffing, monitoring, and logging they might want to do.

$8.88 per month at

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for the VPN solution, plus whatever connectivity you provide via some other source.

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also offers a VPN service in conjunction with their wireless hotspot connectivity. I can't see how much that costs on top of the fee for Boingo Access. I don't know if it works when you aren't connected to a Boingo hotspot.

Some home routers offer VPN endpoints. I'm not sure if you can use one of those in a similar fashion.

Some ISPs offer VPN.

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requires that you connect to their hotspots via VPN. I don't know if that VPN is available when you are connected via some other source.

Reply to
dold

So even though it seems I'm somehow connected twice, the first on the normal un-encrypted connection, then HotSpotVPN gets between myself and the free WiFi connection and encrypts my information. Is that correct?

I'm leaving in a few days in my RV for a few months and this group has been a big help.

Thanks again,

Dennis

Reply to
Dennis Vogel

Right. You would be able to surf after connecting to the internet. Establishing the VPN between your laptop and the server at hostpotvpn will encrypt the data between you and hotspotvpn. You will actually surf from their server onto the internet.

The VPN should also prevent someone from connecting to your PC directly, and prevent you from accessing anything directly without passing through hotspotvpn servers.

You should have a personal firewall on your laptop anyway. The VPN server at hotspotvpn needs to be added to the "trusted" servers on that firewall. Everything else, especially "local subnet" could be blocked while travelling.

Reply to
dold

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