VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) have a bit of a bad rap among a lot of people I know. Their office or university might require it, and it turns out to be slow, or buggy, or drops connections, and it’s generally associated with annoyance. Sure, it’s more secure, but…
But nothing. I recently had a password stolen via wi-fi snooping (seriously, that’s the only way it could have been exposed), and while it only caused minor damage to my accounts, it was still startling. While I’ve been using HTTPS whenever possible, obviously it wasn’t enough.
At the same time, more and more public wifi places are blocking legitimate traffic (I wrote about one in January that’s only gotten worse). I can understand the justification for streaming media – but this blog? Or my business site?
blackVPN solved both of those problems. I discovered pretty quickly that more than one business offering “free wifi” blocked OpenVPN requests, especially for the big OpenVPN providers you constantly see recommended (like AnchorFree). But they didn’t block another VPN protocol: L2TP/IPSEC. Unlike many other VPN providers, blackVPN provides multiple protocols, even if you just use a single server at the lowest price tier… so now I can make sure my internet stuff is secure no matter what.
And unlike those work and university VPNs, blackVPN’s service has been fast, stable, and worry-free security when I’m on the go.
blackVPN has clear setup instructions for and supports Windows, OSX, Linux, Android, and iOS.
The lowest price tier is five euros (about $3 right now) for a month – with no auto-recurring fees. Use the referral code HBJSCFM when you sign up, and you can get up to two months free (and I get two weeks added onto my own. But I’m recommending them anyway.)
I’ve been using the service for about a month now with no problems and no regrets – and I’ll definitely continue with them. Check ’em out – even if it’s just for your smartphone while you’re out and about.
Which makes me wonder how to roll my own VPN on that protocol.