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What is VPN? I never understood it.

In short: have a secure network over an insecure network. Sure, you could also other ways like SSH, but VPN is relative transparent for the user and applications.
I have a IPSec-VPN gateway at home so i can easy access from anywhere to my server at home.

To OP: I use FreeBSD based distribution called: pfSense. https://www.pfsense.org. It contains the required IPSec server components and use iDevices with the build-in VPN client.
 
commonly used by those bastard file sharing people...

Basically take for example a VPN provider like PIA....You will have an icon in your windows taskbar tray that if you right click will give the option to enable or disable the VPN service.. When enabled you also get a drop down of countries that you would like to choose from to show where your IP is/where you are connecting from...Then this same IP is shared by 100's or 1000's of other people.

So basically I am in USA, but i can show my IP and location as being pretty much anywhere in the world.
 
Why would anyone need vpn to share files? Most file sharers do not as targeting for this is VERY rare..

Commonly used by people outside of the us to try and get their money's worth. For example netflix mexico sucks but costs the same as those that get netflix usa, with vpn you can get netflix usa. I would say changing one's ip to the us is the biggest use.
 
Why would anyone need vpn to share files? Most file sharers do not as targeting for this is VERY rare..

Commonly used by people outside of the us to try and get their money's worth. For example netflix mexico sucks but costs the same as those that get netflix usa, with vpn you can get netflix usa. I would say changing one's ip to the us is the biggest use.

wrong..there are people everyday getting copyright infringement notices from comcast/time warner and other providers because of there illegally download music, software or movies. The VPN is a work around for this..
 
commonly used by those bastard file sharing people...

Basically take for example a VPN provider like PIA....You will have an icon in your windows taskbar tray that if you right click will give the option to enable or disable the VPN service.. When enabled you also get a drop down of countries that you would like to choose from to show where your IP is/where you are connecting from...Then this same IP is shared by 100's or 1000's of other people.

So basically I am in USA, but i can show my IP and location as being pretty much anywhere in the world.

Commonly used by corporate road warriors, to securely link back to company network.

Or people who want to VPN back into their home on the go, so they can do things securely from public wifi.
 
I have a Cisco ASA at home with an AnyConnect license. I use that to tunnel via IPSec or SSL (if the former is blocked) whenever I use my laptop, iPads or phone on public wifi. All my traffic is encrypted back home before it goes out to the internet.
 
i need to use it to get my songza and netflix account to work on my iphone while i'm stuck here in australia. I'm going back home to NYC in december or march so just a work around until im back on US soil.
 
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