Are VPNs banned?

[Avra]

So I recently purchased a VPN service and it's been working great. But today I went onto the forums here and was just greeted with a big old BANNED banner. Of course I figured it was the VPN and switched it off. Sure enough, I wasn't banned at all. But that makes me wonder, are VPNs just flat out banned here? Or is this a one off with some blacklist? Can anything be done? I would of course like to use the service I'm paying for but I do understand that VPNs are also often used for, let's say, unwanted behavior. 🤔

[VickySGV]

If for some reason your VPN or its relatives has been the source of other trouble for us from other unwanted visitors to the site then we will have banned it as a block of VPNs.  @Petra Jane who owns the site here has had to block several services where we were receiving bogus bot applications from sites we do not want to have getting into the members only areas.  My own presence here is through a VPN which I actually did not know about until the mess we have been dealing with started.  By including Petra Jane on this reply, possibly you and she can figure the best to do for both sites.  I know I am on a VPN through my Network Service Provider because a research tool we use for admitting members actually blocks me on occasion.  VPNs as a whole are ok unless the block of them has caused us trouble managing the site here. 

[Petra Jane]

No, VPNs are not blocked, per say, however any that have been used by Russian bots or groups intent on bringing down the site or server, have been blocked and honestly are unlikely to be unblocked.

 

If you want to let me know, privately, the ip your VPN uses that you found to be blocking you, I will take a look at why it was blocked in the first place. No promise that it will be unblocked but I am willing to look at least.

 

 

[Avra]

That makes sense, totally understandable! Some people suck...

[Ladypcnj]

I had purchased an antivirus software with my credit card that comes with VPN protection, and I also get the same problem, but a little differently when certain web browsers, pop up message suggesting for me to turn it off? why am I paying for a service but only to turn it off?

[Petra Jane]

1 hour ago, Ladypcnj said:

I had purchased an antivirus software with my credit card that comes with VPN protection, and I also get the same problem, but a little differently when certain web browsers, pop up message suggesting for me to turn it off? why am I paying for a service but only to turn it off?

No idea, so far as I know, if you visit using one of the spammers favourite VPN IPs, you shouldn’t be able to access the forums.

[Avra]

9 hours ago, Ladypcnj said:

I had purchased an antivirus software with my credit card that comes with VPN protection, and I also get the same problem, but a little differently when certain web browsers, pop up message suggesting for me to turn it off? why am I paying for a service but only to turn it off?

Be careful about software bundled with your antivirus! Most likely they are using it to spy on you. As far as I know the only 2 VPN providers that actually protect your data (and delete it as soon as possible if they keep anything at all) are Proton VPN and Mulvad VPN - the latter one actually had their servers stormed by law enforcement and they walked away with nothing (cause Mulvad had no customer data to offer). I would avoid antiviruses altogether tbh, they're not a magic cure for internet safety and the built in one from Microsoft does its job well enough. If you're not on WIndows you don't even need one - just be smart about what you download of course.

 

Your web browser asking you to turn it off is probably because the browser would prefer to know your real location, just ignore it or pick a better browser, like Firefox.

[awkward-yet-sweet]

It seems to me that antivirus software often acts like a virus.  McAfee is really tough to get rid of.  I got a laptop a few years ago that had it pre-installed.  Didn't want it, and the process to cut out every last piece of it took a long time. 

 

As for VPNs, check out Ultrasurf:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultrasurf

 

It may not be the best, but it is free and seems to bypass many government restrictions.  Its one of the few tools in GF's toolbox that I actually understand how to use.  As in...click the button!

[Ladypcnj]

I have this one particular antivirus with the VPN, I thought I paid for everything to be activated, but it turns out to be I have basic protection and they want more money from me to turn it on. I wished the store salesperson told me this soon, I would have brought something else that has everything in it, not half protection missing lol

[Lydia_R]

1 hour ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

It seems to me that antivirus software often acts like a virus.

 

Yes, my programmer friends and I think that antivirus software is a virus.  It's constantly searching your system and slowing it down.  If you install your own OS and software on your machine, and you make backups of your personal files, then you can recover from viruses in an hour or two.  My computer is 10+ years old and is working as good as the first day I had it.

 

As long as my computer is doing what I want it to do, I don't care if someone is spying on my system.

[Ladypcnj]

Hi Lydia, I had McAfee before on my other computer and it allowed over 19 viruses to come in yikes lol

[Avra]

On 5/2/2024 at 12:55 AM, Lydia_R said:

 

Yes, my programmer friends and I think that antivirus software is a virus.  It's constantly searching your system and slowing it down.  If you install your own OS and software on your machine, and you make backups of your personal files, then you can recover from viruses in an hour or two.  My computer is 10+ years old and is working as good as the first day I had it.

 

As long as my computer is doing what I want it to do, I don't care if someone is spying on my system.

That sounds pretty accurate. I'm just glad I don't use Windows anymore, as I basically consider Windows itself a virus/malware. Backups can absolutely save you from some types of malware like ransomware. However it's ideal to just not get infected by having smart browsing habits. It's been said, and very accurately so, that the best antivirus is you - even the best antivirus isn't 100% accurate in detecting bad stuff, if you go out looking for that stuff or browse carelessly.

 

I guess if you don't care and/or don't have sensitive data on your PC, then that's fine I suppose. I personally care a lot - personal accounts, private messages, and even my very presence on this site aren't necessarily things I want to be public knowledge. 🤓🫠

[Avra]

On 5/1/2024 at 11:08 PM, awkward-yet-sweet said:

As for VPNs, check out Ultrasurf:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultrasurf

Ha, that's funny - I swear this is the one I used to use in high school to get around school blockers and play games. 😅🤦‍♀️

 

Though I'd be wary of using a free VPN today, if your only intent is bypassing censorship, I guess it works. Proton VPN also has a free tier with a limited selection of countries/servers. I feel more comfortable recommending them as they actively try to fight censorship with new evolving VPN protocols, and they protect your privacy. They are also directly funded by their paying customers. So there is really no downside to using their free tier over another free VPN that may not have the same goals/values.

[Ashley0616]

My VPN is Surf Shark. It has been good to me so far.