[Fannie]

Good morning, I suppose that we're all concerned about the right way to use the security tools available to ensure that our connection to the LL servers is the fastest and most secure possible and that our existence is as invisible to the LL as possible.
When considered this, I've never known if it's simply advisable, although not mandatory, to use VPN or proxy applications or if, on the contrary, it's an inescapable duty that everyone should be aware of. What do you think and what would be your arguments to support it?
I have used System VPN apliccations a couple of times and my SL seemed to be in a DeepSpace Black-Hole Snails wearing astronaut helmets passed by me leaving behind fast smoke in their wake as compared to the horrible pea-puree lag where I was drowning!
And in case VPN and/or proxies were essential, can someone advise what is the best combination of free VPN & proxy or, if it is not necessary to use both at the same time, which of the two devices should we choose and why? TIA

[Chiika]

I use PIA (Private Internet Access) for VPN and I have no complaints about it, seems stable and fast enough whenever I'm using it.

It's a paid service but they do run frequent sales on a yearly membership for about $30 USD/year when it's on sale.

[megamaniac]

I use Windscribe, they have a free version you can try if you like. Windscribe encrypts your browsing activity, blocks ads, and unblocks entertainment content.

I have been using this system for a few years. Works great for me.

Available with all this
VPN for Windows
VPN for Mac
VPN for Chrome
VPN for Firefox
VPN for iPhone
VPN for Android
VPN for Linux
VPN for FireTV
VPN for Routers

[heiwashu]

If you are worried about a simple IP ban
It really doesn't matter whether you use a VPN or Proxy, because they will simply record that particular IP and ban it.

If you are worried about hackers monitoring you for example on public wifi
a VPN is better, because your connection is encrypted

If you are worried about government monitoring you (lets say you are from China or other oppressive country).
The jurisdiction of your VPN is important, VPN's in certain countries can be forced to hand over your data. Especially Free VPN's.

If you are not worried about being monitored (lets say you are a hacker)
It better to use proxy-chains. Which are basically a bunch of Proxy's linked together in several jurisdictions, making it very hard to find the source, from the victim's POV.

In your case I think it really doesn't matter whether you use Proxy's or VPN's.

[Fannie]

Thank you both very much, Chiika and Megamaniac. Besides the price and features, one of the things that worries me the most is the connection speed, to efficiently avoid my always combated pea-purees Have you both measured what rate of speed reduction applies each of the two systems?

[xXravenXx]

Proxy's are only useful for fooling a service into thinking you are in another country, they offer no protection at all.

There are 2 types of VPN's, ones that are 100% anonymous and don't keep any logs at all, they will also encourage their members to use bitcoin for xtra anonymity.

https://torrentfreak.com/best-vpn-anonymous-no-logging/

Read that link above.

Then you get others like Windscribe, though they do encrypt your data, they are not anonymous as they do keep some logs of their users activities even in the paid version.

Doesn't matter if the logs are only kept for a super short time for whatever reason, if you were the unlucky one to be in those logs when seized, you're screwed.

So for general activities that are legal, a vpn like windscribe is fine, if you are not doing something your country classes as legal, then you need a vpn like PIA and similar that have no information to give out to a court order.

[heiwashu]

ExpressVPN has consistently been named as the best and fastest VPN, but also the most expensive.
Jurisdiction: British Virgin Islands

[Fannie]

If you are worried about a simple IP ban
It really doesn't matter whether you use a VPN or Proxy, because they will simply record that particular IP and ban it.

It's true, LL could ban the free IP of the VPN and as a result the whole world will be stuck on this banning!
But the fact that those IP used by some free VPN examples (like the typical Opera's built-in VPN - Asia Europe and America, only three different IPs) are never banned, couldn't be a good prove that they're good enough to hide your web activities in the internet?
Oh and, btw, is there any way to use those browser free built-in VPNs in SL viewers to logging?
Answering your questions, Heiwashu, what I'm worried about is simply being discovered as a CB user in SL. I'm terrified of the very idea, actually. But the programs in this forum are perfect and robust enough to hide all the forbidden activities in SL. So I'm only worried about those unknown things that LL can or could do with our PC but we don't know or consider yet that can be done. And that is the point for me to be precavious!
And finally, and ending, regarding my own initial questions, what concrete, and fast enough VPN free tools to avoid black-holes when I'm inworld, do you consider to be necessary in any CD user case, Heiwashu? TIA.

---

There are 2 types of VPN's, ones that are 100% anonymous and don't keep any logs at all, they will also encourage their members to use bitcoin for xtra anonymity.

Thank you, Raven. In fact, I'm always thinking that if I were LL what could I do to discover all the CB people? But I can't think of anything new that hasn't already been said on these useful pages, although, as is always said, fear is free hahaha
 

Then you get others like Windscribe, though they do encrypt your data, they are not anonymous as they do keep some logs of their users activities even in the paid version ...

Ty for this info!

[heiwashu]

If you just want to keep your main account out of trouble. I would not worry about your IP, as this is a rare ban.

I would be more worried about your MAC and ID0 hash.

Darkstorm and similiar viewers only allow for one MAC and ID0 to be used in the entire viewer which is dangerous.
This can lead to a ban of all alt-accounts if you do not manually manage this.

I submitted code for developers to implement a auto-managed MAC and ID0, but nobody has implemented it yet.
  *  https://forum.copybot.club/Thread-Login-Spoofer



EDIT 22 04 2021
* removed download link - and added the link to your share. 
keep downloads out of threads like this.  
nails

[Fannie]

Currently Darkstorm and similiar viewers only allow for one MAC and ID0 to be used for all accounts which is dangerous, as it can still lead to a ban of all accounts if you do not manage this properly.

Sorry but I haven't understod this. For the time being, I'm usign both DS and R and they have the useful possibility to spoof credentiales as many times as you need, virtually infinite times. What have I missed?
For me the only "unconfortability", so to say, is the need to set, from the "spoof" button, a concrete MAC and ID0 to every avatar (its own) every time I open any viewer. But that is it.
I don't know if I have understood well.