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Is it really worthwhile getting a VPN

Brer

By Brer
in Audio Visual AV

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Brer Senior Member

Brer

Posted
Posted

Just wondered what people think about subscribing to a VPN in Thailand.

I am not into porn or other dubious internet stuff.

i just use my android box for watching sport and movies from around the world and sometimes Australian TV without going through a VPN.

Are there any risks attached these days? It seems a lot of people I know don’t subscribe to a VPN either

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johng Ruby Member

johng

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The old saying...if you're not doing anything wrong then what have you got to worry about ?

( not that I believe/advocate that saying)

 

I don't subscribe to a VPN either..as there isn't a "need to"  for me, plus unless ( and even if you did )

you have set the VPN up yourself at both ends there is no real guarantee it will make things "safer"   

ie: instead of trusting your ISP you  instead trust an "unknown" company or fly by night outfit  that they can't/won't snoop on you.  I'm sure there must be some trustworthy VPN providers but who's to tell for sure..they will all say they are the best etc etc.

 

VPN can also slow down your internet...sometimes though it can speed it up,  if the ISP is throttling you, now with fiber in wide use the throttling is not so needed.

 

If it works leave it alone..is another saying I (mostly) subscribe to   ( if it ain't broke don't fix it )

 

 

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Brer Senior Member

Brer

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6 minutes ago, ezzra said:

People mostly get VPN when they''re viewing highly questionable contents or want to watch programs that they're Geo blocked, other than that there isn't any real need for VPN...

That’s what I thought, got around what the Aussie government are blocking without a VPN and I don’t think watching Millionaire Hot Seat would be considered highly questionable, although maybe by some.

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Brer Senior Member

Brer

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1 minute ago, NightSky said:

If you travel and connect to open networks its wise to use a VPN so others dont hack your device or intercept your connection and steel your data. 

 

 

Only using my android box at home on the smart TV.

If I am traveling virtually every decent hotel has a good selection of sport channels to watch.

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phetphet Platinum Member

phetphet

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For me, I can use to watch or download from UK tv channels. e.g. BBC iPlayer.

I also use for online banking, and to access some news sites and newspapers from outside Thailand.

 

Quite funny to see how online adverts change according to your VPN location.

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Tom89 Senior Member

Tom89

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17 minutes ago, phetphet said:

For me, I can use to watch or download from UK tv channels. e.g. BBC iPlayer.

I also use for online banking, and to access some news sites and newspapers from outside Thailand.

 

 

I also want to watch BBC iPlayer. I did a free trial of 1 VPN client, but the BBC still knew I was outside the country. Which VPN do you use?

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AAArdvark Silver Member

AAArdvark

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One thing that happens to me is that I try to access a normal US website but it is blocked because I am not actually in the US.  The simplest thing for me is to use the downloadable Epic Privacy Browser.  It has a built in proxy that bypasses this issue. 

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rumak Platinum Member

rumak

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18 hours ago, Brer said:

just use my android box for watching sport and movies

i have a smart TV,    What kind of android box did you buy and did you get it here in Thailand?

 

I don't know how it all works so if anyone can explain that would be nice

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Crazy Noobie Senior Member

Crazy Noobie

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I have to have a VPN to enter certain websites in the US. For example some of the government related sites will not accept you if they see you are located in Thailand. So by having a VPN I have no issues at all. Another reason was dealing with my bank in the US. As I have been kicked out of my bank account when I go directly from here (Thailand) whereas, when I use a VPN I have no problems at all. I called the bank to find out why and they told me that Thailand is on their badboy list for corruption. And my last reason is, I like to use Hulu for my American TV programs. To use them you have to have a VPN, because they don't let anyone outside the US us them. Netflix does, but Hulu doesn't. So that are the reasons I have to have a VPN account.

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Old Croc Star Member

Old Croc

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There are several reasons it can be a good idea.

If you are stealing TV (pirating) using Kodi addons or similar, there is a slight chance the big producers of that product may come after you one day. A VPN keeps you relatively anonymous.

Also, despite paying for high speed I've found international websites can be very slow. I recently switched from Nord to Express which usually automatically links me to a server in Singapore. I've now found my speeds have greatly increased.

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soisanuk Advanced Member

soisanuk

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33 minutes ago, rumak said:

i have a smart TV,    What kind of android box did you buy and did you get it here in Thailand?

 

I don't know how it all works so if anyone can explain that would be nice

I have an Android TV box purchased through Lazada - search for TV boxes and there are many varying in price from around 1,000 baht on up.  The lower end models have few features. Mine is a TK95Pro with some bells and whistles and some preloaded apps.  Finding new and loading new apps can appear daunting at first.  But, there are many You Tube presentations available explaining how to load apps - many seem to favor the Amazon Firestick, but will often include information on loading apps to other Android boxes.

 

As to a VPN, I now use IPVanish which was recommended by Troy at Troypoint (posts many how to videos on You Tube and his newsletter has links to written instruction for loading different Apps).  IPVanish allows up to 4 devices to use at one time, so I have it on my TV box, iPhone, iPad, and PC - I haven't noticed any degradation in streaming when using it.  Also, I can connect/disconnect with no problem.  IPVanish also includes a signal strength related to your location on their list of servers to choose from -- Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc. offer the stronger signal.

 

Several posts have mentioned some reasons a VPN is good to have, especially when trying to access websites that block Thailand based URLs.  Another is that if you purchase items online, some places will not accept credit card purchases if the URL is in Thailand.  Since my credit cards are in USA, I select a USA based server from IPVanish listing and connect - no problem so far and adequate -- but as mentioned, sometimes a particular website will recognize you are using a VPN and not allow access.

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Jingthing Legendary Member

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36 minutes ago, Crazy Noobie said:

I have to have a VPN to enter certain websites in the US. For example some of the government related sites will not accept you if they see you are located in Thailand. So by having a VPN I have no issues at all. Another reason was dealing with my bank in the US. As I have been kicked out of my bank account when I go directly from here (Thailand) whereas, when I use a VPN I have no problems at all. I called the bank to find out why and they told me that Thailand is on their badboy list for corruption. And my last reason is, I like to use Hulu for my American TV programs. To use them you have to have a VPN, because they don't let anyone outside the US us them. Netflix does, but Hulu doesn't. So that are the reasons I have to have a VPN account.

Can you mention what VPN company that you use? 

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owenm Senior Member

owenm

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I use Nord VPN but only when I need to. A 3 Yr license I think, with up to 5 devices cost very little. Around AUD 100 from memory on a promotion. 

 

Besides the increased security using on-line banking and sensitive data on a public WiFi, you have the benefits of geo roaming when accessing free to air, foxtel and Netflix. Connections aren't always straight forward. Some channels will still detect that you are outside of the country, but with choice of fastest or state by state VPN choices, most will work. 

 

But having said that, watching geo content on a mobile device, android and ios is quite easy. I find on my android 9.0 phone, compared to my tablet android 4.4, using the same Nord VPN, that at times I can connect with my phone, but the same channel on tablet may sometimes block, and vice a versa.

 

You cannot mirror link to your TV from your portable device when it detects that you are using a VPN. To watch on the big screen, you really need to be using your VPN on your computer or notebook. With the appropriate apps on your pc, then viewing isn't an issue. To get it then to your TV use a HDMI cable connection bw the two. Then your content will appear as if you are watching it from your home country, but on the big screen. 

 

And finally not all VPNs are the same. Some fall badly on reliability with unblocking geo. You really want to try before you buy. Get a 30 day trial basis first without having to give credit card details first. I've previously tried several in the past and find Nord has been the best by far. 

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Brer Senior Member

Brer

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1 hour ago, elgenon said:

To the OP and other members. Does anyone know how to see the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team? Without charge?

A couple members say they can view sports.

Hi elegeon

I put the livenettv app onto my android box and also downloaded MX player to play live sport within the app. There is a huge amount of live sport available and I have noticed several time American basketball games.

The only cost is an Android box and a cable to my router.

Almost HD quality then on my TV screen

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Andrew Dwyer Ruby Member

Andrew Dwyer

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15 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

There are several reasons it can be a good idea.

If you are stealing TV (pirating) using Kodi addons or similar, there is a slight chance the big producers of that product may come after you one day. A VPN keeps you relatively anonymous.

Also, despite paying for high speed I've found international websites can be very slow. I recently switched from Nord to Express which usually automatically links me to a server in Singapore. I've now found my speeds have greatly increased.

I too use the Singapore server from ExpressVPN and find it very good.

I change to a uk server for iPlayer and ITVhub etc , although the speed is affected it still suffices to watch without any buffering on iPhone, iPad or laptop.

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wgdanson Silver Member

wgdanson

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1 minute ago, soisanuk said:

Definitely -- you can watch on any device that connects to the Internet. They offer most channels that broadcast US sports events.  So far, minimal problems with connection/streaming.

F1 racing and EPL on ESPN2, great except for the adverts!

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CharlieH Star Member

CharlieH

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The only comment I would make on these VPN's, is dont get sucked in to multiple year sign up until you have tested it thoroughly, they seem to suck you in, then the support or service falls down and it sucks !! Be happy before you commit, just like any other long term relationship ????

take it a few months, before the multi yr, then you wont get burned quite so badly.

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