Ask Slashdot: Finding a Trustworthy VPN Service? 193
New submitter Cheeze ball writes "I've recently moved to Europe and I'd like to setup a VPN so I can get Hulu, Netflix, and a few other services. I've found plenty of sites offering cheap VPN services, but they all seem just a tad too shady. Searching for any reviews on them only brings up pages of positive reviews on sites whose only content is said review. Does anyone have any suggestions on reliable reasonably safe VPN?"
Why! (Score:2, Insightful)
Why go through all that trouble just to watch crappy, advertising-riddled American TV? You're in Europe! I don't understand why anyone would *want* to watch US TV unless they had no other choice (meaning, they live in the US).
Re:Is it legal? (Score:5, Insightful)
There's practically zero chance of them finding out. They would need to somehow know that the IP address of the VPN server is illegitimate (that's pretty unlikely already), and then convince that VPN service to hand over your personally identifiable information.
And if they do catch you, what crime do they have you for? Violation of the terms of service?
Re:You're using it for Hulu and Netflix, safety, W (Score:2, Insightful)
Not OP, but it seems rather obvious that he's concerned about his prospective VPN/VPS "neighbors"..
People do use these services for various shady activities, and if a guy is using e.g. a legit Netflix account /w his real name and such, he'd probably prefer not to have the hardware seized and examined by the cops (thus becoming a suspect / accessory) because someone else on the service was using it for illegal purposes.
Re:Run your own (Score:4, Insightful)
The same rackspace from the other day that allowed an unauthorized user to access another's account and transfer several domains, and then offered a paltry half month of free hosting as compensation?
Yes, that same rackspace.
Is there a list of providers that never fucked up somewhere? Because I personally don't know of any.
I had a lot of trust in Linode until the recent BitCoin Heist revealed that any machine could have been raided. I trusted Hetzner until I heard of some abuse of their admin tools.
Re:Is it legal? (Score:4, Insightful)
What really irks me about geographical restrictions is their totalitarian approach. I keep a permanent address in the US along with a few bank accounts and whatnot. But if I subscribe to a US-based service with my American address and bank account, I'm only allowed to use it while I'm physically within the US. I understand the reasoning--that stuff airs abroad at different times and with different distribution/carrier agreements--but as far as Hulu or Netflix is concerned, I live in the US and just travel 99% of the time... I mean, I still have to file US taxes (because taxes are based on citizenship and residence, so I get to file taxes in two countries) but PayPal/Hulu/Netflix/etc. throw a temper tantrum unless I log in through a US-based VPN... Anyway, it seems unlikely that a citizen living abroad who pays for a streaming service in their own country would be extradited for violating the TOS; more likely to happen to someone re-selling access or broadcasting it in a pub or something.
Re:Run your own (Score:4, Insightful)
The same rackspace from the other day that allowed an unauthorized user to access another's account and transfer several domains, and then offered a paltry half month of free hosting as compensation?
If all you install is OpenVPN, what do you care? Machine compromised? Reinstall the whole thing with a different set of keys. Problem solved.
I'd say that for this purpose a hosting company that is not too rigid on the procedures is all the better.
Why bother? Just pirate it. (Score:5, Insightful)
The reason you can't use Netflix and Hulu is that the copyright holders have insisted that your money is no good. If they knew some of the money they were receiving was coming from you, they would be furious and look for any way possible to force you to take it back. They're already pissed off enough that Americans are still paying them, and they're constantly working on ways to make us stop.
Bittorrent avoids the problem. Why keep fighting to pay someone who doesn't want your business, when even greater interoperability (anything can play a avi/mp4/mkv file), higher bitrate, better uptime/reliability, and lower bills? They don't want anyone as customers, but especially you.
Either switch to piracy, or come to terms with the fact that you will be playing a constant game of cat-and-mouse and escalating arms races in order to do business with someone who is playing the same game with the goal of avoiding doing business. This is Hollywood we're talking about, who practically invented the idea of accounting tricks to avoid profits. Now that everyone sees through the fraudulent accounting, the endgame is to make the lack of revenue real and if you fight them by paying, you are picking a fight with the very best, most highly experienced, brilliant losers. I don't care how bad-ass you think you are, with your tricks to make a suicidal industry have revenue against its will, but you are likely out-matched. Get realistic.