I have read their blogs and guides related to SPN vs VPN, but I am not sure how changing connected VPN servers for each connection (actually, each website or origin?) like SPN does offers privacy and security advantages over a regular VPN.
It may be that by changing the destination server for each website, one can hope to create the appearance of multiple online identities, but the VPN service recommended by PG has so many connectees on each server that it may be enough.
On the other hand, depending on the number of connectees and connection paths of the servers that the SPN connects to, wouldn’t this add a new data point for tracking/surveillance?
I would say that most common threat models are ok with a single or double VPN hops. In the worst case you can have a system wide VPN with one browser excluded, and in that browser you can have a VPN addon for other server if there is some activity you don’t want to be associated with your usuals.
I think that SPN would be mostly useful for highly exposed people.
VPN integration has been on the coming features to be done in 2024 since i started using them over the summer. I’m not sure if the time frame has changed or not now though.
What do you do when a banking website doesn’t load and you have many other tabs opened? Or reddit is blocking you because you use a VPN? If you disconnect, I learned that all other tabs will probably see your real IP.
The way I’m doing it right now, is leave the tab that doesn’t load for last. When only that one remains, I disconnect my VPN.
I could also use the solution by Jonah,
but I’d need to download a 4th browser and I don’t think I want to do that.
SPN seems like a great solution, but this
threw me off. Anyone else that uses it can share their experience?
I wonder if SPN’s strengths are its advanced split tunneling and flexible multi-hop capabilities, and with IVPN’s acquisition of Safing, I have a feeling those will eventually be implemented in IVPN as well.
Similar but not quite as bad I don’t think. I’ve only been using it for a little over a month now and while I have had some hiccoughs, it hasn’t been terrible. You can run it in parallel with a vpn that is split tunneling for apps that you want to come out in specific locations, and it has mostly worked fine for me.
The few issues I’ve had I’m not sure if they’re portmaster, the SPN, or my network itself. I moved around the time I set this up and so haven’t had a known good network to test on. Usually when I’m having issues though it’s effecting the VPN and the apps sent through SPN that aren’t routed through the VPN, so it could be a conflict, the network, or something else.
One thing to remember though is that the dev team has been essentially three people from what I understand, and now with IVPN coming in, if they don’t mess things up, it should get much better going forward.
Personally I’m hoping their Android app that’s in beta right now can be turned into essentially RethinkDNS but with SPN built in. And for general UI improvements on their desktop app. Oh, and the VPN support that I’m doubting will show up this year like it’s mentioned at this point…