Virtual Private Network - who uses one?

[mcatrophy]

Can you tell me exactly what you have, make and model,

Mikrotik RB750Gr. I suspect this particular model is no longer current, but is still available from some suppliers - Google is your friend.

Link to the software manual here. Regretfully I won't be able to provide help in setting one up.

Mikrotik do a full range of routers, see here.

 

[FJR Flyer]

Yes, all of our PCs are running Win10. We all have Lenovo laptops because I bought them with an employee discount. Thank you for the pointer to Malwarebytes. I will try the free version on my laptop.. The annual fee for the paid version is pretty steep, especially if I want o install it on multiple devices. 

I've found Super Anti-Spyware to be effective, as well.  They also have a free version. Between the two, you'll get most everything.

 

[BanjoBoy]

Yes, all of our PCs are running Win10. We all have Lenovo laptops because I bought them with an employee discount. Thank you for the pointer to Malwarebytes. I will try the free version on my laptop.. The annual fee for the paid version is pretty steep, especially if I want o install it on multiple devices. 

I like the free version, cuz it isn't running in the background slowing yer 'puter. (Super Anti-Spyware too.) But after you load Malwarebytes, do all the updates, and run a scan, you wanta deactivate the trial version. Go to the little gear thing in the upper right, then account, and somewhere in there is a place to deactivate the premium version.

 

[Bounce]

The reason I want to use a VPN is to prevent intruders from access to my personal data, especially financial data, and to protect my devices from attacks. 

I have used the TOR browser but it is not convenient because it doesn't save bookmarks. I realize that is part of the reason it works as it does, but I want to protect my home network while using normal full function browsers. I have a firewall up and WIndows defender running on the windows machines, but that doesn't help with other devices like a Kindle Fire or a smart TV. 

I help my brother with his network stuff too and his ISP provided Router is a MikroTik. The menu system is horrible and the settings are hard to find.  It's far from "powerful" in the class it's competing within (range and options). If it's an option, I would recommend switching to something like an ASUS for better performance and ease of use. If you buy your own, you save the monthly lease fees and can pay for yours often in a year or less. In this case (for others) I would suggest that "intelligent router" be seen as "Wifi/Ethernet NAT Router" (of no particular exception).

Windows 10 "Defender" is all I keep running on my machines. I run MalwareBytes for on-demand scans but don't leave it running. I also disable UPNP on all routers and devices that offer it (Universal Plug and Play) because it can be used to insert unauthorized hardware into your network (from outside and inside sources).

One thing you can do that is VERY effective and not expensive is to build yourself a PiHole. You use a Raspberry Pi board, a project box, and free software and make a DNS "black hole"; blacklisting via a large (maintained) list as well as custom additions as you want. EVERYTHING on your network trying to reach out to places without your permission (smart TVs, light bulbs, phones, computers, etc.).

Easy to build. Relatively easy to setup. Easy to maintain.

I made a text file of the steps used in construction so I didn't have to "gather them up" each time I built one for a family member. I can send it to anyone PMing me.

https://pi-hole.net/

 

[mcatrophy]

I help my brother with his network stuff too and his ISP provided Router is a MikroTik. The menu system is horrible and the settings are hard to find.  It's far from "powerful" in the class it's competing within (range and options). If it's an option, I would recommend switching to something like an ASUS for better performance and ease of use. If you buy your own, you save the monthly lease fees and can pay for yours often in a year or less. In this case (for others) I would suggest that "intelligent router" be seen as "Wifi/Ethernet NAT Router" (of no particular exception).

I did say "what I call an intelligent router", just to differentiate it from simple routers that do little more than join different devices to one common network.

I am not specifically recommending the Mikrotik, but I will say is that it is more than powerful enough, both in abilities and performance, for my needs in a considerably more complex requirement  than the OPs - my web server interface requirements are quite complicated, but totally irrelevant to the OP.

As for the menu structure, my son did find it somewhat less than intuitive, he was occasionally using language that I am quite sure I didn't teach him, and he would sometimes revert to a command line for entering requirements. But then, he often prefers a command line to what are sometimes less than helpful user interfaces in many things he works on.

In the end though it worked, and still works, perfectly. 

 

[Geezer]

Thanks to all of you. Now I have a bunch of stuff to learn. I'm not sure what I will do at this point other than research the various things that have been mentioned here. Good thing I am in lockdown or I might be out having fun instead of poking around the web all day.