HotSpotVPN ?

This group has been a big help to me. Another question please.

I just signed up at HotSpotVPN (thanks to an earlier post) and installed as
they instructed but I do not understand how it works.

I have a HotSpotVPN wireless Internet connect icon but it only works when I
am already connected to a network. How does that work? Am I suppose to log
on as usual then connect using HotSpotVPN?

Dennis

Dennis Vogel <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I just signed up at HotSpotVPN (thanks to an earlier post) and installed as
> they instructed but I do not understand how it works.

> I have a HotSpotVPN wireless Internet connect icon but it only works when I
> am already connected to a network. How does that work? Am I suppose to log
> on as usual then connect using HotSpotVPN?

That is correct. With VPN, there are two pieces to the connection. One is
a network transport, which would be whatever internet connection you
establish. The other piece is the encrypted tunnel to some VPN server.

With this service, you encrypt your wireless or public data to their
server, and then, presumably travel from there to some other locations.

Your data will still travel unencrypted on the internet from their site,
unless you use some other encryption as well.

This also means that all of your data travels through their servers,
subject to whatever sniffing, monitoring, and logging they might want to
do.

$8.88 per month at http://www.hotspotvpn.com/ for the VPN solution, plus
whatever connectivity you provide via some other source.

http://www.Boingo.com also offers a VPN service in conjunction with their
wireless hotspot connectivity. I can't see how much that costs on top of
the fee for Boingo Access. I don't know if it works when you aren't
connected to a Boingo hotspot.

Some home routers offer VPN endpoints. I'm not sure if you can use one of
those in a similar fashion.

Some ISPs offer VPN. http://www.sonic.net/hotspots/ requires that
you connect to their hotspots via VPN. I don't know if that VPN is
available when you are connected via some other source.


--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

So even though it seems I'm somehow connected twice, the first on the normal
un-encrypted connection, then HotSpotVPN gets between myself and the free
WiFi connection and encrypts my information. Is that correct?

I'm leaving in a few days in my RV for a few months and this group has been
a big help.

Thanks again,

Dennis





> > I just signed up at HotSpotVPN (thanks to an earlier post) and installed
as
> > they instructed but I do not understand how it works.
>
> > I have a HotSpotVPN wireless Internet connect icon but it only works
when I
> > am already connected to a network. How does that work? Am I suppose to
log
> > on as usual then connect using HotSpotVPN?
>
> That is correct. With VPN, there are two pieces to the connection. One
is
> a network transport, which would be whatever internet connection you
> establish. The other piece is the encrypted tunnel to some VPN server.
>
> With this service, you encrypt your wireless or public data to their
> server, and then, presumably travel from there to some other locations.
>
> Your data will still travel unencrypted on the internet from their site,
> unless you use some other encryption as well.
>
> This also means that all of your data travels through their servers,
> subject to whatever sniffing, monitoring, and logging they might want to
> do.
>
> $8.88 per month at http://www.hotspotvpn.com/ for the VPN solution, plus
> whatever connectivity you provide via some other source.
>
> http://www.Boingo.com also offers a VPN service in conjunction with their
> wireless hotspot connectivity. I can't see how much that costs on top of
> the fee for Boingo Access. I don't know if it works when you aren't
> connected to a Boingo hotspot.
>
> Some home routers offer VPN endpoints. I'm not sure if you can use one of
> those in a similar fashion.
>
> Some ISPs offer VPN. http://www.sonic.net/hotspots/ requires that
> you connect to their hotspots via VPN. I don't know if that VPN is
> available when you are connected via some other source.
>
>
> --
> ---
> Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5
>

Dennis Vogel <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> So even though it seems I'm somehow connected twice, the first on the normal
> un-encrypted connection, then HotSpotVPN gets between myself and the free
> WiFi connection and encrypts my information. Is that correct?

Right. You would be able to surf after connecting to the internet.
Establishing the VPN between your laptop and the server at hostpotvpn will
encrypt the data between you and hotspotvpn. You will actually surf from
their server onto the internet.

The VPN should also prevent someone from connecting to your PC directly,
and prevent you from accessing anything directly without passing through
hotspotvpn servers.

You should have a personal firewall on your laptop anyway. The VPN server
at hotspotvpn needs to be added to the "trusted" servers on that firewall.
Everything else, especially "local subnet" could be blocked while
travelling.

---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5