Advanced privacy VPN, or other VPN, or the 2?

Using /e/OS Applications
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1

Hello everyone.

I would like to know the difference in terms of data security quality compared to:

  • Advanced privacy (everything is activated so the VPN is running).
  • If other VPNs (example proton VPN or cyberghost) are better?
  • If having advanced privacy active + another VPN in addition (if this is possible on smartphone) is more effective?

I am not talking about watching streaming etc… only knowing in terms of security, IP anonymity etc… which is the most effective :slight_smile: .

Thank you for your future answers.

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Yes, one has to decide because the System (Android, eOS…) provides only one single VPN-interface that apps can use to control traffic. Be it an app that routes traffic through a vpn-service or through TOR or that filters traffic based on DNS or that acts as firewall. (talking of not-rooted phones)

AP´s VPN uses the TOR-Network in order to hide the IP.
That can be rather slow and TOR may have downsides because the exit nodes can be surveyed.

So what is “better” in terms of VPN?
It all depends on your threat model and on what you want to achieve.
If you use a VPN-service you need to trust + pay the provider.

In the few situations I cannot avoid using a public wifi-network I might use the VPN-service of blokada (5) or Mullvad (trustworthy enough imo).
Switching VPN on the device can be cumbersome and is not ideal for quick tasks…

My current default is using only Trackers Blocker-function of AP plus personalDNS for the VPN-interface (an app that adds a bit more local blocking of trackers + adds on top of it - one might call it redundance…).

From what I´ve seen (for a not-rooted phone) rethinkDNS seems to be the most complete one-stop-app for a single VPN-interface as it includes DNS-filtering, VPN-service and a firewall. That´s quite cool but requires some digging to set it up I presume, never seriously used it so far.
But it might be disputable whether this is “better” than using all of AP´s functions (back to your threat model…)

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Thanks for your advice, On PC I have Cyberghost (account sharing) but on smartphone I don’t have an account as such.

If I understand correctly according to your advice I leave active in advanced privacy “blocked tracker” “fake position”, but in fact to use another VPN I have to deactivate “real IP address”.

Is there a way to be able to leave the whole thing connected with in + a VPN (on smartphone E / OS)? because for example with proton VPN this is not possible I have to deactivate the VPN of the Tor network included on E / OS.

I am 95% of my time on mobile networks and the 5% is for example public wifi.

So currently according to what I have, on mobile network stay on Tor and on public wifi a VPN (Proton, or Nord VPN or Cyberghost)?

4

that´s right
You can enable/disable the 3 functions of AP completely independent from each other
if hide my ip is OFF, you are free to use the VPN-interface of the device with whatever other app that you like

not sure if I understand your point correctly.
when hide my ip is OFF it should easily be possible to install any VPN-app and let it configure its VPN for the devices VPN-interface and then use it w/o caring about AP (= in system settings the AP-VPN is switched OFF)

In my understanding any VPN-service is (more or less…) as good as using AP´s hide my ip (via TOR) - least in terms of hiding the IP.
So there is no need to switch back and forth (imo).

But there is no way of using hide my ip (via TOR) AND a VPN-service simultaneously because there is only one single VPN-interface in the device. You have to decide.

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You answered my question, so I’ll see about getting a VPN to replace Fake IP from advanced privacy, I noticed that some VPNs work with the Thor network at the same time

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