Is it worth making your own VPN?
It can be a good idea, since you will be using your own IP-number, or in the case of the cheapest VPS, you will share the IP-number with only a few people.
This case is not the greatest for privacy, but if you want to use streaming services (like the BBC iPlayer), it could work in your advantage.
And by using your own VPN service, you can control the logging.
Holy shit, this guy could not be more wrong.
A VPN is geared to addressing two problems:
- Your provider logging your activity
- Websites tracking your activity and being able to identify you
By using your own VPS, which only you are using, you’re completely throwing away the second aspect. To external websites, it doesn’t matter if you’re using a sole IP from your ISP, or a sole IP from your VPS. If it stays consistent, you will be tracked and identified. You need the traffic of other users who have, and will in the future, use the IP you’re currently using to anonymize you.
You also have not solved the first problem of your network provider logging your activity. Yes, your ISP is no longer capable of logging you, but your VPS provider now becomes that weak link in the chain. All you’ve done is shifted the issue.
Yes, it is possible a VPN could be logging you. But when it comes down to a VPN provider who is an ardent contributor to the EFF and professes all the steps they undertake to reduce the amount of data they collect from you, versus a VPS provider who tells you they log to track TOS violations and network abuse? Geez, I wonder which is more likely to log you.
And then this guy goes completely off the rails when acknowledging the above:
As a disclaimer, if you’re renting a server, they can always be taking a look at what you’re doing, however if you’re making your own VPN you could also use even a server in your own house if you wanted to. And that would 100% ensure that no one else’s eyes are on your server except for yours.
So… yeah…
Anyway! Yes, rolling your own VPN can partially shield you on open WiFi networks (which to be fair, seems to be the only concern he has). And while a “DIY VPN” is still technically a VPN, you will never get what people use VPNs for.
His ultimate conclusion of using a paid VPN is correct, but his reasons for that conclusion (“reliability”, “ease of setup”) are just all wrong. The goal of a VPN is privacy, and you won’t get that if you use a personal “private” one.
For work related stuff and ease to connect to your office/personal servers? Definitely!
For doing shady shits online? Absolutely not!
I mostly agree with you on that. But wait, where is there a case when you’d share an IP with a VPS? I thought a VPS always had to have a dedicated IP?
Good insight, thanks for the comprehensive reply! I make these threads to stir up discussion, and you brought up some points I didn’t think about.
Show me a non-dubious vpn service for $4 a year.
There are very cheap VPS services, using OpenVZ, where customers share the same IPv4 number (but they receive their own unique IPv6 number).
In such a case, one receives 20 port numbers (like 6001 to 6020) to use to run whatever (like OpenVPN, it can run on any port).
These services cost like $4 a year, but are very, very basic and come with a grand total of 3gb of storage.
If only this made any sense (which it doesn’t).
Didn’t know about that. Cool.