Surfshark vs IPVanish – Which VPN is Better?

Ya same here. 39 months for $88 U.S. is a no brainer imho. Love the kill switch, oh and the “auto” start when your device starts. ProtonVPN I always had to manually start.

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Troy twisted my arm and now i’m currently testing Surfshark vs ExpressVPN. It has only been a few hours, and time will tell, but super impressed with Surfshark. I didn’t think anything was as fast for me as Express, but SS seems to be right there. Love the kill switch, ad block feature and unlimited devices. Stay tuned…lol

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Appreciate all of the great feedback on this!

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I switched from IPv to SS due to price. Happy with SS except it’s Wireguard which doesn’t really work with my FS max. Can only use Open/udp.

The SS Protocol selection isn’t the issue, it’s your provider. Some do not have the updated wireguard protocols integrated into their systems. That’s why there are multiple choices:
wireguard
OpenVPN/ UDP (User Datagram Protocol)
IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange version 2)
OpenVPN/ TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)

So ISPs may not support every one.

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I keep hearing about Surfshark’s “camouflage mode”. Can anyone tell me more about this? What I’ve read almost made it seem like this is only available in OpenVPN protocol, is that true? How do you engage it?

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Miki you are a wealth of knowledge and we are very lucky to have you here you never stop to amaze me on the diversity of your knowledge thanks to you and all the other people who make up this place :clap::v::grin:

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So the faster WireGuard Protocol doesnt offer a safer Camouflage setting?

No it doesn’t and I have no clue why. Going hunting to see if I can get an answer. Well I read a few articles and did not find a definitive answer, only that obfuscation doesn’t work with wireguard. There were all sorts of terms I’ll have to take time to study and understand. Although "Wireguard " is faster, apparengly it’s also easier to identify. So “lurkers”, or what ever they call the trolls that watch “internet traffic”, can tell when the wireguard is being used, and while it does "encrypt " your connection and they cannot tell “what” you are doing, they can easily recognize that it’s a VPN stream and block it. But for me it’s a trade off. While I might get blocked by some sites I at least get great speeds 80+ down but should I need to access the site that is blocking wireguard traffic I can switch to the UDP protocol and get speeds of 45+ , good enough for streaming. So more questions than answers but a lot of that has to do with my lack of knowledge.

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Great research!!! :star_struck: For my own knowledge on ExpressVPN in the same situation, here is what I found:

"Stealth servers, stealth mode or obfuscated servers are all methods employed to mask VPN usage from Deep Packet Inspection (DPI). Oppressive governments, streaming services, and some other websites use Deep Packet Inspection as an anti-VPN technology.

ExpressVPN doesn’t have stealth servers as an option in the server selection, nor are they talking about it in their blog or features page, so it’s hard to determine if they really exist.

However, once asked directly, ExpressVPN support claim that stealth servers are available when connecting to a protocol that’s chosen automatically by the service. Once the VPN detects DPI, your connection automatically switches to stealth servers.

So, even though there is no way easy way to intentionally test and inspect ExpressVPN stealth servers, there is also no point in assuming that they don’t exist."

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Once a year I survey and try VPNs to evaluate what works best for me. One of my requirements is port forwarding. Surfshark and IPVanish don’t offer this option, so their service is not viable . While not for me, it can be “da bomb” for you. :index_pointing_at_the_viewer: :+1:

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Is there a VPN that supports port forwarding? Unless done properly, like on the router, this can be virtually the same as leaving a window open at your cottage while locking everything else down. in a word insecure. So I think for security most VPNs don’t implement this feature.

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My reply is an emphatic yes! The world is a big place, without imposed limitations. Can PM as this is not related to OP.

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It’s ok tx. I don’t need or want port forwarding. I got a VPN to add to my security, not find ways to bypass it. SS chose not to add this for the same reason, security.

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You didn’t bring receipts. Lame.

Being dismissal isn’t a good look. You made your point with me.

? Sorry I certainly did not intend this to come across as dismissive, nor to offend you in any way. You dismissed SS out of hand because of a function it doesn’t implement due to that function being insecure. So I was curious as to what VPN would actually add such an insecure feature. I apologize if this came across as anything more than a discussion. Have a good night.

Not sure what the receipts comment means or refers to.

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There is a VPN and if I recall, one of the 10 main ones typically listed when one searches that does support port forwarding for those who want to use it. I understand in some circumstances, one might need it but I would never want to have that on all the time either, so it would have to be an option to turn it on when needed.

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Some have “port tripping” as well. For designated apps it opens a port to bypass the vpn but only for a brief period of time. Not sure if you can set the length of time it remains open. I haven’t played around with this stuff since my site Firewall days. Ancient history. :wink: :skull_and_crossbones: