I’ve had IP Vanish since you recommended it over 5 years ago.
I do NOT ever use a VPN with any other device. Tablet , Phone, or Laptop.
I only stream on my TV.
Why would I “need” an IP Vanish KILL SWITCH enabled.
I watched your video just now from your email .
Sometimes the vpn will disconnect and you arent aware. With the kill switch on you won’t have any internet access to your device until you activate the vpn connection again.
That way you arent accidently showing your isp what you dont want them to see.
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Thank you for responding. So I’ll just add a few add-on points.
My Firestick 4k max is such an unstable piece of junk. ( and I four of them for the last 8 years. That if I don’t Pull it out of it’s connection to the HDMI input. every two days.
It doesn’t work at all . 6 months already. Amazon replaced in Sept. And two months later the same nonsense. So the VPN is always crashing. Takes 10 seconds to reboot.
This doesn’t happen with the original ONN Box. I have 3 different apps telling me if
my VPN is connected blinking red or green in the tiny corners of my TV.
I always know when the VPN is ON or OFF.
But I still don’t understand the function of the kill switch on my TV.
I truly understand that if you’re streaming on the phones, tablets etc.
That you internet security is of greater importance.
My particular issue with a VPN on those devices is that it interferes
with my Tbird mail service. It acts like it’s unauthorized spam filter.
So I never use a VPN on the smaller devices. Just Personal Preference.
But I don’t use the normal functions of the WWW on my TV.
Just tv’s and movies from the usual APK"S
A kill switch is vital to a VPN for streaming so you don’t get letters from the (c) owners of what you’re watching. In Canada, our Isp’s do NOT give out our information but my understanding is that in certain states that might not be the case. It’s the reason I left IP Vanish over three years ago because of a perfectly integrated kill switch. I just renewed again this past Sept and spoke to IP Vanish again, they had as shown a separate app, not integrated but could not guarantee then it would be available for Android other that Fire Sticks. I passed. It seems they still can’t integrate it. I wonder why. Until it’s as solid as SS, I’m not moving back and I have lots of time before I renew again. Perhaps they will finally sort it out.
Troy explains the need for a kill switch clearly and shows it at work in his new article.
The IPVanish kill switch app has been available for Android TV devices for a while now. Not sure why its only being talked about now.
The IPV account on TP gave us a link to download it last year sometime.
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Just speaking for myself. And I deleted my last post when I realized that I was violating
T’s rules and regs. Like naming ISP’s. So I may get a satisfactory answer.
That doesn’ mean I won’t download T’s video instructions. Just for the fun of it .
But I can’t imagine a situation on my Firestick where I would need it.
Anytime I’m watching any streaming app. I see right in front of me at all times
wherther the VPN is ON. And if it crashes . For whatever reason. And periodically it does. I just pause, Go back to the main Firestick screen and click on IP Vanish
and 10 seconds later it’s back on.
The only issue I’ve ever found with IP VAnish is whether their choice of Optimal location is the right one for where I live. And I"m given the choice to pick a different city in the US. But it’s nuisance. You have to scroll thru a couple of hundred cities to chose
a different one.
Well if you want to trust you will always see if the vpn is active then you will not be convinced to uae a killl switch. Its just a layer of protection in case you missed the vpn disconnected.
I switched from optimal location to selecting my own servers on the ipv app. You can save your preferred cities so you dont need to keep looking for them.
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I’m going to take your advice .
But the only reason I’m going to install it ,is for fun.
As far as setting up a personal collection of vpn locations . I’ll look further into ip vanish settings.
I changed a few times. But since I’m using 2 stream devices. It’s a constant struggle to keep the VPN’s working. But I stream NOTHING without the vpn on.
My conclusion after streaming with these device for
8 years.
Is that this is still a very unstable technology.
It took 30 years from 1970 to 2000 for all the cable companies from NYC to LA to refine the cable remote to perfection. Able to watch up to 1000 channels .
Then on to the DVR. And finally. After the Japanese
Advanced High Definition from Sony from about 1978. For cable to finally around 7 years ago, to
offer HD TV. 1080i or p.
Streaming’s got years ahead of it to do serious refining and simplification .
And AI is not going to contribute to that one bit.
But I could be wrong.
Have fun… lol
Your issue is probably the firesticks or your isp. I use IPVanish and dont lose a vpn connection very often. I only use the app on my Nvidia. The others use the vpn through my router.
No. It’s just the Firesticks.
What I think needs refining is that I order to stream one silly episode of any tv series or movie.
I have to sit on my bed or coach with 5 remotes
Within 12” of my hand.
Cable remote
AVR remote
TV remote
Firestick remote
ONN box remote.
That’s what I meant when I said it took 30 years to
refine the cable remote.
And one bump from my hand or my foot and I can bump the rump remote with the slightest touch.
And gone is some part of what I’m watching…
Just as so many viewers were wasting sometimes hundreds of dollars on fancy “UNIVERSAL REMOTES.
in 2000 they became unnecessary.
I use a 25 year old cable remote because it’s so refined today . That I can control every function except the stream devices.
Streaming has years to reach that level of simplicity.
Wow. In the dozen or so different streaming devices and suppliers, I’ve only ever used one remote. Even the hundreds of sticks that I set up for American expats I never once had problems setting up the remote to control TV, Sound and Streaming device.
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Hey Miki,
Nice to hear from you.
As for my post. It’s strictly my daily experience.
As I’m responding to you.
I’m watching US cable tv. News.
I’m typing this on one of my iPads.
And also keeping an eye on the Independent Spirit awards on their YouTube channel.
If you think I can control all that with a single device.
Well more power to ya.
Of course I could use my cable remote to control certain” functions of my Denon 7.1 AVR.
BUT .
There are a half functions that I need to be able to adjust with their “dedicated “ remote.
So at best I still would need the other four remotes.
My Samsung smart tv. It the primary device to get into all my streaming sites.
Like everybody else in this country.
If there were a way to consolidate all those functions into ONE remote.
Not yet.
That was my final point.
Now you and Troy may believe you’ve got the whole streaming format synthesized.
And from the speed that puts out instructive videos at lightening speed. He certain has that skill.
I understand MY limitations.
But shifting the subject a bit.
This thought came to mind this afternoon.
And not raising it as a posted question.
Have you ever observed a female engaging at just our level of 3rd party streaming?
I’ve never detected a single one.
They are half the population of the US.
And they stream tv stuff just as much as the men do.
It’s like how many computer users have the faintest idea what Hackers actually do.
I certainly don’t.
And I built my first IBM PC in ,I think. About 1984 from a Kit from zenith tv company.
1’s and O’s.
But I went no further than the hardware.
But I know plenty about Cable Tv technology.
Not sure I understand the comment re: “female engaging at just our level” but I find it chauvinistic so I’ll steer clear of that. Thank you for assuming that I have the streaming format synthesized, but that also is incomprehensible to me. I understand the multi remote universe quite well. Been at this for a year or two. Took me a lot of experimenting, and many failures, before I was able to refine my techniques for Android, as that is where my streaming usage falls, and using single remotes for my entire setup. Bottom line is quite simple, whatever works for you is all that matters.
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I just watched the movie ANORA.
AFTER.
I checked, and it won the best picture award at the Independent Spirit Awards two hours ago as I was watching it.
It very likely will win the OSCAR for best pix. In 2 wks.
This is the reason we stream.
It is the only export that America does well.
The whole world loves the entertainment we
have provided for the last 75 years.
That’s it. Our only gift to the world.
It’s the only thing we do really well.
All that you and I and everyone on this message board are merely trying to do. Is see stuff a little sooner than other people. And we still usually have to pay something for it too. RD,Premiumize and VPN’s aren’t free.
Are they.?
Till we cross paths again.
Not sure what your personal experience regarding this hobby is, but actually, although I pay for internet, VPN, 3 IPTV Subs, 2 premium server subs and a partridge in a pear tree, overall it’s less than what I use to pay for cable, and considerably so. I’m actually saving money. Also no, at this stage of the evolution of streaming, watching something before anyone else does, doesn’t even factor into my thinking.
It’s all about choice. I’ve had this movie ANORA on my watchlist in WEYD and CINEMA HD . In quality streams for almost 2 months. But I waited till tonite because . Today began the awards season for movies . So, I could have easily seen it before anyone.
UNLESS they were willing to pay $20. now. To see it in the movie theaters.
I think I told you. In the end. I’m not saving a damn dime. I paymy ISP. $263. a month
for TV/CABLE, CELL phone service. & Internet. And a US Landline regular phone.
I said I could cut the cord and try to put all those things together for about $150 less.
But I said I know quite a bit about CABLE. I’ve been messing with it for exactly 50 years. My goal in life has been to snatch every single pay per view or premium
channel they ever offered. They shut one avenue down. I find another way.
It’s just a game with me . I’m 9 years retired . Got nothing else to do with my time.
And catching a movie before it’s even in the Theaters, definitely factorss into my
thinking.
Hello, it was only available for Fire TV devices. Now it’s available for Android TV as well. At one time they may have had it in Google Play for Android TV but they removed it due to problems. It is good to go now.
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Gotcha. I got it on my Onns and Nvidia last year. As far as i knew it never left but then again I never had to look for it again.
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