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Multi years user of PIA, no issues - they allow 5 devices to be set up, and they can be used in parallel (sometimes I also use it on my android phone for gelocation specific apps - like streaming sports - I watch a brand of footy that's free to stream if you're "in Europe." - UK, Germany, Netherlands ... PIA lots of locations to choose from.)
But, even before that: a lot of the data ms collects can already be blocked
- disabling some task scheduler jobs
- and using the windows firewall (firewall with advanced security - free, already built-in)
1. set it to filter outbound as well as in-bound connections
2. but then you will need to add rules, for say your browser
- see next paragraph to make that easier
3. then disable some of the default outbound firewall rules (need to experiment which matter or not).
On top of firewall with advanced security I use WFN (free, source code available) which shows a nice popup whenever any program without a rule tries to open a outbound connection, options to allow/block permanent/temporary (it writes the firewall rules for you)
- for instance your browser needs to be able to connect outbound
start the browser, click allow on the popup - done.
- microsoft office apps absolutely do not (o2016 - no problems killing it's outbound)!
start word, click deny on the popup, done! (need to do separartelt for excel etc)
- some installers may need an outbound connection: use a temporary rule, WFN cleans it up by clicking the notification icon. Antivirus wants to update definitions - temporary rule....
As a final step, don't use your ISP's DNS servers (they also usually use/report what you've been looking for - and if done a deal with ms they share the data with them), set the DNS server to some other reputable public servers (i.e. open DNS: 208.67.222.222, google 8.8.8.8) - network adapter settings - IPv4 - properties
Sin tack
the any key okay
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Thank you for writing up all that advice. I'll see if I can make something of that - as I mentioned above, I'm not very familiar with all these networking options.
WFN sounds nice: we already had to adjust the router firewall settings because it blocked a program. Sounds like WFN is just the right program to deal with these kind of things.
GOTOs are a bit like wire coat hangers: they tend to breed in the darkness, such that where there once were few, eventually there are many, and the program's architecture collapses beneath them. (Fran Poretto)
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I'm a big fan of Nord. I've used them for over a year and am very happy with their performance.
/ravi
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Sheer coincidence that my PIA is due for renewal again
Ravi: plus my thanks for the recco of Nord.
hate auto renewal (your payment details on file), so had disabled that on PIA
- now getting nags: 'reminder: only a few days left'
- no standard option for one-off payment (re-sub, allow payment, unsub - still you get the full year usage but with nags)
Time to go shopping: summary Nord vs PIA: (seems to be the 2 best from reviews)
speed/feat/service: equivalent.
PIA slightly cheaper (not by much) ...
... but now: Nord 2 years 72% off (even go direct without the coupons): nice timing.
- realise Nord also want payment details on file - let's see how that goes
back thought: hope Nord deep discounts are not signs they are going down.
Sin tack
the any key okay
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Lopatir wrote: realise Nord also want payment details on file
I use my PayPal account to pay them.
/ravi
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You can setup your own on cloud, I have done this and able to VPN my way out of blocks (Even in China).
I have 2 VPNs setup, one in USA (Ubuntu VM, AWS - Free!!) and another one in Singapore (Win Server VM, Azure)
I have setup OpenVPN access server on both.
Here is a guide I followed for setting up VPN on AWS[^]
The link for setting up on windows is dead now, though I have it on my onenote, I can provide it if you need.
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I used AirVPN for a couple of years mostly for Netflix. Wasn't completely seamless, but got the job done.
Was cheap enough, but no idea how trustworthy the guy is.
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To those who are interested in this topic, here is some useful information I found:
After following a couple of links provided here, and searching for various services, I stumbled upon That One Privacy Site[^], which has an excellent informative section about the things to watch out for when selecting a VPN service.
Even better it provides a huge sheet that shows how well 179(!) existing VPN services fare with regard to these things.
What convinced me most about the usefulness of this site is how it perfectly describes some of my experiences I had when trying to find more information: That One Privacy Site | That One Privacy Guy’s VPN Reviews[^] . For those who start out like me, I recommend a visit to this site, if only to get an idea what to expect.
GOTOs are a bit like wire coat hangers: they tend to breed in the darkness, such that where there once were few, eventually there are many, and the program's architecture collapses beneath them. (Fran Poretto)
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I'm running OpenDNS's Simple DNSCrypt to keep my ISP from snooping the packets of my DNS requests, which is still possible if you only use someone else's DNS servers (Google's, OpenDNS's, etc.)
I recently became aware of and am considering FreedomBox which you can run on a RasPi among other hardware. Many features/services to choose from, VPN amongst them. Check out their FAQ page. Using the ad blocker has to make up for at least some of the lost speed, with some pages more than make up for.
I used to run the UTM, Untangle, but changed the box I was running it on to be a small domain controller. A RasPi would be a much more energy efficient appliance these days.
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Buy VPN and the NSA will put you on a LIST!!!!
Idaho Edokpayi
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Unfortunately I'm already on it just for asking about it - as is everyone else answering in this thread 
GOTOs are a bit like wire coat hangers: they tend to breed in the darkness, such that where there once were few, eventually there are many, and the program's architecture collapses beneath them. (Fran Poretto)
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"Volatile son reciting unmentionable source of power" (8,10,6)
The answer is Internal Combustion Engine, and Peter_in_2780 has already worked out that it is an anagram of son reciting unmentionable.
I guess Mondays clue will need to be even easier!
Andy B
modified 7-Apr-17 9:16am.
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I cheated, so I won't post an answer, but wow, how/where did you get that anagram?
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012
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Google is my friend 
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"Bad developers code, good developers clean up".
Excuse me? Are you trying to say that good developers are the ones who don't write any code on their own and simply nit-pick on formalities of other people's code? I have another term for those people: brown nosed know-it-all. Of course they are good developers: by doing nothing at all they can do nothing wrong.
* CALL APOGEE, SAY AARDWOLF
* GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
* Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game.
* I'm a puny punmaker.
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Sometimes I think I have been cursed to forever clean up what some clueless (censored) left behind before continuing their sabotage elsewhere. Nitpicking? Formalities? Just go ahead and get yourself an easy job, then. Let's see how good you do between someone's total wreck of a project and some manager's high expectations. I'm sure you will always be ahead of time and also have your left hand free to clean up the mess while building new stuff on that solid foundation with the other hand.
But I will not tell you my term for people who think they can swim and discover that they are wrong when they are in the middle of the ocean.
The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a f***ing golf cart.
"I don't know, extraterrestrial?"
"You mean like from space?"
"No, from Canada."
If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns.
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CDP1802 wrote: term for people who think they can swim and discover that they are wrong when they are in the middle of the ocean.
"QA Help Vampires"
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Huh? What?
You guys take your jobs and yourselves for that matter, way too seriously. 
Be thankful you have a f***ing job and quit your f***ing complaining.
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Slacker007 wrote: Be thankful you have a f***ing job and quit your f***ing complaining.
No. I would gladly go and flip burgers before ever working in such a place again. When the gap between reality and the managers' ideas grows too wide, you quickly discover how unhealthy that is for you.
The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a f***ing golf cart.
"I don't know, extraterrestrial?"
"You mean like from space?"
"No, from Canada."
If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns.
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Did that a year ago, like practically everybody else who worked there.
The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a f***ing golf cart.
"I don't know, extraterrestrial?"
"You mean like from space?"
"No, from Canada."
If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns.
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I don't think you are going to find "happy" in any job place, at least I haven't. Every place has its downsides. Just keep on looking until you find one that has more pros than cons.
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