Have you ever been hacked while using public WiFi?

Off topic, tall tales, general chit-chat.
Skillet
Posts: 495
Joined: March 22nd, 2015, 7:45 am
Location: Northern Virginia

Re: Have you ever been hacked while using public WiFi?

Post by Skillet »

I'll use a VPN for public wifi. They are worth paying for and there are good multi-year deals that are cheap. The free ones provide very little free data (in the hundreds of megabytes) and can be slower.
'02 Concourse where there's always a project going on...
Xatlatc
**Forum Contributor**
Posts: 353
Joined: July 14th, 2015, 6:40 pm
Location: Upstate South Carolina

Re: Have you ever been hacked while using public WiFi?

Post by Xatlatc »

I have tried three or four free apps with the ability to upgrade to their paid version but they are so slow. Or it could be user error of course. I don’t like going to unsecured WiFi to backup or upload pictures etc. Which one do you use and due you use it for all web surfing?
I’m in West Texas heading towards Roswell to catch my flight to the Mother Ship. :D
Skillet
Posts: 495
Joined: March 22nd, 2015, 7:45 am
Location: Northern Virginia

Re: Have you ever been hacked while using public WiFi?

Post by Skillet »

I use Nord VPN. I paid around $60 for 2 years and you can put it on up to 5 devices or something close to that. I have it on my desktop, laptop, and phone. I don't use it much but it's nice to have when I think I might need it.
'02 Concourse where there's always a project going on...
BobW9
Posts: 252
Joined: February 16th, 2018, 4:46 pm
Location: Full-Time on the Road

Re: Have you ever been hacked while using public WiFi?

Post by BobW9 »

My girlfriend and I have been using AirVPN for the past year. On our iPhones (all the time), iPad (most of the time), and sometimes desktop. 99% of the time it seems as fast as not using it. Every once in a while it has gotten stuck and non-responsive - then I just drop that VPN connection and immediately re-connect, and it's good again.

I use it all the time, not just on public WiFi's, because I've heard that VerizonWireless (and other providers) track (or have tracked in the past) all the sites you visit, for inserting targeted ads and such, and I just like my privacy (they do this through your using their DNS server to resolve the URL of the site into an IP address). Of course, I'm relying on AirVPN's explicit privacy statement that they are not doing that, too! VerizonWireless' statement does allow them.

AirVPN is a bit more expensive, at currently $65/year for 5 simultaneous connections. They are also a bit more technical than some others (I am a computer consultant/programmer, so I like that). But they are very fast and responsive, and don't block any protocols (can even game using them, thought I don't game).

Bob
Xatlatc
**Forum Contributor**
Posts: 353
Joined: July 14th, 2015, 6:40 pm
Location: Upstate South Carolina

Re: Have you ever been hacked while using public WiFi?

Post by Xatlatc »

Thanks for the information BobW9. I’ll look up AirVPN.
Billmiller
Posts: 16
Joined: August 3rd, 2014, 6:53 pm

Re: Have you ever been hacked while using public WiFi?

Post by Billmiller »

I use NordVPN on my Mac, Chromebook, iPad, & iPhone. It's fast and highly rated. $79 for 2 years and you can use it on 6 devices.
LazyDaves
Posts: 3
Joined: March 30th, 2018, 8:33 am

Re: Have you ever been hacked while using public WiFi?

Post by LazyDaves »

Not yet. I just bought a reflashed Verizon jet pack so I don’t have to use public WiFi. BUT it being reflashed and off eBay got me paranoid about using it. Very well could of had some malware flashed in it.
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