# VPN, Virtual Private Network



## DNP (May 3, 2011)

I subscribed to a VPN yesterday, Witopia. I've been wanting sign up with for a long time, and came across Witopia yesterday. It was highly recommended and gets good reviews. I'm trying it out for a month to see if I like it.

One of the advantages of Witopia is that they actually have a server in Mexico--Mexico City--as well as many others all over the world.

So far setting it up has been relatively pain free, and their online "chat" support is right there and very good.

I'm not finished setting it up yet though. If I get around to it I'll finish up today, I still need to add some exceptions to my firewall before I can start using it from my trusty laptop. Once I'm happy with it on my Laptop, then I'll have to figure out how to use from my various trusty handheld devices, both Apple and Android devices.

I would be interested in others' experience with VPNs in Mexico in general, and also if anyone has used Witopia...


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## kito1 (Aug 4, 2012)

I use Overplay so that I can have an IP address in the USA to watch Netflix and things like that. If you don't mind me asking.....if you are in Mexico, why do you want a VPN with a Mexican IP?


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## DNP (May 3, 2011)

kito1 said:


> I use Overplay so that I can have an IP address in the USA to watch Netflix and things like that. If you don't mind me asking.....if you are in Mexico, why do you want a VPN with a Mexican IP?


From what I've learned, the closer the VPN server, the better (faster) the connection. Has to do with a better "ping"

Sounds odd, I know. So, for example, if you're in France, you're better off connecting to their server there, if they have one, than you are connecting to their server in, say, Phoenix.

There are other variables too.


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## kito1 (Aug 4, 2012)

Sure, it makes a bit of difference but when I am watching Netflix from South America I am getting just the "slightest" bit of difference between using a US or a local VPN. Of course, if I was using a local VPN, I wouldn't be able to watch Netflix!!! LOL

I guess my real question was, why are you "needing: to using a VPN if you are going to use one with a local IP?


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## DNP (May 3, 2011)

kito1 said:


> Sure, it makes a bit of difference but when I am watching Netflix from South America I am getting just the "slightest" bit of difference between using a US or a local VPN. Of course, if I was using a local VPN, I wouldn't be able to watch Netflix!!! LOL
> 
> I guess my real question was, why are you "needing: to using a VPN if you are going to use one with a local IP?


Hey, if it works to your satisfaction and meets your needs, that's what counts.

By the way, I guess you subscribed to Netflix in the USA--a U.S. subscription.

I had a U.S subscription that I seldom used. One evening we decided to fire it up and, no, it was blocked. (I later cancelled the subscription.) but I could have gotten to it through a VPN.

If you can, try connecting to your Netflix account through your nearest server, not a server in the U.S. I'll bet you get to it, and the connection may be faster, a lot faster or negligibly faster, but you'll get to it all the same.

The reason I want a VPN, and not only for use in Mexico, but for use in the U.S. too (or anywhere for that matter) is to not get hacked. I pay bills on-line, transfer money between accounts, buy things on line using a credit card, etc., I do those things now at home mostly (you can get hacked at home too, of course) where I feel safe, but I'd like to do that in public places too--safely and without fear,

I'm sold on it for those reasons primarily.


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## kito1 (Aug 4, 2012)

Gotcha, that certainly makes sense. I also log into my VPN when doing banking and other sensitive stuff, well, at least when I remember to anyway  

As for netflix, they block about half the tv shows, including my favorite "24" if you are out of the US.  

With Overplay I have no trouble whatsoever with buffering. I have tried IP's all over the world and the slowdown is so minimal to be barely noticeable. 





DNP said:


> Hey, if it works to your satisfaction and meets your needs, that's what counts.
> 
> By the way, I guess you subscribed to Netflix in the USA--a U.S. subscription.
> 
> ...


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## DNP (May 3, 2011)

When i tried Netflix a couple of years ago, i got nothing through my ISP in Mexico. Zero.

Netflix badly tarnished its image and its subcribership from a series of bad decisions they made. Maybe it's getting better now as they struggle to recoup.



kito1 said:


> Gotcha, that certainly makes sense. I also log into my VPN when doing banking and other sensitive stuff, well, at least when I remember to anyway
> 
> As for netflix, they block about half the tv shows, including my favorite "24" if you are out of the US.
> 
> With Overplay I have no trouble whatsoever with buffering. I have tried IP's all over the world and the slowdown is so minimal to be barely noticeable.


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## Jsteinberg9000 (Apr 28, 2012)

Just set up my VPN (PPTP) through strongvpn dot com

Works great though a little slow. The closest server to DF is Miami. I am listening to Pandora just fine.


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## DNP (May 3, 2011)

Jsteinberg9000 said:


> Just set up my VPN (PPTP) through strongvpn dot com
> 
> Works great though a little slow. The closest server to DF is Miami. I am listening to Pandora just fine.


Happiness?

WashDC/SMA


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## Jsteinberg9000 (Apr 28, 2012)

DNP said:


> Happiness?
> 
> WashDC/SMA


Video is sluggish. Tomorrow I'll play with the settings a bit more. It's not bad, but I want better


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## johnmex (Nov 30, 2010)

We have a Mexican Netflix account. I can report that all 8 seasons of "24" are available. I know this for a fact because we just finished watching season 8.


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## DNP (May 3, 2011)

*I'm up and running*

Well, I'm up and running on my new VPN, a first-timer at that. It was "relatively" painless. I say relatively because when I thought I had done all the things I needed to do correctly, I still couldn't connect. So I walked away, did something else. When I came back, I was connected! Go figure!

Anyhow, so far so good. I don't notice any difference in speed. And I bought a CD using a cc and transferred some money.

I'm doing this on my PC. Now I have to figure out how to gain access from my other devices: 2 iPods, an iPad, an android smartphone (the cell phone I use both in the U.S. and in Mexico), my wife's cell phone, a MacBook Air, and a Nexus 7 tablet (also Android) and set those up.

Who said that retirement was a life of leisure?!


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## kito1 (Aug 4, 2012)

If you are going to use all those devices at home you might want to consider purchasing a router with a VPN built in! They have come down in price a LOT in the past year or so. You can now get one for close to $100. I set up my android phone to use a VPN but it kept losing the signal and I was off it and didn't know it unless I kept an eye out at the top of the screen where the little icon was.


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## kito1 (Aug 4, 2012)

johnmex said:


> We have a Mexican Netflix account. I can report that all 8 seasons of "24" are available. I know this for a fact because we just finished watching season 8.


I think shows are country specific, I was not in Mexico when trying to watch 24. Perhaps Mexico is more in line with the US (fingers crossed)


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## DNP (May 3, 2011)

kito1 said:


> If you are going to use all those devices at home you might want to consider purchasing a router with a VPN built in! They have come down in price a LOT in the past year or so. You can now get one for close to $100. I set up my android phone to use a VPN but it kept losing the signal and I was off it and didn't know it unless I kept an eye out at the top of the screen where the little icon was.


My VPN service provider sells those. I'm also trying to consolidate a lot of those things and get rid Of some of them, especially the older devices.

I'm going one step at a time and I think you're way ahead of me.

We're also trying to get rid of a lot clutter (crap) we've accumulated over the years, a major project right now. That's just at home. Then we want to get rid of the crap we have stored in one of those storage places. We're also trying to get back to Mexico by the end of the month. Yikes!

WashDC/SMA


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## redraidermty (May 22, 2012)

I use strongVPN and works fine. You get an IP from Miami and I can watch movies off netflix and rent some from Amazon. I'm trying to decide whether to get a router that automatically connects to the VPN that way my PS3 and the smart tv would be able to get an US IP address.


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