VPN advice

So to run multiple devices (TV, Wii, ipads, ipohnes, laptop) - you must need a router with VPN service and hence, its StrongVPN? If someone has bought it with router - which one is the go as they have several on their website?

Hi,

I wanted to share my experience with searching for a good and reliable service.
When through various websites comparing the services, spoke to people here in Rakah compound, evaluated various aspects

There are cheap, very cheap VPN services, but they offer typically the possibility to connect only 2 devices. so even if you add a VPN router to connect with all your devices at home, then you can connect only from one tablet, smartphone, etc... In my case, being alone for the time being, that is already not enough for an additionnal labtop used outside, a smartphone and an iPad. When my wife will arrive, it wil be more than that...

Take your time to google for "compare vpn" and make up your mind.
StrongVPN is definitely a good service but has only two connections in the base price.
I compared the prices, the reactivity and accessibility of the support, the number of connexions, the services provided, Money back option, etc...

In my case I selected TORGUARD, because:
-With the base subscription of 60 USD per year they are already offering 5 connected devices (many providers offer only 2 connexions but when choosing 5 it becomes much more expensive; check the price for 5 devices at HideMyAss or StrongVPN for example)
-Money backoption for 30 days (more than most compeors)
-Reactive service (only downside is their online chat is not very often active, although they reply very fast to emails)
- Unique app for Linux ( I am an Ubuntu afficionado; see torguard.net/knowledgebase.php? ... icle&id=45)
- Product range of routers with pre-installed software, which they deliver worldwide; see: torguard.net/knowledgebase.php? ... icle&id=45

I have no reason for claming back my money and have been using it for 3 weeks now, so the next time I am considering now is to purchase one of their Wifi router and possibly as well an apple TV device or ROKU streaming player.

By the way there is an UPS service on camp to purchase in the US with a local US addresss; see www.store2door.com.
This may be usefull if one intends to buy frequently from US websites.

Last remark, there are recently issues with VPN on iPad and iPhones updated with the latest release of IOS 7.1. I complained to TORGUARD and they advises me to Google this issue and I found the following link: www.purevpn.com/blog/apple-launc ... vpn-speed/
Don't know if that issue has been resolved in the mean time...

After doing a significant amount of research for family members moving to China as well as our own pending move to the KSA, I found the following three VPN services are consistently top rated. All have servers in the US Europe and the rest of the world. AirVPN is the only non-US based service of the three.
If all you are looking for is a fast tunnel back to home base for streaming Netflix, Slingbox, Amazon, etc and calls via VoIP, then Private Internet Access or ExpressVPN are very highly rated and I don't think you can go wrong.
If you are also interested in privacy/anonymity both coming out of KSA and sending your data across Europe/Asia to your home base, the same VPN services rate well, but this is where AirVPN really shines and you should give them a close look.

One thing to remember is that the speed at which your data transfers is affected in part by the hardware running on both ends. Encrypting and decrypting data packets takes RAM and processing power. I'm happy to talk models and specs with anyone interested, but I would humbly suggest that if you are spending less than $200 on your router, you are introducing a potential bottleneck and stability issue into a system that you are likely going to rely on for multiple hours every day.
I haven't made a decision yet myself, but I expect it will be between these three services and given how much daily use I expect my spouse, kids and I will get out of it, I'm happy to go top of the line on hardware(router) which puts us in the $300 - $400 range.

Shammal, can you please advise for any good model for hardware as I do not have lot of IT knowledge. Do you recommend to buy speed accelerator with the router? Can you or anybody advice on this plz. Thanks

I bought Asus RT-AC68u as its processor and ram can handle open vpn. However, I am still not sure how Double NAT (i.e. using two routers together) can be resolved. Has anyone tried their router with STC or mobile 4g USB stick or router? Also, does aramco provide you local login on to their router so you can change router settings if required? Thanks

I don't know about STC but on both Mobily and Saudi Aramco routers you are given the local (admin) password so you can change the settings (and I have done so on both).

I have to say I would be surprised if STC does not give you the router password - how could you change the default security settings and choose your own admin password (to prevent others accessing your router) otherwise?

In my case one of the camp personal came to my place and asked me which password I want to use, recommending to use the house number.
I used something a bit different.
In any case you can't access your neighbour's wifi, or with a very poor connectivity, since the houses are quite big.
This if course wouldn't prevent someone from hacking into your wifi, but such things are not really likely to happen in Rakah, which is a small camp and where any misbehaviour will very easily be spotted.