School me on VPN's please

[BigBamBoo]

I know very little about operating systems, being stealthy online, etc.

I am wanting to dip into the darkweb....NO...not for nefarious reasons. More of a research thing.

Where do I start?

.

[bigmike82]

VPNs and Darkweb are two totally different concepts.

VPNs will simply route your traffic through another egress point, basically preventing your internet traffic from being viewed by your internet provider.

Darkweb is usually accessed using something called Tor, which works in a very different way. The easiest way to get there is through something called The Onion Browser. Just google it and you'll find it.

Be warned. Anonymity is never a guarantee, and the feds (along with government agencies from a giant slew of other countries) constantly target the Dark Web's more disreputable corners with ongoing surveillance and exploits. They will catch you.

The biggest current use of it is as a meeting / exchange point for cybercriminals (hackers, phishers, etc), comms between them and their victims, and markets for illegal goods such as drugs. It really isn't that interesting unless you're into hacking, and even there, you usually need references to get into the more interesting areas.

[andy342]

I use Mullvad.

Just under $6 a month, set your origin to just about any country, no limit on data run through it, you can use it on your computer and your phone. I think up to five devices.

[saltwater]

Proton VPN

[homers]

Stay away from the one's that are shells for intelligence agencies.

[fishbreath]

Are your speeds impacted by using a VPN?

[audiophil2]

I want a VPN also for my laptops and cell phones.
It will be for use outside the USA.
I need my stuff to look like it is in the USA for stock trading and school work.
How can I set that up?

[BAJ475]

Are your speeds impacted by using a VPN?

I believe that most of them do, at least most of them that I tried. I now use HideAway and it seems to have a minimal effect, much less than anything else I have tried.

[Yipsky]

Don't do it. It may spark some curiosity, but that's a world you don't want to play with, whether it's federal agencies or the people doing horrible things (think kids).

[Misterclick]

[OlderThanDirt]

[BAJ475]

Don't do it. It may spark some curiosity, but that's a world you don't want to play with, whether it's federal agencies or the people doing horrible things (think kids).

And just why is that? How is keeping your actual IP address and location hidden a problem? How is encrypting what you are sending so that it cannot be read by ISP a problem?

[Satex]

Stay away from the one's that are shells for intelligence agencies.

And how would you determine that?