It has come to my attention that I wanted to write this post regarding what to do after I install an operating system, drivers, and some basic applications.
I wanted to start fresh, by creating a new Google account because I don’t need those random emails or traces of old apps I played on my tablet years ago. I’d create a new account and set up everything with that. However, when it comes to random browsing the internet and playing games, is a VPN really necessary? I feel it would negatively influence my ping timings and connection speed as well as be another monthly or yearly payment that I won’t need to spend.
Along with this, I won’t be buying an antivirus either as in Linus Tech Tip’s Video they showed some drawbacks and I know that Windows Defender does just fine for me in terms of staying safe with files and whatnot.
Should I be worried at all for Discord scams or sketchy sites?
A VPN by itself is just a secure tunnel from point A to point B - it will hide activity from your ISP, and may make sites think you’re located somewhere else, but they’re not magic and don’t otherwise anonymize you or protect you.
Some consumer VPN providers advertise additional features, but you’ll have to read carefully and find what what’s real or not.
Eg I have my own VPN I setup for myself, and I have a DNS proxy on the server that blocks most ad domains when connected to it.
And yes, it will negatively impact network performance since all traffic must go through the tunnel, though how much really depends on the VPN location, VPN server’s connection, and protocols (eg wireguard is generally much faster than OpenVPN). EDIT: Technically you can split traffic that goes in the tunnel vs not, but that’s way more complicated than it’s worth unless you’re a networking expert.
If you have to ask, you probably don’t need a VPN. Why is it exactly that you want a VPN?
But yes, VPNs do negatively affect network latency, and often speed as well.
Don’t “buy a VPN”
If you’re concerned about your security when you go outside, set up an OpenVPN server (use this Docker image) on a Raspberry Pi or something and connect to it, but don’t use one for day-to-day use.
Yes, I was also interested in making a PiHole for my home network. Thanks!