Mullvad or Proton. IVPN is also good.
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Another user already said this, but just in case, Mullvad got rid of their port forwarding.
Mullvad or Proton
Note that Mullvad no longer allows port forwarding, which can make it harder to torrent effectively
Mullvad
I'll keep saying it.
When I browse with mullvad I constantly have to verify that I'm not a bot.
That's a good sign
Your account data is about is tangible as a fart in the wind, especially after 30 days. You can pay cash if you want.
When I browse with mullvad I constantly have to verify that I’m not a bot.
That’s a good sign
Isn't that standard for most VPNs?
Only if you have the appropriate level of privacy settings enabled (and extensions installed) in your browser. Your IP address actually has very little to do with ID-ing you, since most trackers will use hundreds of different fingerprinting methods to create "shadow accounts" of you using things like your system information, screen resolution, installed locales, etc.
This doesn't mean a VPN doesn't help, though. Just pointing-out that you probably won't be asked if you're a bot if you go on Google while logged-in to a Google account, regardless of whether your VPN is on or not.
They got rid of port forwarding unfortunately, so good luck seeding.
Do you need port forwarding for seeding?
Not strictly speaking, but it definitely speeds up seeding because without it a lot of potential connections would be closed to you.
I use ProtonVPN whenever I download a lot of Linux ISOs.
Several times a week I too download all the Linux ISOs, and I will have a look at ProtonVPN 👍
ProtonVPN for port forwarding, Mullvad for easy usage (Wireguard on Linux).
I use vopono on Linux too.
ProtonVPN works great via Wiregurd on Linux as well just not through the GUI; you can download the configs and connect through terminal or other Wireguard client
ProtonVPN also provides Wireguard config files if you don't want to use their shitty python based GUI. Supports port forwarding aswell, althought it sucks to set up and requires to manually disable ipv6 support
I created a simple script to automatically request a port to ProtonVPN servers and assign it to qbittorrent:
I’ve been happy with AirVPN for the last year or so
The way they handle port forwarding is particulalry good, as compared with pia, that assigns a random port every time you bring up a connection, so you have to have a script to update your port in your client.
Something cheap with port forwarding. I personally use Proton VPN but that's because I use my VPN for more than just torrenting.
I'm using Private Internet Access. It's fast and pretty lightweight compared to the other choices. Snagged a 2 year plan on sale for like 50 bucks.
I was on PIA, but they were bought by Kape a few years ago. Kape, previously known as Crossrider. Crossrider, known primarily for developing adware and PUPs.
I also dropped them after the acquisition
In addition to getting acquired by a shady group, Mark Karpeles also works at PIA. I'm all for edemption arc, but that doesn't mean I'm ok with him in charge of some security product. I dropped them for mullvad.
Proton VPN has been working pretty well for me. Includes port forwarding and a lot of servers.
I’m all in on proton. VPN, email, calendar, and cloud storage. Unlimited is $10/mo and while it’s a little deceptive as a name it’s still great. The simple login alias feature if fantastic.
It isnt the best one, but its cheap, allows port forwarding and its not sketchy as far as we know
Air vpn
You may want to take a look at Italy's recent changes in legislation around VPNs tl;dr Italy's government has an anti-piracy measure called Piracy Shield which is a list that needs to be blocked by ISPs, VPN providers etc but is entirely arbitrary with no governance.
Air has stopped onboarding Italian customers but you may want to consider given they're based in Italy, if this compromises your use case/opsec
I pay for Proton Unlimited so I use Proton VPN. Getting port forwarding to work on Linux is a bit of a hassle but they have steps on their website. It's hardly any slower than my internet connection, but that's because I'm on the paid servers. The free servers are rather slow. They have a graphical client for Windows and Linux.
Proton Unlimited is €12.99/month. The VPN has a good number of features and you get the whole Proton suite with it and 500GB of storage. You can pay for just the VPN which is cheaper if you don't want the rest of Proton.
I created a script exactly for that, I'm using it for months now and it's working fine: https://github.com/giu176/ProtonVPN-auto-NATPMP
I went the seed box route and I'll never go back. It's faster and I don't even need a stable connection. Start the download from my phone and it's waiting for me when I get home.
ProtonVPN/Mullvad. This is the post number 288471 talking about this. Can we put it somewhere un wiki?
I use Windscribe because it's $1/mo and I don't care. I don't use their software, I use the vanilla Wireguard client, and have my qBittorrent connect through that interface only.
I've been using airvpn for the last 4 or 5 years with no issue.
I'm using selfhosted wireguard server. Speed about 250 mbps and this VPS costs me about 3$ per month. Super easy to deploy wireguard server using this script
I use Mullvad through Tailscale. If you already use Tailscale it’s a no-brainer
No port forwarding though.
I really really wish I could use mullvad but I had to switch to air vpn for port forwarding and then later to proton to get higher speeds (Airvpn maxes at roughly 600Mbit/s while proton can handle 2Gbit/s+) and port forwarding.
I use Mullvad and have a qbit go through gluetun. I don't mind the lack of port forwarding, as I leave the Pi on 24/7 and I'm not under ratio constraints. Also, my system isn't secure enough for me to be messing with that stuff, next build I'll get everything off root, set proper permissions, route everything through a single port etc, then think about port forwarding. For now I'll hide behind my ISP and Mullvad's security while I learn and make mistakes.
Down is quick enough for me and Up is slow but constant.
Do you really need a VPN? What's your country / context?
Are you aware that if you use a good private tracker (one that keeps their torrents private and has a good reputation) and configure your client to require encryption for all connections you may not need a VPN?
I wasn't. I haven't torrented in almost a decade and even back then was fairly naive.
Would you mind lending me a hand understanding how to do that and remain safe?
Whenever you torrent from public torrent trackers it's easy for anyone to see what torrents your IP is currently downloading / seeding. There's even a website for that https://iknowwhatyoudownload.com/
ISPs and govts may track your torrent downloads on the same way that website does. It essentially boils down to indexing the torrents from those public trackers by listening to the DHT network / PEX exchanges. When you're on a decent private tracker (and there are some free) they will disable DHT/PEX for their torrents making it so nobody can't index and they won't show up on websites like the one above.
Setting your torrent client to require encryption to all connections it will create an extra protection layer because then the ISP / govt won't be able to peek into your bittorrent traffic, they'll only see an encrypted TLS connection like the ones made to any SSL capable website. You may also add a blacklist of known entities that go after pirates so your torrent client won't ever connect to those.
If you live outside the US/Canada/AUS you most likely don't even need those measures, let alone a VPN. That entire thing about sending letters to people saying they're downloading torrents is mostly a US thing because in other countries ISPs can't even legally do it.