The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thread!

[SlimKlim]

I also have an older Vizio Soundbar that has been excellent to us for the past few years.

[davej]

yeah, the 5.1 does look pretty sweet. I might go for one of those if I ever get to redo an entertainment room. hoping the 2.1 will be enough for pixar movies and bumping kidzbop tunes through.

[Apoc]

I mean you do control it. You get a list of links and the name of the site. All sites I have used in the past so nothing new for me there.

Ehh, I feel more comfortable knowing the file is mine and streaming from a safe source (i.e. my desktop.) I'm sure it is fine, just a little precautious with those sites.

Can you mask your IP address with Kodi or are you exposed to detection for piracy?

[Ken]

I mean you do control it. You get a list of links and the name of the site. All sites I have used in the past so nothing new for me there.

Ehh, I feel more comfortable knowing the file is mine and streaming from a safe source (i.e. my desktop.) I'm sure it is fine, just a little precautious with those sites.

Can you mask your IP address with Kodi or are you exposed to detection for piracy?

That's mainly my worry, i have no idea. I would imagine that once you start streaming GB's of data from a server associated with BobsBlockbusters.com or something it will raise a flag.

[Apoc]

My guess is you can do it at the router level, but not the device level. I never bothered to set up anonymous browsing on my router and I got dinged (warning from Comcast) a few months ago for downloading an episode of Suits our DVR failed to record. Now I'm a bit more careful.

[JPolen01]

Adam recommend I set up a VPN. Anybody have specific recommendations? They seem to be fairly cheap to set up. I might just wait and see if I get a notice from Verizon then worry about it?

[Ken]

Adam recommend I set up a VPN. Anybody have specific recommendations? They seem to be fairly cheap to set up. I might just wait and see if I get a notice from Verizon then worry about it?

This is a conversation i'm interested in. Keep debating setting one up but would love to hear people's actual experience with some.

[WRXtranceformed]

It looks like, from brief research, that you also have to flash your modem with some kind of firmware that interacts with the third party VPN, and that your modem has to be compatible with that firmware. Sounds like a lot of work. Is there a setting on the modem that you can "turn on" that would mask your IP address? I was playing around in my modem settings today and found an IP subnet mask under the static IP setting (I'm currently on dynamic). Dunno if that is it or not.

[Apoc]

What Lee describes is basically it - your modem/router has to connect to a VPN so it won't be an IP address your ISP leases you. Last I checked, it was an involved process that I decided to skip. I know Evan used to it... or at least knows a lot about it.

I wouldn't suggest rolling the dice because there's no guarantee your ISP will just send you a warning. The size of your punishment might be higher, depending on whether or not content owners decide to throw the book at you. I would think the chances are higher if you're just flat out streaming content.

[JPolen01]

I would need a rather simple process or pay someone to set it up. I know my way around a computer but I would need step by step directions to complete anything "involved".

[ViPER1313]

You should look for a VPN provider that supports OpenVPN and a router that does as well. Most popular routers can be flashed with DDWRT firmware which will add OpenVPN support. I won't go into how to set it up, but it's not that complex.

Example:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.expressvpn.com/support/vpn-setup/manual-config-for-asus-router-with-openvpn/amp/?client=safari">https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.expres ... ent=safari</a><!-- m -->

Or, just pay for content A $35 antenna + Spotify + Amazon Prime is really more stuff than I care to watch or listen to. If there is a show you can't live without, pony up the $35 for the season. It's still a lot cheaper than Cable and you won't kill any kittens.

[CaptainHenreh]

If your downloading is for playback later, I'd just have a machine dedicated to downloading that connected to a VPN. It's easy. So easy even you could do it.

[JPolen01]

I am not downloading. Just streaming. It seems hard to find cases of people being busted for streaming. It also seems that if you receive a warning it is just that the first few times. You have to continue downloading torrents once you receive a few warnings before any action is taken. It's a pretty grey area for streaming.

[Ken]

If your downloading is for playback later, I'd just have a machine dedicated to downloading that connected to a VPN. It's easy. So easy even you could do it.

That's my scenario, how easy we talkin' here? It's been more laziness on my part, i'm fairly capable of flashing new firmware and such (like DD-WRT) and changing some settings.

[CaptainHenreh]

If your downloading is for playback later, I'd just have a machine dedicated to downloading that connected to a VPN. It's easy. So easy even you could do it.

That's my scenario, how easy we talkin' here? It's been more laziness on my part, i'm fairly capable of flashing new firmware and such (like DD-WRT) and changing some settings.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/how-it-works/">https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/p ... -it-works/</a><!-- m -->

[Ken]

If your downloading is for playback later, I'd just have a machine dedicated to downloading that connected to a VPN. It's easy. So easy even you could do it.

That's my scenario, how easy we talkin' here? It's been more laziness on my part, i'm fairly capable of flashing new firmware and such (like DD-WRT) and changing some settings.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/how-it-works/">https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/p ... -it-works/</a><!-- m -->

Gracias senor.

[CaptainHenreh]

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pages/how-it-works/">https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/p ... -it-works/</a><!-- m -->

Gracias senor.

De nada. This is what I use. Cheap, works, and you CAN do it with DD-WRT. :thumbup:

[WRXtranceformed]

Does connecting in to a VPN service like this slow down your speeds?

[CaptainHenreh]

Does connecting in to a VPN service like this slow down your speeds?

yup.

[Apoc]

https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/pa...-it-works/

I use this too. Speeds aren't horrific by any stretch... just make sure you connect to a server that is not on the other side of the world (you pick by geography).

I am not downloading. Just streaming. It seems hard to find cases of people being busted for streaming. It also seems that if you receive a warning it is just that the first few times. You have to continue downloading torrents once you receive a few warnings before any action is taken. It's a pretty grey area for streaming.

It's not a grey area at all. Streaming is downloading... you're just downloading it in sequential order so you can watch it before the file finishes. Some content owners may care less because you cannot redistribute streamed content, but you are receiving those bits without paying for them... even if they are not saved as a file on your hard drive.