Configuring PIA settings: new user

trademarktrademark
edited August 2015 in Feedback
Hi all,

I'm relatively new to PIA and I want to make sure I'm making informed decisions regarding my configuration and settings when I decide to use a VPN. I've read through a lot of articles on the internet regarding my issues, however I've read a few contradicting statements and some of it is totally over my head...

So, first off, probably 90% of my interest in using PIA is for torrent downloads, Popcorn time streams, and the like. From the research I've done, I know there is a lot of different things you can do with PIA, such as configuring all streams through your router so all traffic is anonymized, etc. However, I have no interest in something this in depth, since I rarely mess with torrents as it is (maybe a couple times a month). So, my questions are...

1) By simply using 'Connect Auto' on my Mac, is literally all traffic sent from the laptop being completely and safely anonymized? I have the PIA kill switch enabled so there's no chance of an IP leak upon disconnect.

2) Speeds haven't been an issue, so do I need to mess with any settings on my router? (Apple Time Capsule). I've read that having NAT/Upnp settings enabled on the router can cause a potential IP leak, however I'm unsure if this applies to me since I'm just using PIA on a single client (my laptop), not my entire router.

3) What is the recommended Data encryption level you folks recommend, and is level of encryption relevant to speed?

4) My torrent client I use is Transmission for torrent downloads. I have not configured anything specifically for PIA with Transmission, but based on what PIA support told me, as long as I have PIA enabled, it will correctly anonymize all my torrent downloads and traffic, even when using an application such as Transmission. Is this correct?

5) While I don't have an interest in doing so atm, I've read that configuring your router to always use PIA can actually INCREASE your internet speeds (something about the way packets are sent). Is this true and/or common?

I know it's a lot of info so I appreciate any help I will get! Thank you all.

Comments

  • OmniNegroOmniNegro
    Since I do not use a Mac I can only answer 3 and 5.

    3) Just use maximum unless your system/router is running really slow.
    5) Usually your router is a worse option than running the software on the device in question. This stems from the router usually having a relatively slow CPU without a FPU. (FPU = Floating Point Unit. It is basically a mathematical coprocessor and is essential for encryption. Without an FPU the encryption takes anywhere between ten and a hundred times as many cycles to complete.)

    Speeds can be better with the VPN regardless of if it is on the router or not. But this is usually because the ISP is slowing certain things, but they cannot identify the content of the encrypted stream, so they generally avoid throttling it or they would cause other problems and have all manner of tech support calls.

    There are some Mac people here. Hopefully one will find your thread soon and answer the other questions you asked. Be well.
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