VPN Forum access and IP addresse Tests

Some notes to be added to in preparation for a Tutorial Thread…

http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...se-Tests/page4 http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showthread.php/2384-VPN-Forum-access-and-IP-addresse-Tests/page4

---

Introduction to "VPN"

Aka. In Forum posting, hide your identity so that the insane Moderators don't get ya!

Very broadly speaking, there are 3 main ways to do this "hiding"
_ a "low level" solution: In Windows you can set up VPN using existing operating system things, if you know what you are doing.
_ a "high level" solution: Download and install all encompassing "App". Then click the button to Hide yourself.
_ An intermediate solution, requiring some software, but also requiring some understanding of your operating system in order to get it working like a an "App"

Here I will look at the last option. Later I might try out the first option


VPN Tunnelling What are we talking about
By virtual private network (VPN), in very simplified terms, we are talking about here about making it seem to everyone, except very qualified and resourceful computer sources, as if the computer that you are using is somewhere else.
As often with these sort of things, the History helps to explain it in simple terms…. Originally large companies used a form of encoding to route their computers or terminals to a central large private computer ( Server ) over a public network, the internet. It effectively made it look like all computers came from the single main private source, where the main computer was.
The term tunnelling was used to explain the encoded link. That was the main use at that time. The fact that it made it look like all computers were where the main computer was, was a by product.
The basic idea was then used to allow single sources/ normal users to "hide" behind people or companies allowing such a link to their main computer / Server, or more commonly to a large number of Severs which they have access to. This is often referred to as a virtual private network tunnel or virtual private network tunnel (VPN tunnelling).
Microsoft allow a way to set up such a link using the various operating system Internet system controlling features along with a Microsoft developed encoding.
That could be considered as one fairly low level/fundamental way to do VPN tunnelling requiring some good computer knowledge and experience at the "low level" computing.
At the other extreme, companies offering the service via a number of Servers , will often provide their own software which is at a "high level". In other words, you download their software , install it, after which typically you have a desktop icon or Smart phone type "Icon/App" to double click on, after which a fairly obvious to use user friendly interface pops up.

VPN and forum posting
The psychiatric illnesses/ Metal obsessions with many senior Forum Members and Moderators will likely remain a problem for people posting in forums for several years to come. Their desires to support their illusions of having a job of responsibility / authority, shows itself in the attempt to punish or control Members, imposes restrictions, and other tedious Nursery school children type rules. They attempt to give the illusion of controlling individuals as a form of proxy their sub ordinates. Stronger identities , that is to say, more longer term posting allows the identification as such an "individual" easier. It is therefore advantageous to have the ability to post using multiple accounts. ( Forum owners, ( who generally accept the idiosyncrasies of the "controlling" members , since they work for free), both secretly encourage and at the same time publicly give the appearance of discouraging multiple accounts. This helps with "business", as the increased apparent real Membership number raises).
Email accounts are very easy to create for each account registration; but the use of your real location , ( your real "IP address"* ) , can sometimes be monitored by Forum Moderators. So using a VPN service is an advantage.
(*In very simplified terms: The "thing" enabling your access to the internet, ( the "box" connected to your telephone cable, or the thing in your favourite Coffee bar giving you free internet access), has an identifying number, the "IP address").

Working example. hide.me VPN and SoftEther and OpenVPN clients
A general explanation of using a VPN is of little practical use, since the organisation of internet and associated network systems within computers, in windows is an imprecise jumbled up mess. I will report on a practical working example from start to finish. The example will use the provider hide.me. They have a free and paid service which from the perspective of setting up a working system is similar.
I will cover the operating systems of XP, Vista, Windows 7 and windows 8.1.
In this example I will go for a middle complex solution. This will not use the high level simple to use software("hide.me App") , but will not go as far "down" as the use of the Operating systems built in way to do VPN tunnelling. Later posts will explore this more fundamental "deep down" way.
The initial solution will discuss in detail the use of two popular freely available "Client" software, which is a medium level solution: It finally gives a final "App" type icon which on double clicking brings up a user friendly interface interface , but which also requires some knowledge of operating systems internet control systems, both for the extra setting up steps needed after the initial Client software instillation, and in dealing with typical problems that often crop up.

Some notes to be added to in preparation for a Tutorial Thread…

http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...se-Tests/page4 http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showthread.php/2384-VPN-Forum-access-and-IP-addresse-Tests/page4

---

Introduction to "VPN"

Aka. In Forum posting, hide your identity so that the insane Moderators don't get ya!

Very broadly speaking, there are 3 main ways to do this "hiding"
_ a "low level" solution: In Windows you can set up VPN using existing operating system things, if you know what you are doing.
_ a "high level" solution: Download and install all encompassing "App". Then click the button to Hide yourself.
_ An intermediate solution, requiring some software, but also requiring some understanding of your operating system in order to get it working like a an "App"

Here I will look at the last option. Later I might try out the first option


VPN Tunnelling What are we talking about
By virtual private network (VPN), in very simplified terms, we are talking about here about making it seem to everyone, except very qualified and resourceful computer sources, as if the computer that you are using is somewhere else.
As often with these sort of things, the History helps to explain it in simple terms…. Originally large companies used a form of encoding to route their computers or terminals to a central large private computer ( Server ) over a public network, the internet. It effectively made it look like all computers came from the single main private source, where the main computer was.
The term tunnelling was used to explain the encoded link. That was the main use at that time. The fact that it made it look like all computers were where the main computer was, was a by product.
The basic idea was then used to allow single sources/ normal users to "hide" behind people or companies allowing such a link to their main computer / Server, or more commonly to a large number of Severs which they have access to. This is often referred to as a virtual private network tunnel or virtual private network tunnel (VPN tunnelling).
Microsoft allow a way to set up such a link using the various operating system Internet system controlling features along with a Microsoft developed encoding.
That could be considered as one fairly low level/fundamental way to do VPN tunnelling requiring some good computer knowledge and experience at the "low level" computing.
At the other extreme, companies offering the service via a number of Servers , will often provide their own software which is at a "high level". In other words, you download their software , install it, after which typically you have a desktop icon or Smart phone type "Icon/App" to double click on, after which a fairly obvious to use user friendly interface pops up.

VPN and forum posting
The psychiatric illnesses/ Metal obsessions with many senior Forum Members and Moderators will likely remain a problem for people posting in forums for several years to come. Their desires to support their illusions of having a job of responsibility / authority, shows itself in the attempt to punish or control Members, imposes restrictions, and other tedious Nursery school children type rules. They attempt to give the illusion of controlling individuals as a form of proxy their sub ordinates. Stronger identities , that is to say, more longer term posting allows the identification as such an "individual" easier. It is therefore advantageous to have the ability to post using multiple accounts. ( Forum owners, ( who generally accept the idiosyncrasies of the "controlling" members , since they work for free), both secretly encourage and at the same time publicly give the appearance of discouraging multiple accounts. This helps with "business", as the increased apparent real Membership number raises).
Email accounts are very easy to create for each account registration; but the use of your real location , ( your real "IP address"* ) , can sometimes be monitored by Forum Moderators. So using a VPN service is an advantage.
(*In very simplified terms: The "thing" enabling your access to the internet, ( the "box" connected to your telephone cable, or the thing in your favourite Coffee bar giving you free internet access), has an identifying number, the "IP address").

Working example. hide.me VPN and SoftEther and OpenVPN clients
A general explanation of using a VPN is of little practical use, since the organisation of internet and associated network systems within computers, in windows is an imprecise jumbled up mess. I will report on a practical working example from start to finish. The example will use the provider hide.me. They have a free and paid service which from the perspective of setting up a working system is similar.
I will cover the operating systems of XP, Vista, Windows 7 and windows 8.1.
In this example I will go for a middle complex solution. This will not use the high level simple to use software("hide.me App") , but will not go as far "down" as the use of the Operating systems built in way to do VPN tunnelling. Later posts will explore this more fundamental "deep down" way.
The initial solution will discuss in detail the use of two popular freely available "Client" software, which is a medium level solution: It finally gives a final "App" type icon which on double clicking brings up a user friendly interface interface , but which also requires some knowledge of operating systems internet control systems, both for the extra setting up steps needed after the initial Client software instillation, and in dealing with typical problems that often crop up.

Some notes to be added to in preparation for a Tutorial Thread…

http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...se-Tests/page4 http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showthread.php/2384-VPN-Forum-access-and-IP-addresse-Tests/page4

---

Introduction to "VPN"

Aka. In Forum posting, hide your identity so that the insane Moderators don't get ya!

Very broadly speaking, there are 3 main ways to do this "hiding"
_ a "low level" solution: In Windows you can set up VPN using existing operating system things, if you know what you are doing.
_ a "high level" solution: Download and install all encompassing "App". Then click the button to Hide yourself.
_ An intermediate solution, requiring some software, but also requiring some understanding of your operating system in order to get it working like a an "App"

Here I will look at the last option. Later I might try out the first option


VPN Tunnelling What are we talking about
By virtual private network (VPN), in very simplified terms, we are talking about here about making it seem to everyone, except very qualified and resourceful computer sources, as if the computer that you are using is somewhere else.
As often with these sort of things, the History helps to explain it in simple terms…. Originally large companies used a form of encoding to route their computers or terminals to a central large private computer ( Server ) over a public network, the internet. It effectively made it look like all computers came from the single main private source, where the main computer was.
The term tunnelling was used to explain the encoded link. That was the main use at that time. The fact that it made it look like all computers were where the main computer was, was a by product.
The basic idea was then used to allow single sources/ normal users to "hide" behind people or companies allowing such a link to their main computer / Server, or more commonly to a large number of Severs which they have access to. This is often referred to as a virtual private network tunnel or virtual private network tunnel (VPN tunnelling).
Microsoft allow a way to set up such a link using the various operating system Internet system controlling features along with a Microsoft developed encoding.
That could be considered as one fairly low level/fundamental way to do VPN tunnelling requiring some good computer knowledge and experience at the "low level" computing.
At the other extreme, companies offering the service via a number of Servers , will often provide their own software which is at a "high level". In other words, you download their software , install it, after which typically you have a desktop icon or Smart phone type "Icon/App" to double click on, after which a fairly obvious to use user friendly interface pops up.

VPN and forum posting
The psychiatric illnesses/ Metal obsessions with many senior Forum Members and Moderators will likely remain a problem for people posting in forums for several years to come. Their desires to support their illusions of having a job of responsibility / authority, shows itself in the attempt to punish or control Members, imposes restrictions, and other tedious Nursery school children type rules. They attempt to give the illusion of controlling individuals as a form of proxy their sub ordinates. Stronger identities , that is to say, more longer term posting allows the identification as such an "individual" easier. It is therefore advantageous to have the ability to post using multiple accounts. ( Forum owners, ( who generally accept the idiosyncrasies of the "controlling" members , since they work for free), both secretly encourage and at the same time publicly give the appearance of discouraging multiple accounts. This helps with "business", as the increased apparent real Membership number raises).
Email accounts are very easy to create for each account registration; but the use of your real location , ( your real "IP address"* ) , can sometimes be monitored by Forum Moderators. So using a VPN service is an advantage.
(*In very simplified terms: The "thing" enabling your access to the internet, ( the "box" connected to your telephone cable, or the thing in your favourite Coffee bar giving you free internet access), has an identifying number, the "IP address").

Working example. hide.me VPN and SoftEther and OpenVPN clients
A general explanation of using a VPN is of little practical use, since the organisation of internet and associated network systems within computers, in windows is an imprecise jumbled up mess. I will report on a practical working example from start to finish. The example will use the provider hide.me. They have a free and paid service which from the perspective of setting up a working system is similar.
I will cover the operating systems of XP, Vista, Windows 7 and windows 8.1.
In this example I will go for a middle complex solution. This will not use the high level simple to use software("hide.me App") , but will not go as far "down" as the use of the Operating systems built in way to do VPN tunnelling. Later posts will explore this more fundamental "deep down" way.
The initial solution will discuss in detail the use of two popular freely available "Client" software, which is a medium level solution: It finally gives a final "App" type icon which on double clicking brings up a user friendly interface interface , but which also requires some knowledge of operating systems internet control systems, both for the extra setting up steps needed after the initial Client software instillation, and in dealing with typical problems that often crop up.

Some notes to be added to in preparation for a Tutorial Thread…

http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...se-Tests/page4 http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showthread.php/2384-VPN-Forum-access-and-IP-addresse-Tests/page4

---

Introduction to "VPN"

Aka. In Forum posting, hide your identity so that the insane Moderators don't get ya!

Very broadly speaking, there are 3 main ways to do this "hiding"
_ a "low level" solution: In Windows you can set up VPN using existing operating system things, if you know what you are doing.
_ a "high level" solution: Download and install all encompassing "App". Then click the button to Hide yourself.
_ An intermediate solution, requiring some software, but also requiring some understanding of your operating system in order to get it working like a an "App"

Here I will look at the last option. Later I might try out the first option


VPN Tunnelling What are we talking about
By virtual private network (VPN), in very simplified terms, we are talking about here about making it seem to everyone, except very qualified and resourceful computer sources, as if the computer that you are using is somewhere else.
As often with these sort of things, the History helps to explain it in simple terms…. Originally large companies used a form of encoding to route their computers or terminals to a central large private computer ( Server ) over a public network, the internet. It effectively made it look like all computers came from the single main private source, where the main computer was.
The term tunnelling was used to explain the encoded link. That was the main use at that time. The fact that it made it look like all computers were where the main computer was, was a by product.
The basic idea was then used to allow single sources/ normal users to "hide" behind people or companies allowing such a link to their main computer / Server, or more commonly to a large number of Severs which they have access to. This is often referred to as a virtual private network tunnel or virtual private network tunnel (VPN tunnelling).
Microsoft allow a way to set up such a link using the various operating system Internet system controlling features along with a Microsoft developed encoding.
That could be considered as one fairly low level/fundamental way to do VPN tunnelling requiring some good computer knowledge and experience at the "low level" computing.
At the other extreme, companies offering the service via a number of Servers , will often provide their own software which is at a "high level". In other words, you download their software , install it, after which typically you have a desktop icon or Smart phone type "Icon/App" to double click on, after which a fairly obvious to use user friendly interface pops up.

VPN and forum posting
The psychiatric illnesses/ Metal obsessions with many senior Forum Members and Moderators will likely remain a problem for people posting in forums for several years to come. Their desires to support their illusions of having a job of responsibility / authority, shows itself in the attempt to punish or control Members, imposes restrictions, and other tedious Nursery school children type rules. They attempt to give the illusion of controlling individuals as a form of proxy their sub ordinates. Stronger identities , that is to say, more longer term posting allows the identification as such an "individual" easier. It is therefore advantageous to have the ability to post using multiple accounts. ( Forum owners, ( who generally accept the idiosyncrasies of the "controlling" members , since they work for free), both secretly encourage and at the same time publicly give the appearance of discouraging multiple accounts. This helps with "business", as the increased apparent real Membership number raises).
Email accounts are very easy to create for each account registration; but the use of your real location , ( your real "IP address"* ) , can sometimes be monitored by Forum Moderators. So using a VPN service is an advantage.
(*In very simplified terms: The "thing" enabling your access to the internet, ( the "box" connected to your telephone cable, or the thing in your favourite Coffee bar giving you free internet access), has an identifying number, the "IP address").

Working example. hide.me VPN and SoftEther and OpenVPN clients
A general explanation of using a VPN is of little practical use, since the organisation of internet and associated network systems within computers, in windows is an imprecise jumbled up mess. I will report on a practical working example from start to finish. The example will use the provider hide.me. They have a free and paid service which from the perspective of setting up a working system is similar.
I will cover the operating systems of XP, Vista, Windows 7 and windows 8.1.
In this example I will go for a middle complex solution. This will not use the high level simple to use software("hide.me App") , but will not go as far "down" as the use of the Operating systems built in way to do VPN tunnelling. Later posts will explore this more fundamental "deep down" way.
The initial solution will discuss in detail the use of two popular freely available "Client" software, which is a medium level solution: It finally gives a final "App" type icon which on double clicking brings up a user friendly interface interface , but which also requires some knowledge of operating systems internet control systems, both for the extra setting up steps needed after the initial Client software instillation, and in dealing with typical problems that often crop up.

Clients. Getting the VPN to work. Setting up VPN Clients, SoftEther Client , and OpenVPN Client

Very broadly speaking, there are 3 main ways to do this VPN stuff
_ a “low level” solution: In Windows you can set up VPN using existing operating system things, if you know what you are doing.
_ a “high level” solution: Download and install all encompassing “App”. Then click the button to Hide yourself.
_ An intermediate solution, requiring some software, but also requiring some understanding of your operating system in order to get it working like a an “App”

Here I will look at the last option. Later I might try out the first option

Client
In the context of things VPN, a Client is only loosely defined. It broadly is referring to the software part of the final VPN tunnelling solution that is on the users computer.
So we need to get at this software.
For the low level solution, it is hard to define a "Client", since the software is all or mostly already there, buried / integrated into the Internet parts of the controlling system/ operating system. Here we would be broadly referring to the control panel as the part of the operating system that we can influence. Within that are, amongst other things, various Internet sections and related Network sections. They are all imprecisely defined and organised. Hence giving a working solution example is preferable to a general discussion which would be of little practical use.
At the other, high level extreme, a simple to use “App”, such as that from hide.me for operating systems Windows 7 and higher ( https://hide.me/de/software/windows ) , would be referred to as their “own VPN Client-Software”

Getting the VPN to work
The software that we will be mostly using in the worked examples, is from two popular free sources, SoftEther and OpenVPN. Principally the software from those free sources is involved with VPN things. Specifically the software from them that we want either has the word Client somewhere in name of the files that we need, or is referred to loosely as their “Client software” or “VPN Client software”.
As we are at a “mid/intermediate level”, we will see that we have to have some knowledge of various parts of the control panel associated with Internet and Network.
Using the high level option such as the hide.me app, the solution would simply involve downloading and installing the app. After doing this, a simple to use , user friendly window then pops up after double clicking a desktop icon which appears after a successful instillation. Sometimes the pop up may come up when restarting the computer.
For the option of using SoftEther or OpenVPN, there are some extra steps to be taken after the client software is installed.




Recap: To remind us what we are doing
Lets just step back, and say again clearly what we are doing.
We will be looking at a way to do VPN. There are a few ways to do this. I am looking at the way that uses one of two popular freely available softwares. (Later I will look at OpenVPN)
The software’s basic function is to organise and encrypt what you send to and what you receive from, a Server elsewhere. It does that in such a way that the Server sends and receives as if it had sent itself from that Server: Think of it as you digging a tunnel from your house to the Server. Then you somehow make a connection possibility through various cables from your computer via the tunnel to the Server. You organise the connection such that you can both
use the server as a normal computer surfing the internet,
and
then send back what the Server receives from the internet to your computer via the connection in the tunnel.
The main reason usually for doing this is to effectively “hide” behind the server – You want everyone to think that you are using that server , rather than your own computer. (In this case, the remote Server is just acting as a computer for you, surfing the internet.)
SoftEther or OpenVPN could be thought of the thing that digs the tunnel and makes your connection, or rather gives you a switch to allow you to connect or disconnect to the remote Server as and when you choose to. ( Usually witjh such Client software, a final user friendly interface will allow you to connect or disconnect to different Servers situated at different remote locations around the real World ).
VPN has generally been around for some time, and there will be software in many Servers allowing this sort of connection to be made. Usually, once you have the Client software installed and/or organised , then only 3 further things are required to allow your chosen Client software to make use of such a connection, all of which you will usually receive from your VPN provider :
_ An internet address, ( one for each Server that you want to be able to connect to - ( Either the provider owns them or has some agreement with the owner to allow them/you to use them))
_ A Username
_ A Password
The last two may or may not be the same Password and Username which you use to create an account with a VPN provider. This will likely vary with provider.
For example,
_for the VPN provider hide.me , with the free service allows you to have one connection at any one time. Your account Password and Username is also used in this case to allow that one connection at any one time to any of the 5 servers available. For each server you will need an internet address:
For Netherlands - free-nl.hide.me
for Singapore -free-sg.hide.me
for Canada - free-ca.hide.me
for US free-us.hide.me
for US-East free-us-east.hide.me
for US-West free-us-west.hide.me
https://imgur.com/rXWYAyz
_ for the VPN provider hide.me with the paid ( premium ) service allows you to have up to 5 simultaneous VPN connections. In this case, you still use your normal account Password , but have a modified Username@devicetwo for each separate connection. These different passwords may be referred to as devices .

Most Clients, such as SoftEther VPN Client and OpenVPN Client will, once set up, allow you to have a user friendly interface from which you can select from a list of Servers. You will typically need to repeat a set of steps for each of the Servers you want to use. In Other words you need to repeat a set of steps to add them to the list in the user friendly interface from which you select your Server when you want to use VPN

Usually, if you use a providers own Client software, which is the “high level” solution for VPN, ( sometimes referred to as their Client “App” ) , then all their available Servers are effectively already set up in it, and the list to choose from is already there. To get your VPN up and running using such a solution , you need to do little more than download and install their “App”. Often their app will start each time you start your computer thereafter. Its use is fairly obvious.

We are looking at an intermediate level solution for VPN, so we need to do a bit of extra work after installing the Client software

Clients. Getting the VPN to work. Setting up VPN Clients, SoftEther Client , and OpenVPN Client

Very broadly speaking, there are 3 main ways to do this VPN stuff
_ a “low level” solution: In Windows you can set up VPN using existing operating system things, if you know what you are doing.
_ a “high level” solution: Download and install all encompassing “App”. Then click the button to Hide yourself.
_ An intermediate solution, requiring some software, but also requiring some understanding of your operating system in order to get it working like a an “App”

Here I will look at the last option. Later I might try out the first option

Client
In the context of things VPN, a Client is only loosely defined. It broadly is referring to the software part of the final VPN tunnelling solution that is on the users computer.
So we need to get at this software.
For the low level solution, it is hard to define a "Client", since the software is all or mostly already there, buried / integrated into the Internet parts of the controlling system/ operating system. Here we would be broadly referring to the control panel as the part of the operating system that we can influence. Within that are, amongst other things, various Internet sections and related Network sections. They are all imprecisely defined and organised. Hence giving a working solution example is preferable to a general discussion which would be of little practical use.
At the other, high level extreme, a simple to use “App”, such as that from hide.me for operating systems Windows 7 and higher ( https://hide.me/de/software/windows ) , would be referred to as their “own VPN Client-Software”

Getting the VPN to work
The software that we will be mostly using in the worked examples, is from two popular free sources, SoftEther and OpenVPN. Principally the software from those free sources is involved with VPN things. Specifically the software from them that we want either has the word Client somewhere in name of the files that we need, or is referred to loosely as their “Client software” or “VPN Client software”.
As we are at a “mid/intermediate level”, we will see that we have to have some knowledge of various parts of the control panel associated with Internet and Network.
Using the high level option such as the hide.me app, the solution would simply involve downloading and installing the app. After doing this, a simple to use , user friendly window then pops up after double clicking a desktop icon which appears after a successful instillation. Sometimes the pop up may come up when restarting the computer.
For the option of using SoftEther or OpenVPN, there are some extra steps to be taken after the client software is installed.




Recap: To remind us what we are doing
Lets just step back, and say again clearly what we are doing.
We will be looking at a way to do VPN. There are a few ways to do this. I am looking at the way that uses one of two popular freely available softwares. (Later I will look at OpenVPN)
The software’s basic function is to organise and encrypt what you send to and what you receive from, a Server elsewhere. It does that in such a way that the Server sends and receives as if it had sent itself from that Server: Think of it as you digging a tunnel from your house to the Server. Then you somehow make a connection possibility through various cables from your computer via the tunnel to the Server. You organise the connection such that you can both
use the server as a normal computer surfing the internet,
and
then send back what the Server receives from the internet to your computer via the connection in the tunnel.
The main reason usually for doing this is to effectively “hide” behind the server – You want everyone to think that you are using that server , rather than your own computer. (In this case, the remote Server is just acting as a computer for you, surfing the internet.)
SoftEther or OpenVPN could be thought of the thing that digs the tunnel and makes your connection, or rather gives you a switch to allow you to connect or disconnect to the remote Server as and when you choose to. ( Usually witjh such Client software, a final user friendly interface will allow you to connect or disconnect to different Servers situated at different remote locations around the real World ).
VPN has generally been around for some time, and there will be software in many Servers allowing this sort of connection to be made. Usually, once you have the Client software installed and/or organised , then only 3 further things are required to allow your chosen Client software to make use of such a connection, all of which you will usually receive from your VPN provider :
_ An internet address, ( one for each Server that you want to be able to connect to - ( Either the provider owns them or has some agreement with the owner to allow them/you to use them))
_ A Username
_ A Password
The last two may or may not be the same Password and Username which you use to create an account with a VPN provider. This will likely vary with provider.
For example,
_for the VPN provider hide.me , with the free service allows you to have one connection at any one time. Your account Password and Username is also used in this case to allow that one connection at any one time to any of the 5 servers available. For each server you will need an internet address:
For Netherlands - free-nl.hide.me
for Singapore -free-sg.hide.me
for Canada - free-ca.hide.me
for US free-us.hide.me
for US-East free-us-east.hide.me
for US-West free-us-west.hide.me
https://imgur.com/rXWYAyz
_ for the VPN provider hide.me with the paid ( premium ) service allows you to have up to 5 simultaneous VPN connections. In this case, you still use your normal account Password , but have a modified Username@devicetwo for each separate connection. These different passwords may be referred to as devices .

Most Clients, such as SoftEther VPN Client and OpenVPN Client will, once set up, allow you to have a user friendly interface from which you can select from a list of Servers. You will typically need to repeat a set of steps for each of the Servers you want to use. In Other words you need to repeat a set of steps to add them to the list in the user friendly interface from which you select your Server when you want to use VPN

Usually, if you use a providers own Client software, which is the “high level” solution for VPN, ( sometimes referred to as their Client “App” ) , then all their available Servers are effectively already set up in it, and the list to choose from is already there. To get your VPN up and running using such a solution , you need to do little more than download and install their “App”. Often their app will start each time you start your computer thereafter. Its use is fairly obvious.

We are looking at an intermediate level solution for VPN, so we need to do a bit of extra work after installing the Client software

Clients. Getting the VPN to work. Setting up VPN Clients, SoftEther Client , and OpenVPN Client

Very broadly speaking, there are 3 main ways to do this VPN stuff
_ a “low level” solution: In Windows you can set up VPN using existing operating system things, if you know what you are doing.
_ a “high level” solution: Download and install all encompassing “App”. Then click the button to Hide yourself.
_ An intermediate solution, requiring some software, but also requiring some understanding of your operating system in order to get it working like a an “App”

Here I will look at the last option. Later I might try out the first option

Client
In the context of things VPN, a Client is only loosely defined. It broadly is referring to the software part of the final VPN tunnelling solution that is on the users computer.
So we need to get at this software.
For the low level solution, it is hard to define a "Client", since the software is all or mostly already there, buried / integrated into the Internet parts of the controlling system/ operating system. Here we would be broadly referring to the control panel as the part of the operating system that we can influence. Within that are, amongst other things, various Internet sections and related Network sections. They are all imprecisely defined and organised. Hence giving a working solution example is preferable to a general discussion which would be of little practical use.
At the other, high level extreme, a simple to use “App”, such as that from hide.me for operating systems Windows 7 and higher ( https://hide.me/de/software/windows ) , would be referred to as their “own VPN Client-Software”

Getting the VPN to work
The software that we will be mostly using in the worked examples, is from two popular free sources, SoftEther and OpenVPN. Principally the software from those free sources is involved with VPN things. Specifically the software from them that we want either has the word Client somewhere in name of the files that we need, or is referred to loosely as their “Client software” or “VPN Client software”.
As we are at a “mid/intermediate level”, we will see that we have to have some knowledge of various parts of the control panel associated with Internet and Network.
Using the high level option such as the hide.me app, the solution would simply involve downloading and installing the app. After doing this, a simple to use , user friendly window then pops up after double clicking a desktop icon which appears after a successful instillation. Sometimes the pop up may come up when restarting the computer.
For the option of using SoftEther or OpenVPN, there are some extra steps to be taken after the client software is installed.




Recap: To remind us what we are doing
Lets just step back, and say again clearly what we are doing.
We will be looking at a way to do VPN. There are a few ways to do this. I am looking at the way that uses one of two popular freely available softwares. (Later I will look at OpenVPN)
The software’s basic function is to organise and encrypt what you send to and what you receive from, a Server elsewhere. It does that in such a way that the Server sends and receives as if it had sent itself from that Server: Think of it as you digging a tunnel from your house to the Server. Then you somehow make a connection possibility through various cables from your computer via the tunnel to the Server. You organise the connection such that you can both
use the server as a normal computer surfing the internet,
and
then send back what the Server receives from the internet to your computer via the connection in the tunnel.
The main reason usually for doing this is to effectively “hide” behind the server – You want everyone to think that you are using that server , rather than your own computer. (In this case, the remote Server is just acting as a computer for you, surfing the internet.)
SoftEther or OpenVPN could be thought of the thing that digs the tunnel and makes your connection, or rather gives you a switch to allow you to connect or disconnect to the remote Server as and when you choose to. ( Usually witjh such Client software, a final user friendly interface will allow you to connect or disconnect to different Servers situated at different remote locations around the real World ).
VPN has generally been around for some time, and there will be software in many Servers allowing this sort of connection to be made. Usually, once you have the Client software installed and/or organised , then only 3 further things are required to allow your chosen Client software to make use of such a connection, all of which you will usually receive from your VPN provider :
_ An internet address, ( one for each Server that you want to be able to connect to - ( Either the provider owns them or has some agreement with the owner to allow them/you to use them))
_ A Username
_ A Password
The last two may or may not be the same Password and Username which you use to create an account with a VPN provider. This will likely vary with provider.
For example,
_for the VPN provider hide.me , with the free service allows you to have one connection at any one time. Your account Password and Username is also used in this case to allow that one connection at any one time to any of the 5 servers available. For each server you will need an internet address:
For Netherlands - free-nl.hide.me
for Singapore -free-sg.hide.me
for Canada - free-ca.hide.me
for US free-us.hide.me
for US-East free-us-east.hide.me
for US-West free-us-west.hide.me
https://imgur.com/rXWYAyz
_ for the VPN provider hide.me with the paid ( premium ) service allows you to have up to 5 simultaneous VPN connections. In this case, you still use your normal account Password , but have a modified Username@devicetwo for each separate connection. These different passwords may be referred to as devices .

Most Clients, such as SoftEther VPN Client and OpenVPN Client will, once set up, allow you to have a user friendly interface from which you can select from a list of Servers. You will typically need to repeat a set of steps for each of the Servers you want to use. In Other words you need to repeat a set of steps to add them to the list in the user friendly interface from which you select your Server when you want to use VPN

Usually, if you use a providers own Client software, which is the “high level” solution for VPN, ( sometimes referred to as their Client “App” ) , then all their available Servers are effectively already set up in it, and the list to choose from is already there. To get your VPN up and running using such a solution , you need to do little more than download and install their “App”. Often their app will start each time you start your computer thereafter. Its use is fairly obvious.

We are looking at an intermediate level solution for VPN, so we need to do a bit of extra work after installing the Client software

Clients. Getting the VPN to work. Setting up VPN Clients, SoftEther Client , and OpenVPN Client

Very broadly speaking, there are 3 main ways to do this VPN stuff
_ a “low level” solution: In Windows you can set up VPN using existing operating system things, if you know what you are doing.
_ a “high level” solution: Download and install all encompassing “App”. Then click the button to Hide yourself.
_ An intermediate solution, requiring some software, but also requiring some understanding of your operating system in order to get it working like a an “App”

Here I will look at the last option. Later I might try out the first option

Client
In the context of things VPN, a Client is only loosely defined. It broadly is referring to the software part of the final VPN tunnelling solution that is on the users computer.
So we need to get at this software.
For the low level solution, it is hard to define a "Client", since the software is all or mostly already there, buried / integrated into the Internet parts of the controlling system/ operating system. Here we would be broadly referring to the control panel as the part of the operating system that we can influence. Within that are, amongst other things, various Internet sections and related Network sections. They are all imprecisely defined and organised. Hence giving a working solution example is preferable to a general discussion which would be of little practical use.
At the other, high level extreme, a simple to use “App”, such as that from hide.me for operating systems Windows 7 and higher ( https://hide.me/de/software/windows ) , would be referred to as their “own VPN Client-Software”

Getting the VPN to work
The software that we will be mostly using in the worked examples, is from two popular free sources, SoftEther and OpenVPN. Principally the software from those free sources is involved with VPN things. Specifically the software from them that we want either has the word Client somewhere in name of the files that we need, or is referred to loosely as their “Client software” or “VPN Client software”.
As we are at a “mid/intermediate level”, we will see that we have to have some knowledge of various parts of the control panel associated with Internet and Network.
Using the high level option such as the hide.me app, the solution would simply involve downloading and installing the app. After doing this, a simple to use , user friendly window then pops up after double clicking a desktop icon which appears after a successful instillation. Sometimes the pop up may come up when restarting the computer.
For the option of using SoftEther or OpenVPN, there are some extra steps to be taken after the client software is installed.




Recap: To remind us what we are doing
Lets just step back, and say again clearly what we are doing.
We will be looking at a way to do VPN. There are a few ways to do this. I am looking at the way that uses one of two popular freely available softwares. (Later I will look at OpenVPN)
The software’s basic function is to organise and encrypt what you send to and what you receive from, a Server elsewhere. It does that in such a way that the Server sends and receives as if it had sent itself from that Server: Think of it as you digging a tunnel from your house to the Server. Then you somehow make a connection possibility through various cables from your computer via the tunnel to the Server. You organise the connection such that you can both
use the server as a normal computer surfing the internet,
and
then send back what the Server receives from the internet to your computer via the connection in the tunnel.
The main reason usually for doing this is to effectively “hide” behind the server – You want everyone to think that you are using that server , rather than your own computer. (In this case, the remote Server is just acting as a computer for you, surfing the internet.)
SoftEther or OpenVPN could be thought of the thing that digs the tunnel and makes your connection, or rather gives you a switch to allow you to connect or disconnect to the remote Server as and when you choose to. ( Usually witjh such Client software, a final user friendly interface will allow you to connect or disconnect to different Servers situated at different remote locations around the real World ).
VPN has generally been around for some time, and there will be software in many Servers allowing this sort of connection to be made. Usually, once you have the Client software installed and/or organised , then only 3 further things are required to allow your chosen Client software to make use of such a connection, all of which you will usually receive from your VPN provider :
_ An internet address, ( one for each Server that you want to be able to connect to - ( Either the provider owns them or has some agreement with the owner to allow them/you to use them))
_ A Username
_ A Password
The last two may or may not be the same Password and Username which you use to create an account with a VPN provider. This will likely vary with provider.
For example,
_for the VPN provider hide.me , with the free service allows you to have one connection at any one time. Your account Password and Username is also used in this case to allow that one connection at any one time to any of the 5 servers available. For each server you will need an internet address:
For Netherlands - free-nl.hide.me
for Singapore -free-sg.hide.me
for Canada - free-ca.hide.me
for US free-us.hide.me
for US-East free-us-east.hide.me
for US-West free-us-west.hide.me
https://imgur.com/rXWYAyz
_ for the VPN provider hide.me with the paid ( premium ) service allows you to have up to 5 simultaneous VPN connections. In this case, you still use your normal account Password , but have a modified Username@devicetwo for each separate connection. These different passwords may be referred to as devices .

Most Clients, such as SoftEther VPN Client and OpenVPN Client will, once set up, allow you to have a user friendly interface from which you can select from a list of Servers. You will typically need to repeat a set of steps for each of the Servers you want to use. In Other words you need to repeat a set of steps to add them to the list in the user friendly interface from which you select your Server when you want to use VPN

Usually, if you use a providers own Client software, which is the “high level” solution for VPN, ( sometimes referred to as their Client “App” ) , then all their available Servers are effectively already set up in it, and the list to choose from is already there. To get your VPN up and running using such a solution , you need to do little more than download and install their “App”. Often their app will start each time you start your computer thereafter. Its use is fairly obvious.

We are looking at an intermediate level solution for VPN, so we need to do a bit of extra work after installing the Client software

Clients. Getting the VPN to work. Setting up VPN Clients, SoftEther Client , and OpenVPN Client

Very broadly speaking, there are 3 main ways to do this VPN stuff
_ a “low level” solution: In Windows you can set up VPN using existing operating system things, if you know what you are doing.
_ a “high level” solution: Download and install all encompassing “App”. Then click the button to Hide yourself.
_ An intermediate solution, requiring some software, but also requiring some understanding of your operating system in order to get it working like a an “App”

Here I will look at the last option. Later I might try out the first option

Client
In the context of things VPN, a Client is only loosely defined. It broadly is referring to the software part of the final VPN tunnelling solution that is on the users computer.
So we need to get at this software.
For the low level solution, it is hard to define a "Client", since the software is all or mostly already there, buried / integrated into the Internet parts of the controlling system/ operating system. Here we would be broadly referring to the control panel as the part of the operating system that we can influence. Within that are, amongst other things, various Internet sections and related Network sections. They are all imprecisely defined and organised. Hence giving a working solution example is preferable to a general discussion which would be of little practical use.
At the other, high level extreme, a simple to use “App”, such as that from hide.me for operating systems Windows 7 and higher ( https://hide.me/de/software/windows ) , would be referred to as their “own VPN Client-Software”

Getting the VPN to work
The software that we will be mostly using in the worked examples, is from two popular free sources, SoftEther and OpenVPN. Principally the software from those free sources is involved with VPN things. Specifically the software from them that we want either has the word Client somewhere in name of the files that we need, or is referred to loosely as their “Client software” or “VPN Client software”.
As we are at a “mid/intermediate level”, we will see that we have to have some knowledge of various parts of the control panel associated with Internet and Network.
Using the high level option such as the hide.me app, the solution would simply involve downloading and installing the app. After doing this, a simple to use , user friendly window then pops up after double clicking a desktop icon which appears after a successful instillation. Sometimes the pop up may come up when restarting the computer.
For the option of using SoftEther or OpenVPN, there are some extra steps to be taken after the client software is installed.




Recap: To remind us what we are doing
Lets just step back, and say again clearly what we are doing.
We will be looking at a way to do VPN. There are a few ways to do this. I am looking at the way that uses one of two popular freely available softwares. (Later I will look at OpenVPN)
The software’s basic function is to organise and encrypt what you send to and what you receive from, a Server elsewhere. It does that in such a way that the Server sends and receives as if it had sent itself from that Server: Think of it as you digging a tunnel from your house to the Server. Then you somehow make a connection possibility through various cables from your computer via the tunnel to the Server. You organise the connection such that you can both
use the server as a normal computer surfing the internet,
and
then send back what the Server receives from the internet to your computer via the connection in the tunnel.
The main reason usually for doing this is to effectively “hide” behind the server – You want everyone to think that you are using that server , rather than your own computer. (In this case, the remote Server is just acting as a computer for you, surfing the internet.)
SoftEther or OpenVPN could be thought of the thing that digs the tunnel and makes your connection, or rather gives you a switch to allow you to connect or disconnect to the remote Server as and when you choose to. ( Usually witjh such Client software, a final user friendly interface will allow you to connect or disconnect to different Servers situated at different remote locations around the real World ).
VPN has generally been around for some time, and there will be software in many Servers allowing this sort of connection to be made. Usually, once you have the Client software installed and/or organised , then only 3 further things are required to allow your chosen Client software to make use of such a connection, all of which you will usually receive from your VPN provider :
_ An internet address, ( one for each Server that you want to be able to connect to - ( Either the provider owns them or has some agreement with the owner to allow them/you to use them))
_ A Username
_ A Password
The last two may or may not be the same Password and Username which you use to create an account with a VPN provider. This will likely vary with provider.
For example,
_for the VPN provider hide.me , with the free service allows you to have one connection at any one time. Your account Password and Username is also used in this case to allow that one connection at any one time to any of the 5 servers available. For each server you will need an internet address:
For Netherlands - free-nl.hide.me
for Singapore -free-sg.hide.me
for Canada - free-ca.hide.me
for US free-us.hide.me
for US-East free-us-east.hide.me
for US-West free-us-west.hide.me
https://imgur.com/rXWYAyz
_ for the VPN provider hide.me with the paid ( premium ) service allows you to have up to 5 simultaneous VPN connections. In this case, you still use your normal account Password , but have a modified Username@devicetwo for each separate connection. These different passwords may be referred to as devices .

Most Clients, such as SoftEther VPN Client and OpenVPN Client will, once set up, allow you to have a user friendly interface from which you can select from a list of Servers. You will typically need to repeat a set of steps for each of the Servers you want to use. In Other words you need to repeat a set of steps to add them to the list in the user friendly interface from which you select your Server when you want to use VPN

Usually, if you use a providers own Client software, which is the “high level” solution for VPN, ( sometimes referred to as their Client “App” ) , then all their available Servers are effectively already set up in it, and the list to choose from is already there. To get your VPN up and running using such a solution , you need to do little more than download and install their “App”. Often their app will start each time you start your computer thereafter. Its use is fairly obvious.

We are looking at an intermediate level solution for VPN, so we need to do a bit of extra work after installing the Client software

Clients. Getting the VPN to work. Setting up VPN Clients, SoftEther Client , and OpenVPN Client

Very broadly speaking, there are 3 main ways to do this VPN stuff
_ a “low level” solution: In Windows you can set up VPN using existing operating system things, if you know what you are doing.
_ a “high level” solution: Download and install all encompassing “App”. Then click the button to Hide yourself.
_ An intermediate solution, requiring some software, but also requiring some understanding of your operating system in order to get it working like a an “App”

Here I will look at the last option. Later I might try out the first option

Client
In the context of things VPN, a Client is only loosely defined. It broadly is referring to the software part of the final VPN tunnelling solution that is on the users computer.
So we need to get at this software.
For the low level solution, it is hard to define a "Client", since the software is all or mostly already there, buried / integrated into the Internet parts of the controlling system/ operating system. Here we would be broadly referring to the control panel as the part of the operating system that we can influence. Within that are, amongst other things, various Internet sections and related Network sections. They are all imprecisely defined and organised. Hence giving a working solution example is preferable to a general discussion which would be of little practical use.
At the other, high level extreme, a simple to use “App”, such as that from hide.me for operating systems Windows 7 and higher ( https://hide.me/de/software/windows ) , would be referred to as their “own VPN Client-Software”

Getting the VPN to work
The software that we will be mostly using in the worked examples, is from two popular free sources, SoftEther and OpenVPN. Principally the software from those free sources is involved with VPN things. Specifically the software from them that we want either has the word Client somewhere in name of the files that we need, or is referred to loosely as their “Client software” or “VPN Client software”.
As we are at a “mid/intermediate level”, we will see that we have to have some knowledge of various parts of the control panel associated with Internet and Network.
Using the high level option such as the hide.me app, the solution would simply involve downloading and installing the app. After doing this, a simple to use , user friendly window then pops up after double clicking a desktop icon which appears after a successful instillation. Sometimes the pop up may come up when restarting the computer.
For the option of using SoftEther or OpenVPN, there are some extra steps to be taken after the client software is installed.




Recap: To remind us what we are doing
Lets just step back, and say again clearly what we are doing.
We will be looking at a way to do VPN. There are a few ways to do this. I am looking at the way that uses one of two popular freely available softwares. (Later I will look at OpenVPN)
The software’s basic function is to organise and encrypt what you send to and what you receive from, a Server elsewhere. It does that in such a way that the Server sends and receives as if it had sent itself from that Server: Think of it as you digging a tunnel from your house to the Server. Then you somehow make a connection possibility through various cables from your computer via the tunnel to the Server. You organise the connection such that you can both
use the server as a normal computer surfing the internet,
and
then send back what the Server receives from the internet to your computer via the connection in the tunnel.
The main reason usually for doing this is to effectively “hide” behind the server – You want everyone to think that you are using that server , rather than your own computer. (In this case, the remote Server is just acting as a computer for you, surfing the internet.)
SoftEther or OpenVPN could be thought of the thing that digs the tunnel and makes your connection, or rather gives you a switch to allow you to connect or disconnect to the remote Server as and when you choose to. ( Usually witjh such Client software, a final user friendly interface will allow you to connect or disconnect to different Servers situated at different remote locations around the real World ).
VPN has generally been around for some time, and there will be software in many Servers allowing this sort of connection to be made. Usually, once you have the Client software installed and/or organised , then only 3 further things are required to allow your chosen Client software to make use of such a connection, all of which you will usually receive from your VPN provider :
_ An internet address, ( one for each Server that you want to be able to connect to - ( Either the provider owns them or has some agreement with the owner to allow them/you to use them))
_ A Username
_ A Password
The last two may or may not be the same Password and Username which you use to create an account with a VPN provider. This will likely vary with provider.
For example,
_for the VPN provider hide.me , with the free service allows you to have one connection at any one time. Your account Password and Username is also used in this case to allow that one connection at any one time to any of the 5 servers available. For each server you will need an internet address:
For Netherlands - free-nl.hide.me
for Singapore -free-sg.hide.me
for Canada - free-ca.hide.me
for US free-us.hide.me
for US-East free-us-east.hide.me
for US-West free-us-west.hide.me
https://imgur.com/rXWYAyz
_ for the VPN provider hide.me with the paid ( premium ) service allows you to have up to 5 simultaneous VPN connections. In this case, you still use your normal account Password , but have a modified Username@devicetwo for each separate connection. These different passwords may be referred to as devices .

Most Clients, such as SoftEther VPN Client and OpenVPN Client will, once set up, allow you to have a user friendly interface from which you can select from a list of Servers. You will typically need to repeat a set of steps for each of the Servers you want to use. In Other words you need to repeat a set of steps to add them to the list in the user friendly interface from which you select your Server when you want to use VPN

Usually, if you use a providers own Client software, which is the “high level” solution for VPN, ( sometimes referred to as their Client “App” ) , then all their available Servers are effectively already set up in it, and the list to choose from is already there. To get your VPN up and running using such a solution , you need to do little more than download and install their “App”. Often their app will start each time you start your computer thereafter. Its use is fairly obvious.

We are looking at an intermediate level solution for VPN, so we need to do a bit of extra work after installing the Client software

Some notes to be added to in preparation for a Tutorial Thread…

http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...se-Tests/page4 http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showthread.php/2384-VPN-Forum-access-and-IP-addresse-Tests/page4
https://excelfox.com/forum/showthrea...se-Tests/page6 https://excelfox.com/forum/showthrea...se-Tests/page6

---

Introduction to “VPN”

Aka. In Forum posting, hide your identity so that the insane Moderators don’t get ya!

Very broadly speaking, there are 3 main ways to do this “hiding”
_ a “low level” solution: In Windows you can set up VPN using existing operating system things, if you know what you are doing.
_ a “high level” solution: Download and install all encompassing “App”. Then click the button to Hide yourself.
_ An intermediate solution, requiring some software, but also requiring some understanding of your operating system in order to get it working like a an “App”

Here I will look at the last option. Later I might try out the first option


VPN Tunnelling…. What are we talking about here
By virtual private network (VPN), in very simplified terms, we are talking here about making it seem to everyone, except very qualified and resourceful computer sources, as if the computer that you are using is somewhere else.
As often with these sort of things, the History helps to explain it in simple terms…. Originally large companies used a form of encoding to route their computers or terminals to a central large private computer ( Server ) over a public network, the internet. It effectively made it look like all computers came from the single main private source, where the main computer was.
The term tunnelling was used to explain the encoded link. That was the main use at that time. The fact that it made it look like all computers were where the main computer was, was a by product.
The basic idea was then used to allow single sources/ normal users to “hide” behind people or companies allowing such a link to their main computer / Server, or more commonly to a large number of Severs which they have access to. This is often referred to as a virtual private network tunnel or virtual private network tunnel (VPN tunnelling).
Microsoft allow a way to set up such a link using the various operating system Internet system controlling features along with a Microsoft developed encoding.
That could be considered as one fairly low level/fundamental way to do VPN tunnelling requiring some good computer knowledge and experience at the “low level” computing.
At the other extreme, companies offering the service via a number of Servers , will often provide their own software which is at a “high level”. In other words, you download their software , install it, after which typically you have a desktop icon or Smart phone type “Icon/App” to double click on, after which a fairly obvious to use user friendly interface pops up.

VPN and forum posting
The psychiatric illnesses/ Metal obsessions with many senior Forum Members and Moderators will likely remain a problem for people posting in forums for several years to come. Their desires to support their illusions of having a job of responsibility / authority, shows itself in the attempt to punish or control Members, imposes restrictions, and other tedious Nursery school children type rules. They attempt to give the illusion of controlling individuals as a form of proxy their sub ordinates.
Stronger identities , that is to say, more longer term posting allows the identification as such an “individual” easier. It is therefore advantageous to have the ability to post using multiple accounts. ( Forum owners, ( who generally accept the idiosyncrasies of the “controlling” members , since they work for free), both secretly encourage and at the same time publicly give the appearance of discouraging multiple accounts. This helps with ”business”, as the increased apparent real Membership number raises).
Email accounts are very easy to create for each account registration; but the use of your real location , ( your real “IP address”* ) , can sometimes be monitored by Forum Moderators. So using a VPN service is an advantage.
(*In very simplified terms: The “thing” enabling your access to the internet, ( the “box” connected to your telephone cable, or the thing in your favourite Coffee bar giving you free internet access), has an identifying number, the “IP address”).

Working example. hide.me VPN and SoftEther and OpenVPN clients
A general explanation of using a VPN is of little practical use, since the organisation of internet and associated network systems within computers, in windows is an imprecise jumbled up mess. I will report on a practical working example from start to finish. The example will use the provider hide.me. They have a free and paid service which from the perspective of setting up a working system is similar.
I will cover the operating systems of XP, Vista, Windows 7 and windows 8.1.
In this example I will go for a middle complex solution. This will not use the high level simple to use software(“hide.me App”) , but will not go as far “down” as the use of the Operating systems built in way to do VPN tunnelling. Later posts will explore this more fundamental “deep down” way.
The initial solution will discuss in detail the use of two popular freely available “Client” software, which is a medium level solution: It finally gives a final “App” type icon which on double clicking brings up a user friendly interface interface , but which also requires some knowledge of operating systems internet control systems, both for the extra setting up steps needed after the initial Client software instillation, and in dealing with typical problems that often crop up.

Clients. Getting the VPN to work. Setting up VPN Clients, SoftEther Client , and OpenVPN Client

Very broadly speaking, there are 3 main ways to do this VPN stuff
_ a “low level” solution: In Windows you can set up VPN using existing operating system things, if you know what you are doing.
_ a “high level” solution: Download and install all encompassing “App”. Then click the button to Hide yourself.
_ An intermediate solution, requiring some software, but also requiring some understanding of your operating system in order to get it working like a an “App”

Here I will look at the last option. Later I might try out the first option

Client
In the context of things VPN, a Client is only loosely defined. It broadly is referring to the software part of the final VPN tunnelling solution that is on the users computer.
So we need to get at this software.
For the low level solution, it is hard to define a "Client", since the software is all or mostly already there, buried / integrated into the Internet parts of the controlling system/ operating system. Here we would be broadly referring to the control panel as the part of the operating system that we can influence. Within that are, amongst other things, various Internet sections and related Network sections. They are all imprecisely defined and organised. Hence giving a working solution example is preferable to a general discussion which would be of little practical use.
At the other, high level extreme, a simple to use “App”, such as that from hide.me for operating systems Windows 7 and higher ( https://hide.me/de/software/windows ) , would be referred to as their “own VPN Client-Software”

Getting the VPN to work
The software that we will be mostly using in the worked examples, is from two popular free sources, SoftEther and OpenVPN. Principally the software from those free sources is involved with VPN things. Specifically the software from them that we want either has the word Client somewhere in name of the files that we need, or is referred to loosely as their “Client software” or “VPN Client software”.
As we are at a “mid/intermediate level”, we will see that we have to have some knowledge of various parts of the control panel associated with Internet and Network.
Using the high level option such as the hide.me app, the solution would simply involve downloading and installing the app. After doing this, a simple to use , user friendly window then pops up after double clicking a desktop icon which appears after a successful instillation. Sometimes the pop up may come up when restarting the computer.
For the option of using SoftEther or OpenVPN, there are some extra steps to be taken after the client software is installed.




Recap: To remind us what we are doing
Lets just step back, and say again clearly what we are doing.
We will be looking at a way to do VPN. There are a few ways to do this. I am looking at the way that uses one of two popular freely available softwares. (Later I will look at OpenVPN)
The software’s basic function is to organise and encrypt what you send to and what you receive from, a Server elsewhere. It does that in such a way that the Server sends and receives as if it had sent itself from that Server: Think of it as you digging a tunnel from your house to the Server. Then you somehow make a connection possibility through various cables from your computer via the tunnel to the Server. You organise the connection such that you can both
use the server as a normal computer surfing the internet,
and
then send back what the Server receives from the internet to your computer via the connection in the tunnel.
The main reason usually for doing this is to effectively “hide” behind the server – You want everyone to think that you are using that server , rather than your own computer. (In this case, the remote Server is just acting as a computer for you, surfing the internet.)
SoftEther or OpenVPN could be thought of the thing that digs the tunnel and makes your connection, or rather gives you a switch to allow you to connect or disconnect to the remote Server as and when you choose to. ( Usually witjh such Client software, a final user friendly interface will allow you to connect or disconnect to different Servers situated at different remote locations around the real World ).
VPN has generally been around for some time, and there will be software in many Servers allowing this sort of connection to be made. Usually, once you have the Client software installed and/or organised , then only 3 further things are required to allow your chosen Client software to make use of such a connection, all of which you will usually receive from your VPN provider :
_ An internet address, ( one for each Server that you want to be able to connect to - ( Either the provider owns them or has some agreement with the owner to allow them/you to use them))
_ A Username
_ A Password
The last two may or may not be the same Password and Username which you use to create an account with a VPN provider. This will likely vary with provider.
For example,
_for the VPN provider hide.me , with the free service allows you to have one connection at any one time. Your account Password and Username is also used in this case to allow that one connection at any one time to any of the 5 servers available. For each server you will need an internet address:
For Netherlands - free-nl.hide.me
for Singapore -free-sg.hide.me
for Canada - free-ca.hide.me
for US free-us.hide.me
for US-East free-us-east.hide.me
for US-West free-us-west.hide.me
https://imgur.com/rXWYAyz
_ for the VPN provider hide.me with the paid ( premium ) service allows you to have up to 5 simultaneous VPN connections. In this case, you still use your normal account Password , but have a modified Username@devicetwo for each separate connection. These different passwords may be referred to as devices .

Most Clients, such as SoftEther VPN Client and OpenVPN Client will, once set up, allow you to have a user friendly interface from which you can select from a list of Servers. You will typically need to repeat a set of steps for each of the Servers you want to use. In Other words you need to repeat a set of steps to add them to the list in the user friendly interface from which you select your Server when you want to use VPN

Usually, if you use a providers own Client software, which is the “high level” solution for VPN, ( sometimes referred to as their Client “App” ) , then all their available Servers are effectively already set up in it, and the list to choose from is already there. To get your VPN up and running using such a solution , you need to do little more than download and install their “App”. Often their app will start each time you start your computer thereafter. Its use is fairly obvious.

We are looking at an intermediate level solution for VPN, so we need to do a bit of extra work after installing the Client software

Setting up VPN Clients, SoftEther Client , and OpenVPN Client
Installing Client software
There are many good step by step explanations on the internet for setting up SoftEther and OpenVPN Clients, for example,
https://hide.me/de/vpnsetup/windowsvista/softether/ , https://hide.me/de/vpnsetup/windowsxp/softether/
https://www.limevpn.com/how-to-use/w...-xp-softether/
https://hide.me/de/vpnsetup/windowsvista/openvpn/ , https://hide.me/de/vpnsetup/windowsxp/openvpn/
http://www.frostvpn.com/clients/know...indows-XP.html

You may find other guides on the internet, such as various YouTube tutorials

The start point is usually downloading the client Software. This can be a weak point in some of the available explanations: Referenced links may not exist or may have changed their format.
In addition, the working of different versions may be influenced by various operating system versions and/ or things may be effected by which Microsoft updates you have installed.
I am giving a working example in my explanations, so I will give and discuss the specific software that I used, and which finally lead to a working VPN.
I will update this section as I try out different versions.

.exe files to install Clients
SoftEther
XP Vista Windows7 Windows8.1
'softether-vpnclient-v4.30-9696-beta-2019.07.08-windows-x86_x64-intel.exe' https://app.box.com/s/got5jknov33p9x8ky8951d0dhxc0hac1
The above .exe File may not run on some Vista Computers. This alternative may work in those cases:
'softether-vpnclient-v4.22-9634-beta-2016.11.27-windows-x86_x64-intel.exe' https://app.box.com/s/nj2rk76riakcpyg280fax35nmb7jev1q
OpenVPN
Windows7 Windows8.1
'openvpn-install-2.4.7-I607-Win7.exe' https://app.box.com/s/bdlwnoan9f3a3re0ajs3x5mfoo4ibfud
XP Vista
'openvpn-install-2.3.18-I001-i686.exe' https://app.box.com/s/wykxqmh0c4wi9o2upoipzbo5z32zt16z
Note: In many literature it is suggested that the recent versions of the OpenVPN Connect Client are designed to function on Windows Vista, 7, 8, and Windows 10. In the practice , for Vista I have found that recent versions do not work, but the build given as still available for XP seems to work also for Vista. (The problem on Vista for the recent versions seems to be that a required "Tap adaptor" is not installed correctly. More on this on the detailed notes on the instillations).


Choose a Server provider / register an account
In the next posts a detailed discussion of the instillation and further steps necessary are discussed. In the course of this some details will be required of the Server that you are using. You will need to typically register an account with a VPN provider. This will be your choice, and there are many providers giving a paid and / or free service. Usually the initial registration is free and does not commit you to pay anything
You need to get yourself informed , and then maybe register with a few providers and possibly try their free service if they have one and possibly consider taking out a free trial period of a paid service. But this is your choice and responsibility. Be careful of trial periods where you have to give money up front, with a promise of returned money if you choose not to finally go with that provider**.
My recent experience and testing was not extensive. I tried the free account with hide.me whilst also trying out and looking at a few other providers, but I did not have time to look all other providers. I got good support, which has also continued after I paid for the premium service. I am happy to pay for a good service. But that is just personal choice.
One advantage of the hide.me option is that the free service the paid one works similarly, requiring the same Client software, and other steps if required are also similar, as is the case with using the SoftEther and OpenVPN way. So you can get your systems working before deciding if you want to part with any money. ( I was also given free use of their paid service, for a trial period. But this I think is decided on individual cases. My guess is that anyone appearing genuinely possibly interested with the paid service would be offered this trial period. Many others ask for money upfront, and there are reports of difficulty in getting that money back at the end of such a trial period**)






I recommend starting with SoftEther: It is slightly easier to install than OpenVPN, and usually requires less information from your provider.

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Setting up Soft Ether ( XP)

Introduction
I recommend starting with SoftEther: It is slightly easier to install than OpenVPN, and usually requires less information from your provider.

The explanations assume that you have registered an account with hide.me.
But if you are using a different provider, only the steps related to your Username, Password and finding Host Name at your registered account will usually be different ( UsernamePasswordHostname.jpg : https://imgur.com/fXtxVWM , https://imgur.com/zMZmqit , https://imgur.com/7huFyW2 , https://imgur.com/rXWYAyz )

Some tips before starting
_1) Set up just 1 – 2 Servers initially.
After the initial instillation, some steps need to be repeated for each Server that you want to connect to in order to “hide behind” it. You finally have a list of Servers to choose from.
It is advisable to just initially try out the software with 1 – 2 Servers closest to your actual location. In the early testing and learning how to adjust various settings, you may well likely encounter problems , some of which may require a de instillation and re instillation of software. After re installation you will need to repeat those steps.
So until you have a good understanding and stable running VPN system it may be advisable not to make many connections. 1-2 are enough to test out the system, and you would otherwise possibly need to repeat work unnecessarily.
_2) Make a list of all or some of you internet providers Server internet addresses. Along with your Username and Password you will need this info at various stages.


Setting up Soft Ether
The initial step is usually to download the SoftEther .exe file and open / run it which will guide you through installing the SoftEther Client.

I have used these successfully:
softether-vpnclient-v4.30-9696-beta-2019.07.08-windows-x86_x64-intel.exe Build 4.30.9696 : https://app.box.com/s/got5jknov33p9x8ky8951d0dhxc0hac1 :
softether-vpnclient-v4.19-9605-beta-2016.03.06-windows-x86_x64-intel.exe : https://app.box.com/s/nj2rk76riakcpyg280fax35nmb7jev1q

The instillation is fairly typical and self explanatory. Any of the suggested tutorials show the steps.

_2) Network connection organisation in Windows.
_2a) Network connections.
A basic understanding of Network connections in modern computers is very useful when using and setting up VPN since many issues and problems are associated with these things.
The true inner workings of Microsoft Windows may in the meantime not be understood anymore by anyone. Physical connections and actual connector ports, whether physical connection or the arial/antenna for a connection such as WLAN, are all combined deep in the low level software.
An attempt is made in the control panel software to give some organisation of this in a User friendly interface, the Network Connections console, https://imgur.com/sKLn3eb
_2b) Make a desktop icon for quick access of the Network Connections console.
You will likely frequently want to access this when first getting VPN up and running. It is a bit hidden amongst similar consoles, so you will save yourself sometime if you make a desktop icon link so as to get quickly at it.
To do this in xp: ( The exact steps may be slightly different on different XP versions )
Either
_2b)(i)
Via Control Panel --- Control Connections navigation
Either
(left) mouse click on the Microsoft Start button bottom left, and navigate to Control panel , https://imgur.com/sOpJ6ms , https://imgur.com/udmq5Fa , https://imgur.com/laCEZuo
Or
use the command window way : To get that command window :
Hit the Microsoft Key + r, then type in cmd followed by OK https://imgur.com/sMOSbte
Then type in control , followed by Enter

Once you are in the Control Panel and have the list of available consoles, https://imgur.com/laCEZuo , then first left mouse click on Network Connections, then right mouse click on the Network Connections and select the option to make a quick access link https://imgur.com/BwktnNi
After this, a desktop icon should appear: https://imgur.com/4uDNTdr
Or
_2b(ii) Using Desktop --- New – Link . To do this:
Right mouse click anywhere on a spare space on the desktop, and select from the options in the pop up, new --- link : https://imgur.com/S4zTU6g
Another pop up should come up. First type in ncpa.cpl , https://imgur.com/khfMD4P , then in the next window you can give it any name you like, such as Network Connections, https://imgur.com/n2Z1toj .
After this, a desktop icon should appear: https://imgur.com/xXTOJkL

2c) Network Adaptors.
2c)(i) What are they
Typically, each way you have to connect with the internet or other networks, will be represented by a separate thing in the Network Control Console. (You can select typically from 5 different ways to view these by selecting from a drop down list in the top toolbar of the Network Control Console window, https://imgur.com/sHRZuA2 )
The name given for these things are like Tap / and or adaptor or Network adaptor or Virtual Network Adaptor. These names are approximately consistent with an attempt to represent these virtual things with what might be there real life equivalent in the absence of computers.
Often when you install a VPN Client on your computer, it will install its own adaptor: It is the thing which allows you to connect some thing to your computer. It will somehow contain various settings, adjustments, encoding, transitions etc…

As example of typical adaptor views on one of my XP computers, here are two views of the Network Control Console showing 5 things, 4 of which are similar
https://imgur.com/5BcWHDi , https://imgur.com/sfu8wzx
At this stage the computer has no VPN client software installed
These adaptor things basically allow access to all the settings and information required to make work the particular connection that is representing/referring to.
These adaptors can be set up from scratch , but that would require a lot of low level Computer Network knowledge. Usually they are created automatically when either software is installed, or by physically connecting things to a computer.
In the example from the last screenshots, the last 2 of the 4 similar things were already on the computer as I purchased it second hand. I am not sure what actual thing and/ or process is that they represent. The first two represent my house “Router”, which is the “box” which is connected to my telephone line and somehow along with those 2 adaptors provides me with internet. I never had anything to do with making them appear: I expect somehow they were automatically made the first time I tried to use internet on my computer. The first , which was in use as I made those screenshots allows use via WLAN. The second would allow connection via a LAN RJ45 type cable, and would typically start working if I physically connected such a LAN RJ45 type cable between the router and my computer.
If now I connect a USB Internet “Dongle” stick to my computer, then I notice that another adaptor appears: https://imgur.com/bKC2Jgi

C2c)(ii) States of Network adaptors.
As with some computer things, the “On” and “Off” states are not always clear, and a source of confusion.
_ You could consider “On running” or “On in use” as when the adaptor is actually in use. This will usually be indicated by
the absence of a red cross on the device in some of the picture type views,
or
in some of the list views as “connected”.
Note that this will usually , but not always , mean that it is doing what you would regard as “working” and giving you, for example, a working internet.
Occasionally this “On” state might be referred to as active and enabled, but that is a bit confusing considering the next state:
_ Another state is usually referred to as Enabled or Activated. This could be regarded as ready for use and likely to start running easily.
_ A final state is known as something like Disabled or Deactivated. An adaptor may be disabled/deactivated by right-clicking on it in the Network Control Console window and selecting Disable/Deactivate. Disabling the device will automatically disconnect any connection to that device.

Deactivating and reactivating an adaptor may loose some information held by it, or loose and then replace information. The latter can be a form of resetting which occasionally solves strange problems with a connection, and note that this might not always be the same adaptor which caused the problem. More on that later when discussing typical problems.

C2c)(iii) Adaptor Properties.
Right-clicking on an adapter in the Network Control Console window and choosing Properties will bring up the more advanced properties of network connections and adapters.
You will likely need to access that occasionally when getting familiar with VPN things: Instillation of the SoftEther Client software will typically create an adaptor. That Adaptor will “take over” control and be the “On running” connection when you choose to use the SoftEther VPN. It may also effect other adaptor settings. Checking properties of adaptors can often help in solving problems with VPN stuff. Once again, you may need to check an adaptor other than the VPN adaptor to solve strange unexpected problems in either VPN stuff, or problems in your normal non VPN internet, which occur after you have been doing VPN stuff.














Ref
https://tweaks.com/windows/39156/cre...k-connections/
Config files : http://www.frostvpn.com/clients/know...and-usage.html
https://oit.ncsu.edu/my-it/resnet/ip...in-windows-xp/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics...ork-connection

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Notes in support of these Threads
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...46481#59346481
http://www.eileenslounge.com/viewtop...=33775#p261670
http://www.eileenslounge.com/viewtop...=33775#p261670
http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post11608

Problems with SoftEtherVPN on a computer with operating system Windows XP

Problems with SoftEther connections in XP and work arounds
_1) Endless prompt to log in by first use of a connection.
Usually the first attempt to make a connection leads to an endless repeating prompt to give your Password , https://imgur.com/1TG4SV6 , https://imgur.com/KYOOtBo
If this occurs, which in XP usually does, then you will have to wait for approximately a day. Usually after this, the problem is gone.
_2) 10 minute settling down time
Once you have got rid of Problem _1) , then usually connections do then appear to be successful. But almost always they break , disconnect and reconnect automatically a few times. It always best to ignore this for about 10 minutes , after which it settles down and the connection I usually stable.
_3) Time out error.
If you have not made any attempts at a VPN SoftEther connection on your XP computer for a few days then you may have a working internet after the initial settling down period.
Otherwise you will usually get a Time out error, https://imgur.com/bLwfPqc , https://imgur.com/POQx7OF , https://imgur.com/5VVrVsX
This means, that, although you may appear to have a successful connection, you find that internet does not work. You typically get a time-out error, https://imgur.com/bLwfPqc , https://imgur.com/POQx7OF , https://imgur.com/5VVrVsX

I made many experiments with different computers , and always experience these connectivity problems with SoftEther on XP devices.

So far, the best workaround which will most likely get you a connection and a working internet is the following:

_3a) Either
De activate and re activate the Network connector for your typically working non VPN Internet .
Or
Restart your computer

( After doing this, wait until you have a normal working internet ( without VPN )

_3b) Make a connection to a Server, via the SoftEther VPN Client Manager , https://imgur.com/ZnnEdSm

_3c) Wait approximately 10 minutes

_3d) if you now have the time out error in internet then..
_3d)(i) Bring up the black command window,
( using keyboard Keys: [MicrosoftSymbol] + [ r ] , then type cmd , then hit OK ) https://imgur.com/62pUXTh
_3d)(ii) Type the following 4 commands, fairly quickly
ipconfig /release Enter
ipconfig/ renew Enter
ipconfig /release Enter
ipconfig/ renew Enter
https://imgur.com/juzxT3C , https://imgur.com/9bP3hGw


Often, after a long time period of a working connection, the time-out problem may suddenly occur. This will often occur when a connection breaks and re connects automatically
Occasionally, you may find that the double
ipconfig/ release Enter
ipconfig /renew Enter pair of 3d) , without the 3a)-3c) , will recover this situation of a connection with internet time out error.


Occasionally, no work around will get you a working connection. There seems to be some mechanism/s, known or unknown, in place which reduce the likelihood of a successful connection by increased attempts a connection. So if you are beginning to have problems with a connection, then you can slip into a vicious circle if you try more and more.
If you do not easily get a connection in the first 15 minutes, then it is best to give up for a day or so on that particular computer with SoftEther.
If you need to be able to reliably get a connection via VPN at an time, then I would suggest that you should have a minimum of two computers available with at least two independent methods for getting a connection on each computer.



_4) Problem with your normal ( non VPN ) internet, most likely caused by a current or recent VPN connection.
You may hit a problem like this: You appear to have a typical situation which is known to you as your typical working system/Router/WLAN connection, etc., with a routinely healthy looking connection to your normal internet. This is the usual situation which almost always for you results in a working internet. ( For example: This is a typical indication of a healthy Internet WLAN connection which usually results in a working internet for me: )
However, in such a situation a computer may untypically give an error suggesting that there is no internet connection. (You may or may not at this time be able to get a working VPN connection on that computer, and most likely other computers, if you have them, may have a working internet as typically expected.
This may be the cause of the problem:
At some point the VPN software has required to fix temporarily some values in your internet source, which are usually set at dynamic/non fixed . Usually the VPN would reset to the typical dynamic/non fixed at some point. Occasionally this resetting may have not taken place.
For example.
Get the Network Connections Console up, as described in previous sections. Here is an example of one of my xp computers: https://imgur.com/bb2hYZJ
Right mouse click on the representation of your internet, in my example the WLAN connection to my house Router: https://imgur.com/89KZoYs
After Right mouse clicking, select Properties in the List of options which should have come up.
Look in the list for things of the IP and / or TCP nature. Most likely there will be one for something like Internetprotokoll TCP/IP, https://imgur.com/yahJIAQ , which is currently ticked
Left mouse click on the text to the right of the ticked box.
Then click on the Properties button. Selecting the Properties button should bring up a second Window. Typically you will see in such a window radio buttons selected which indicate of some form of automated selection, https://imgur.com/1GaOgcK
( If this Properties button is grayed out, then you may need to disable/deactivate the connection, or possibly close something else. A pop up might advise you on what action should be taken, when initially you left mouse clicked on the representation of your internet in the Network Connections Console.
If , instead of automatic options selected, you see something like this: https://imgur.com/r071G6X , then this is likely the cause of your strange internet problem.
If you change the settings to automatic, them typically your internet will immediately start working as normal.







Ref
https://www.askvg.com/category/windows-xp/
https://hide.me/de/support

Notes in support of these Threads
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...46481#59346481
http://www.eileenslounge.com/viewtop...=33775#p261670
http://www.eileenslounge.com/viewtop...=33775#p261670
http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post11608

Further notes to XP SoftEther problems....

Automating fixes and investigations in XP

Information as text string, programmatically obtaining
In addition to time saving, advantages of automating the fixes discussed allow for more consistent results, since it was apparent from initial investigations that the timing at which commands such as ipconfig /release and ipconfig/ renew where typed manually seemed to have an effect.

It turns out that automating off theses commands via VBA is very simple, in principle a single code line does the main action http://www.eileenslounge.com/viewtop...=33775#p261628
of doing the command, and additionally storing the contents displayed as a result of the command, into a text file

Further manipulation of the text file information
Using VBA lends itself to bringing the data into a convenient form into Excel such as in columns for ease of comparing.
When doing this manually, some untidy behavior was sometimes seen, such as extra unnecessary blank lines and information spilling into adjoining columns. So some initial investigation into the actual build up of the text file is useful.
The complete text in a text file, or a column in Excel , is actually just a single long text string. The different “lines” of text as we perceive it is made possible by the inclusion “invisible characters” of the so called “line feed” and / or “carriage return” form. If we analyze typical strings in detail then this will help us in deciding how to manipulate them in order to get consistent / tidy results
We need to first produce a simple long text string, which we can then analyze, for example using this coding: http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ts-of-a-string
The following macro example, will give us the required complete string for ipconfig /all in variable strIPcon

Code:

---

Sub cmdconsoleContentsToString()
    Shell "cmd.exe /c ""ipconfig /all > """ & ThisWorkbook.Path & "\ipconfig__all.txt"""""
' Get the entire text file as a string
Dim FileNum As Long: Let FileNum = FreeFile(1) '
Dim PathAndFileName As String, strIPcon As String
 Let PathAndFileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\ipconfig__all.txt"
  Open PathAndFileName For Binary As #FileNum 'Open Route to data. Binary is a fundemental type data input...
    strIPcon = VBA.Strings.Space$(LOF(FileNum)) '....and wot recives it hs to be a string of exactly the right length
    Get #FileNum, , strIPcon
  Close #FileNum
' Analyse string
Call WtchaGot(strIn:=strIPcon)
End Sub

---

( Sub WtchaGot(ByVal strIn As String) can be found here : http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post10946

The results from Sub WtchaGot( ) can be used in analyzing the text format given out by the command prompt code live.

Alternatively, if you already have the results in a text file, then you use the same basic coding without the initial commend prompt code line. You will need to know the file name and location of the text file.

Code:

---

Sub StringContentsFromTextfile()
' Get the entire text file as a string
Dim FileNum As Long: Let FileNum = FreeFile(1) '
Dim PathAndFileName As String, strIPcon As String
 Let PathAndFileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\test1B"
  Open PathAndFileName For Binary As #FileNum 'Open Route to data. Binary is a fundemental type data input...
    strIPcon = VBA.Strings.Space$(LOF(FileNum)) '....and wot recives it hs to be a string of exactly the right length
    Get #FileNum, , strIPcon
  Close #FileNum
' Analyse string
Call WtchaGot(strIn:=strIPcon)
End Sub

---

Some Examples:
When trying to compare some similar measurements for Vista and XP operating systems, two annoying characteristics were noticed
_ In XP there seemed to be extra lines, XP Extra Blank Lines.JPG : https://imgur.com/flm1pjQ

Looking at the first part of a typical Vista output from Sub WtchaG( ) , we see this First Part of Typical Vista Output ipconfig all.JPG , https://imgur.com/Zxkyxkq

vbCr & vbLf & "Windows" & "-" & "IP" & "-" & "Konfiguration" & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & " " & " " & " " & "Hostname" & " " & "…………..
Comparing that with a similarly generated text in XP we see this First Part of Typical XP Output ipconfig all.JPG : https://imgur.com/nXtTeQH

vbCr & vbCr & vbLf & "Windows" & "-" & "IP" & "-" & "Konfiguration" & vbCr & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbCr & vbLf & " " & " " & " " & " " & " " & " " & " " & " " & "Hostname" & "."…………….
Clearly we see in the XP output a doubling of vbCr where we might more typically see a single vbCr
We can use a simple VBA code line to easily replace double occurrences of vbCr with a single vbCr

_ Spilling into neighboring columns when pasted into Excel
Another annoyance shows up as contents spilling into neighboring columns when pasted into Excel : XP Spilling into neighboring columns.JPG : https://imgur.com/8aWq5uj
Examining parts of the offending string, we see that there are some occurrences of vbTab, XP Spilling into neighboring columns due to vbTab.JPG :
…………" & " " & " " & "192" & "." & "168" & "." & "2" & "." & "105" & vbTab & " " & " " & "25" & vbCr & vbLf………..
In sinple text, vbTab is used as a sort of ordered positioning separation by empty spaces. Unfortunately , VBA uses them to indicate a cell vertical wall.
To overcome this problem we can use a simple VBA code line to easily replace occurrences of vbTab with a few empty spaces.


A final code to tidy the text given, by a command such as ipconfig /all , would have this form:

Code:

---

Sub cmdconsoleContentsToStringTidy() '  http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showthread.php/2384-VPN-Forum-access-and-IP-addresse-Tests?p=11568&viewfull=1#post11568
 Shell "cmd.exe /c ""ipconfig /all > """ & ThisWorkbook.Path & "\ipconfig__all.txt"""""
' Get the entire text file as a string
Dim FileNum As Long: Let FileNum = FreeFile(1) '
Dim PathAndFileName As String, strIPcon As String
 Let PathAndFileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\ipconfig__all.txt"
  Open PathAndFileName For Binary As #FileNum 'Open Route to data. Binary is a fundemental type data input...
    strIPcon = VBA.Strings.Space$(LOF(FileNum)) '....and wot recives it hs to be a string of exactly the right length
    Get #FileNum, , strIPcon
  Close #FileNum
' Tidy the string
 Let strIPcon = Replace(strIPcon, vbCr & vbCr, vbCr, 1, 1, vbBinaryCompare)
 Let strIPcon = Replace(strIPcon, vbTab, "  ", 1, 1, vbBinaryCompare)
End Sub

---

_

Further notes to XP SoftEther problems....

Automating fixes and investigations in XP

Bringing results into Excel File
It is convenient to bring the text results into an excel column.
Manually we do this by simply pasting into a single cell: Because the text string has already got a degree of formatting into lines via the vbCr & vbLf s , this is recognized by Excl, since excel also uses the convention of vbCr & vbLf as the line separator or, as Excel sees it, as a horizontal cell wall border.
So we simply need to add a few code lines to put the text string into the clipboard, and then paste into a convenient cell in Excel.
( A few probllems were encountered when adding some extra information. These are the subject of some other forum posts, for example: https://www.eileenslounge.com/viewto...p?f=18&t=33834 )

Code:

---

Sub cmdconsoleContentsToExcel() '  http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showthread.php/2384-VPN-Forum-access-and-IP-addresse-Tests?p=11569&viewfull=1#post11569
 Shell "cmd.exe /c ""ipconfig /all > """ & ThisWorkbook.Path & "\ipconfig__all.txt"""""
' Get the entire text file as a string
Dim FileNum As Long: Let FileNum = FreeFile(1) '
Dim PathAndFileName As String, strIPcon As String
 Let PathAndFileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\ipconfig__all.txt"
 ' Let PathAndFileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\test2B.txt"  '  Al
  Open PathAndFileName For Binary As #FileNum 'Open Route to data. Binary is a fundemental type data input...
    strIPcon = VBA.Strings.Space$(LOF(FileNum)) '....and wot recives it hs to be a string of exactly the right length
    Get #FileNum, , strIPcon
  Close #FileNum
' Tidy the string
 Let strIPcon = Replace(strIPcon, vbCr & vbCr, vbCr, 1, 1, vbBinaryCompare)
 Let strIPcon = Replace(strIPcon, vbTab, "  ", 1, 1, vbBinaryCompare)
' add any extra info to string
  Let strIPcon = vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & """" & Format(Now, "DD MMM YYYY") & " " & vbLf & " " & Format(Now, "hh mm ss") & """" & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & strIPcon  ' vbLf is recognised as a new line within an Excel"
' String content check
' Call WtchaGot(strIPcon)
' put the text in the clipboard
Dim objDataObject As Object: Set objDataObject = GetObject("New:{1C3B4210-F441-11CE-B9EA-00AA006B1A69}")
objDataObject.SetText strIPcon: objDataObject.PutInClipboard

' Excel Worksheet
Dim Ws As Worksheet: Set Ws = ActiveSheet
Dim Clm As Range, NxtClm As Long
 Set Clm = Ws.Cells.Find(What:="*", After:=Ws.Range("A1"), LookAt:=xlPart, LookIn:=xlFormulas, SearchOrder:=xlByColumns, SearchDirection:=xlPrevious, MatchCase:=False)
    If Clm Is Nothing Then
    Let NxtClm = 1
    Else
    Let NxtClm = Clm.Column + 1
    End If
' Put in next free column in Active sheet
 Ws.Paste Destination:=Ws.Cells.Item(1, NxtClm)
 Ws.Columns.AutoFit: Ws.Rows.AutoFit


End Sub


---

The next coding has a section to add the results obtained in the command window for the command route print

Code:

---

Sub ipconfigall_routeprint() '
Rem 1 ipconfig /all
 Shell "cmd.exe /c ""ipconfig /all > """ & ThisWorkbook.Path & "\ipconfig__all.txt"""""
' Get the entire text file as a string
Dim FileNum As Long: Let FileNum = FreeFile(1) '
Dim PathAndFileName As String, strIPcon As String
 Let PathAndFileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\ipconfig__all.txt"
 ' Let PathAndFileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\test2B.txt"  '  Al
  Open PathAndFileName For Binary As #FileNum 'Open Route to data. Binary is a fundemental type data input...
    strIPcon = VBA.Strings.Space$(LOF(FileNum)) '....and wot recives it hs to be a string of exactly the right length
    Get #FileNum, , strIPcon
  Close #FileNum
' Tidy the string
 Let strIPcon = Replace(strIPcon, vbCr & vbCr, vbCr, 1, 1, vbBinaryCompare)
 Let strIPcon = Replace(strIPcon, vbTab, "  ", 1, 1, vbBinaryCompare)
' add any extra info to string
  Let strIPcon = vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & """" & Format(Now, "DD MMM YYYY") & " " & vbLf & " " & Format(Now, "hh mm ss") & """" & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & strIPcon  ' vbLf is recognised as a new line within an Excel"
' String content check
' Call WtchaGot(strIPcon)
' put the text in the clipboard
Dim objDataObject As Object: Set objDataObject = GetObject("New:{1C3B4210-F441-11CE-B9EA-00AA006B1A69}")
objDataObject.SetText strIPcon: objDataObject.PutInClipboard

' Excel Worksheet
Dim Ws As Worksheet: Set Ws = ActiveSheet
Dim Clm As Range, NxtClm As Long
 Set Clm = Ws.Cells.Find(What:="*", After:=Ws.Range("A1"), LookAt:=xlPart, LookIn:=xlFormulas, SearchOrder:=xlByColumns, SearchDirection:=xlPrevious, MatchCase:=False)
    If Clm Is Nothing Then
    Let NxtClm = 1
    Else
    Let NxtClm = Clm.Column + 1
    End If
' Put in next free column in Active sheet
 Ws.Paste Destination:=Ws.Cells.Item(1, NxtClm)
' Ws.Columns.AutoFit: Ws.Rows.AutoFit

Rem 2 route print
 Shell "cmd.exe /c ""route print > """ & ThisWorkbook.Path & "\route_print.txt"""""
' Get the entire text file as a string
 Let FileNum = FreeFile(1) '
Dim strrouteprint As String
 Let PathAndFileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\route_print.txt"
 ' Let PathAndFileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\test2B.txt"  '  Al
  Open PathAndFileName For Binary As #FileNum 'Open Route to data. Binary is a fundemental type data input...
    strrouteprint = VBA.Strings.Space$(LOF(FileNum)) '....and wot recives it hs to be a string of exactly the right length
    Get #FileNum, , strrouteprint
  Close #FileNum
' Tidy the string
 Let strrouteprint = Replace(strrouteprint, vbCr & vbCr, vbCr, 1, 1, vbBinaryCompare)
 Let strrouteprint = Replace(strrouteprint, vbTab, "  ", 1, 1, vbBinaryCompare)
' put the text in the clipboard
objDataObject.SetText strrouteprint: objDataObject.PutInClipboard
' Excel Worksheet
Dim Lr As Long: Let Lr = Ws.Cells(Ws.Rows.Count, NxtClm).End(xlUp).Row
' Put in next free column in Active sheet
 Ws.Paste Destination:=Ws.Cells.Item(Lr + 30, NxtClm)
 Ws.Columns.AutoFit: Ws.Rows.AutoFit

End Sub

---

Typically , ipconfig/ all and route print are done together to get information concerning a connection.
A code version here, http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post11834 , combines the two macros and the two sets of info is pasted out to the same column, with the and route print info under the ipconfig/ all info.
In addition the coding calls some Functions which give some extra information , such IP address, computer name. Details to those Functions is given here : http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post11672




Ref
http://eileenslounge.com/viewtopic.p...=31395#p243002

Further notes to XP SoftEther problems....





Other useful command prompt commands when experimenting with VPN are ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew

Here is are a pair of macros to give a similar Excel column output for the commands are ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew

Code:

---


'
Sub ipconfig_release() '
Rem 1 ipconfig /all
 Shell "cmd.exe /c ""ipconfig /release > """ & ThisWorkbook.Path & "\ipconfig_release.txt"""""
' Get the entire text file as a string
Dim FileNum As Long: Let FileNum = FreeFile(1) '      ' The "highway/ street/ link" to be built to transport the text will be given a number. It must be unique. So we use for convenience, the Freefile function: it returns an integer that represents the next file number that the Open statement can use.  The optional argument for the range number is a variant that is used to specify a range from which the next free file number is returned. Enter a value of data type 0 (default) to return a file number in the range 1 - 255 inclusive. Enter 1 to return a file number in the range 256 - 511.  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/language/reference/user-interface-help/freefile-function  . Note also : Use file numbers in the range 1-255, inclusive, for files not accessible to other applications. Use file numbers in the range 256-511 for files accessible from other applications
Dim PathAndFileName As String, strIPcon As String
 Let PathAndFileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\ipconfig_release.txt"
 ' Let PathAndFileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\test2B.txt"  '  Al
  Open PathAndFileName For Binary As #FileNum 'Open Route to data. Binary is a fundemental type data input...
    strIPcon = VBA.Strings.Space$(LOF(FileNum)) '....and wot recives it hs to be a string of exactly the right length
    Get #FileNum, , strIPcon
  Close #FileNum
' Tidy the string
 Let strIPcon = Replace(strIPcon, vbCr & vbCr, vbCr, 1, -1, vbBinaryCompare)
 Let strIPcon = Replace(strIPcon, vbTab, "  ", 1, -1, vbBinaryCompare)
' add any extra info to string
Dim PublicIP As String: Call PubicIP(PublicIP)
  Let strIPcon = "ipconfig /release  " & vbCr & vbLf & ComputerName & vbCr & vbLf & GetIpAddrTable & vbCr & vbLf & PublicIP & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & """" & Format(Now, "DD MMM YYYY") & " " & vbLf & " " & Format(Now, "hh mm ss") & """" & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & strIPcon      ' vbLf is recognised as a new line within an Excel"
' String content check
' Call WtchaGot(strIPcon)
' put the text in the clipboard
Dim objDataObject As Object: Set objDataObject = GetObject("New:{1C3B4210-F441-11CE-B9EA-00AA006B1A69}")
objDataObject.SetText strIPcon: objDataObject.PutInClipboard

' Excel Worksheet
Dim Ws As Worksheet: Set Ws = ActiveSheet
Dim Clm As Range, NxtClm As Long
 Set Clm = Ws.Cells.Find(What:="*", After:=Ws.Range("A1"), LookAt:=xlPart, LookIn:=xlFormulas, SearchOrder:=xlByColumns, SearchDirection:=xlPrevious, MatchCase:=False)
    If Clm Is Nothing Then
    Let NxtClm = 2
    Else
    Let NxtClm = Clm.Column + 1
    End If
' Put in next free column in Active sheet
 Ws.Paste Destination:=Ws.Cells.Item(1, NxtClm)
 Ws.Columns.AutoFit: Ws.Rows.AutoFit
 ActiveWindow.Panes(2).Activate
 Ws.Cells.Item(1, NxtClm).Select

End Sub

---

Code:

---


'
Sub ipconfig_renew() '
Rem 1 ipconfig /all
 Shell "cmd.exe /c ""ipconfig /renew > """ & ThisWorkbook.Path & "\ipconfig_renew.txt"""""
' Get the entire text file as a string
Dim FileNum As Long: Let FileNum = FreeFile(1) '        ' The "highway/ street/ link" to be built to transport the text will be given a number. It must be unique. So we use for convenience, the Freefile function: it returns an integer that represents the next file number that the Open statement can use.  The optional argument for the range number is a variant that is used to specify a range from which the next free file number is returned. Enter a value of data type 0 (default) to return a file number in the range 1 - 255 inclusive. Enter 1 to return a file number in the range 256 - 511.  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/language/reference/user-interface-help/freefile-function  . Note also : Use file numbers in the range 1-255, inclusive, for files not accessible to other applications. Use file numbers in the range 256-511 for files accessible from other applications
Dim PathAndFileName As String, strIPcon As String
 Let PathAndFileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\ipconfig_renew.txt"
 ' Let PathAndFileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\test2B.txt"  '  Al
  Open PathAndFileName For Binary As #FileNum 'Open Route to data. Binary is a fundemental type data input...
    strIPcon = VBA.Strings.Space$(LOF(FileNum)) '....and wot recives it hs to be a string of exactly the right length
    Get #FileNum, , strIPcon
  Close #FileNum
' Tidy the string
 Let strIPcon = Replace(strIPcon, vbCr & vbCr, vbCr, 1, -1, vbBinaryCompare)
 Let strIPcon = Replace(strIPcon, vbTab, "  ", 1, -1, vbBinaryCompare)
' add any extra info to string
Dim PublicIP As String: Call PubicIP(PublicIP)
  Let strIPcon = "ipconfig /renew  " & vbCr & vbLf & ComputerName & vbCr & vbLf & GetIpAddrTable & vbCr & vbLf & PublicIP & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & """" & Format(Now, "DD MMM YYYY") & " " & vbLf & " " & Format(Now, "hh mm ss") & """" & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & vbCr & vbLf & strIPcon      ' vbLf is recognised as a new line within an Excel"
' String content check
' Call WtchaGot(strIPcon)
' put the text in the clipboard
Dim objDataObject As Object: Set objDataObject = GetObject("New:{1C3B4210-F441-11CE-B9EA-00AA006B1A69}")
objDataObject.SetText strIPcon: objDataObject.PutInClipboard

' Excel Worksheet
Dim Ws As Worksheet: Set Ws = ActiveSheet
Dim Clm As Range, NxtClm As Long
 Set Clm = Ws.Cells.Find(What:="*", After:=Ws.Range("A1"), LookAt:=xlPart, LookIn:=xlFormulas, SearchOrder:=xlByColumns, SearchDirection:=xlPrevious, MatchCase:=False)
    If Clm Is Nothing Then
    Let NxtClm = 2
    Else
    Let NxtClm = Clm.Column + 1
    End If
' Put in next free column in Active sheet
 Ws.Paste Destination:=Ws.Cells.Item(1, NxtClm)
 Ws.Columns.AutoFit: Ws.Rows.AutoFit
 ActiveWindow.Panes(2).Activate
 Ws.Cells.Item(1, NxtClm).Select

End Sub


















---

Automating command prompt combinations

There are two main reasons for the automating of command prompts and associated coding which we have been discussing. One is the obvious time advantage compared with doing the commands manually.

A second important advantage is in consistency of results, since the specific time at which some commands were done were seen to effect the results.

It is easy to Call any combinations of the Functions , along with wait periods in between. Simple macros of this form can be written , Calling on the Functions which we have already developed.

Code:

---

Option Explicit
'    '      https://www.myonlinetraininghub.com/pausing-or-delaying-vba-using-wait-sleep-or-a-loop
    #If VBA7 Then ' Excel 2010 or later
    Public Declare PtrSafe Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32" (ByVal Milliseconds As LongPtr)
    #Else ' Excel 2007 or earlier
    Public Declare Sub Sleep Lib "kernel32" (ByVal Milliseconds As Long)
    #End If
'                                                                            '_


'  Calls
Sub Calls2()
 Call ipconfig_release
 Call Sleep(500)
 Call ipconfigall_routeprint("  after rel in single rel ren pair")
 Call ipconfig_renew
 Call Sleep(500)
 Call ipconfigall_routeprint("  after ren of single rel ren pair")
End Sub


---

We can further use either buttons or event coding to trigger conveniently various coding combinations.



The uploaded file is an initial file version which I am currently using to do some experimenting with XP and SoftEther.

I will probably develop this further and edit this post accordingly.

---

“Test ipconfig XP.xls” https://app.box.com/s/hk3cl2sp9nmmyigcun71w54vn38xi6zq

Problems with Automated Command prompts with VBA

Problems with Automated Command prompts with VBA

Problems uncounted in the execution of such coding is often difficult to debug, since often the code lines do not error. Often when problems occur, the commends are simply not done, but the VBA coding continues further.

One problem already noted is the presence of spaces in path strings. Care has to be taken in the correct syntax in the use of quotes, " , to overcome this problem
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/...46481#59346481
http://www.eileenslounge.com/viewtop...261670#p261670



Another strange problem I once experienced , was that the command prompt coding lines were not working on one particular XP computer. I finally tracked the problem down to a point _ . _ in the computer name. Once I removed this point _ . _ all was well.
( I could not repeat the experiment, as any attempts to change the name to include a point _ . _ , were not allowed….. This particulate computer I did not have from new . I don’t know how a point was made in the computer name)




Ref
Change Computer name in XP : https://www.watchingthenet.com/how-t...-or-vista.html

Some notes in support of these Threads
http://www.eileenslounge.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=33775
http://www.eileenslounge.com/viewtop...d7141c#p262009
http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post11570
http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post11608

VPN and IP Addresses
Some of the initial investigations into testing VPN and in looking at problems showed that it was useful to be able to monitor various IP addresses.
The main (Public) address, as already discussed, ( http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post11597 ) , is of course important to know . There is also a “local host”, which more typically is set to the same number for everyone, (127.0.0.1 ). This is a number which conventionally is used to allow direct access to network aspects of your computer which might otherwise be accessed externally in some way or another. A characteristic of VPN software is that it manipulate your computer in a way such that, amongst other things , this number will change to the internal address used at your VPN provider to identify you within their system. It is part of the trickery in the Client software, that you “looking at yourself” gets manipulated into looking somewhere else. The provider in some ways is then in control of your computer allowing them to give the impression that your computer is physically somewhere else: Part of your computer “Soul” is with them.

Public address
Manually this is achieved typically by visiting various sites that provide you with this information. The automated way still needs to use such sites. The reason for this is that you need to be able to get the information by accessing yourself in the way that another computer connected to the internet “gets at you”. Part of this process involves obtaining your public address as you communicate initially with them. We could scrap any site offering the service and pick out the IP address information.
We can simplify the coding to do this by accessing a site available which only gives the IP information, and which shows as the website that you “see” just that IP address number.
So for example if you type in your browser URL bar, http://myip.dnsomatic.com/ , then all you will see is the IP address. You will even see only that if you are in Google Chrome Browser and right click and view the Page Source
Page Source myip dnsomatic .JPG : https://imgur.com/uceUKE4

This information will be the entire .responseText received back. In normal scrapping coding you might feed this supplied text string into an object model software which allows you to then pick out using OOP type techniques what you want. If we use the site http://myip.dnsomatic.com/ , we don’t need to take that extra step, and can simply view the entire .responseText , as this is the exact info we want.

( I found that sometimes the first one or few attemps did not work in the next coding, but almost always after a few attemopts it worked. So the recursion technique is used to call the Function a few times , if necerssary )

Code:

---

Option Explicit
Sub TestPubicIP()
Dim strIP As String
 Call PubicIP(strIP)
 MsgBox prompt:=strIP
 'Call WtchaGot(strIP)
End Sub
' Because we have ByRef PublicIP  , the is effectively taking the variable  strIP  into the function, and similarly in the  recursion Call line  that variable is taken.  Hopefull in one of the 5 attepts at running the Function  it will be filled.. We don't actually fill the pseudo variable  PubicIP  so no value is returned directly by the Function. (So we could have used a Sub()routine instead)  To get a returned value we look at the value in  strIP  after runing the routine , because , as said, hopefully that particular variable will have been added to
Function PubicIP(ByRef PublicIP As String, Optional ByVal Tries As Long) As String
    If Tries = 5 Then Exit Function
 On Error GoTo Bed
    With CreateObject("msxml2.xmlhttp")
    .Open "GET", "http://myip.dnsomatic.com", True ' 'just preparing the request type, how and what type... "The True/False argument of the HTTP Request is the Asynchronous mode flag. If set False then control is immediately returns to VBA after Send is executed. If set True then control is returned to VBA after the server has sent back a response.
    'No extra info here for type GET
    '.setRequestHeader bstrheader:="Ploppy", bstrvalue:="Poo"
    .setRequestHeader bstrheader:="If-Modified-Since", bstrvalue:="Sat, 1 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT" '  https://www.autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=9554  ---  It will caching the contents of the URL page. Which means if you request the same URL more than once, you always get the same responseText even the website changes text every time. This line is a workaround : Set cache related headers.
    .send ' varBody:= ' No extra info for type GET. .send actually makes the request
        While .readyState <> 4: DoEvents: Wend ' Allow other processes to run while the web page loads. Think this is part of the True option
    Dim PageSrc As String: Let PageSrc = .responseText ' Save the HTML code in the (Global) variable. ': Range("P1").Value = PageSrc 'For me for a print out copy to text file etc.    The responseText property returns the information requested by the Open method as a text string
    End With
 Let PublicIP = PageSrc: ' Debug.Print PubicIP
 'Call WtchaGot(PubicIP)
    If PublicIP = "" Then Call PubicIP(PublicIP, Tries + 1) ' Recursion Call line. I do this because sometines it seems to need more than one try before it works
Exit Function
Bed:
 Let PubicIP = Err.Number & ":  " & Err.Description: Debug.Print PubicIP
End Function

---

As an alternative , I have below a similar coding. It gets the page source from another site which shows your IP address. I found when looking at the page source in Google Chrome, that I could see the IP address conveniently showing between two simple text lines :
Page Source whatismyipaddress_com .JPG : https://imgur.com/LSvORAe
Attachment 2567

To VBA ( or most computer things), that text looks like a long string, and at that point we can imagine that it looks to the computer like any one of these 3 representations
……. ipt -->" & vbLf & "87" & "." & "101" & "." & "95" & "." & "204" & vbLf & "<!—do not scr……..
…….ipt --> vbLf 87.101.95.204 vbLf <!—do not scr ………….

…….ipt --> vbLf
87.101.95.204 vbLf
<!—do not scr ………….

We apply some simple VBA strings manipulation techniques to extract just the IP address number

Code:

---

'
Sub TestPubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com()
Dim strIP As String
 Let strIP = PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com
 MsgBox prompt:=strIP
End Sub
Function PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com() As String
 On Error GoTo Bed
    With CreateObject("msxml2.xmlhttp")
    .Open "GET", "https://whatismyipaddress.com/de/meine-ip", False ' 'just preparing the request type, how and what type... "The True/False argument of the HTTP Request is the Asynchronous mode flag. If set False then control is immediately returns to VBA after Send is executed. If set True then control is returned to VBA after the server has sent back a response.
    'No extra info here for type GET
    '.setRequestHeader bstrheader:="Ploppy", bstrvalue:="Poo"
    .setRequestHeader bstrheader:="If-Modified-Since", bstrvalue:="Sat, 1 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT" '  https://www.autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=9554  ---  It will caching the contents of the URL page. Which means if you request the same URL more than once, you always get the same responseText even the website changes text every time. This line is a workaround : Set cache related headers.
    .send ' varBody:= ' No extra info for type GET. .send actually makes the request
        While .READYSTATE <> 4: DoEvents: Wend ' Allow other processes to run while the web page loads. Think this is part of the True option
    Dim PageSrc As String: Let PageSrc = .responsetext ' Save the HTML code in the (Global) variable. ': Range("P1").Value = PageSrc 'For me for a print out copy to text file etc.    The responseText property returns the information requested by the Open method as a text string
    End With
 Let PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com = PageSrc: ' Debug.Print PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com
Dim IPadres As String, posIPadres1 As Long, posIPadres2 As Long
 Let posIPadres1 = InStr(1, PageSrc, "<!-- do not script -->", vbBinaryCompare)  '      Screenshot --->  Page Source whatismyipaddress_com .JPG : https://imgur.com/LSvORAe
 Let posIPadres2 = InStr(posIPadres1 + 1, PageSrc, "<!-- do not script -->", vbBinaryCompare)
 Let PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com = Mid(PageSrc, posIPadres1 + 23, ((posIPadres2 - 1) - (posIPadres1 + 23)))
 Call WtchaGot(PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com)
Exit Function
Bed:
 Let PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com = Err.Number & ":  " & Err.Description: Debug.Print PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com
End Function

---

---

Local Host address and computer name in the next post

VPN and IP Addresses
Some of the initial investigations into testing VPN and in looking at problems showed that it was useful to be able to monitor various IP addresses.
The main (Public) address, as already discussed, ( http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ll=1#post11597 ) , is of course important to know . There is also a “local host”, which more typically is set to the same number for everyone, (127.0.0.1 ). This is a number which conventionally is used to allow direct access to network aspects of your computer which might otherwise be accessed externally in some way or another. A characteristic of VPN software is that it manipulate your computer in a way such that, amongst other things , this number will change to the internal address used at your VPN provider to identify you within their system. It is part of the trickery in the Client software, that you “looking at yourself” gets manipulated into looking somewhere else. The provider in some ways is then in control of your computer allowing them to give the impression that your computer is physically somewhere else: Part of your computer “Soul” is with them.

Public address
Manually this is achieved typically by visiting various sites that provide you with this information. The automated way still needs to use such sites. The reason for this is that you need to be able to get the information by accessing yourself in the way that another computer connected to the internet “gets at you”. Part of this process involves obtaining your public address as you communicate initially with them. We could scrap any site offering the service and pick out the IP address information.
We can simplify the coding to do this by accessing a site available which only gives the IP information, and which shows as the website that you “see” just that IP address number.
So for example if you type in your browser URL bar, http://myip.dnsomatic.com/ , then all you will see is the IP address. You will even see only that if you are in Google Chrome Browser and right click and view the Page Source
Page Source myip dnsomatic .JPG : https://imgur.com/uceUKE4

This information will be the entire .responseText received back. In normal scrapping coding you might feed this supplied text string into an object model software which allows you to then pick out using OOP type techniques what you want. If we use the site http://myip.dnsomatic.com/ , we don’t need to take that extra step, and can simply view the entire .responseText , as this is the exact info we want.

( I found that sometimes the first one or few attemps did not work in the next coding, but almost always after a few attemopts it worked. So the recursion technique is used to call the Function a few times , if necerssary )

Code:

---

Option Explicit
Sub TestPubicIP()
Dim strIP As String
 Call PubicIP(strIP)
 MsgBox prompt:=strIP
 'Call WtchaGot(strIP)
End Sub
' Because we have ByRef PublicIP  , the is effectively taking the variable  strIP  into the function, and similarly in the  recursion Call line  that variable is taken.  Hopefull in one of the 5 attepts at running the Function  it will be filled.. We don't actually fill the pseudo variable  PubicIP  so no value is returned directly by the Function. (So we could have used a Sub()routine instead)  To get a returned value we look at the value in  strIP  after runing the routine , because , as said, hopefully that particular variable will have been added to
Function PubicIP(ByRef PublicIP As String, Optional ByVal Tries As Long) As String
    If Tries = 5 Then Exit Function
 On Error GoTo Bed
    With CreateObject("msxml2.xmlhttp")
    .Open "GET", "http://myip.dnsomatic.com", True ' 'just preparing the request type, how and what type... "The True/False argument of the HTTP Request is the Asynchronous mode flag. If set False then control is immediately returns to VBA after Send is executed. If set True then control is returned to VBA after the server has sent back a response.
    'No extra info here for type GET
    '.setRequestHeader bstrheader:="Ploppy", bstrvalue:="Poo"
    .setRequestHeader bstrheader:="If-Modified-Since", bstrvalue:="Sat, 1 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT" '  https://www.autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=9554  ---  It will caching the contents of the URL page. Which means if you request the same URL more than once, you always get the same responseText even the website changes text every time. This line is a workaround : Set cache related headers.
    .send ' varBody:= ' No extra info for type GET. .send actually makes the request
        While .readyState <> 4: DoEvents: Wend ' Allow other processes to run while the web page loads. Think this is part of the True option
    Dim PageSrc As String: Let PageSrc = .responseText ' Save the HTML code in the (Global) variable. ': Range("P1").Value = PageSrc 'For me for a print out copy to text file etc.    The responseText property returns the information requested by the Open method as a text string
    End With
 Let PublicIP = PageSrc: ' Debug.Print PubicIP
 'Call WtchaGot(PubicIP)
    If PublicIP = "" Then Call PubicIP(PublicIP, Tries + 1) ' Recursion Call line. I do this because sometines it seems to need more than one try before it works
Exit Function
Bed:
 Let PubicIP = Err.Number & ":  " & Err.Description: Debug.Print PubicIP
End Function

---

As an alternative , I have below a similar coding. It gets the page source from another site which shows your IP address. I found when looking at the page source in Google Chrome, that I could see the IP address conveniently showing between two simple text lines :
Page Source whatismyipaddress_com .JPG : https://imgur.com/LSvORAe
Attachment 2567

To VBA ( or most computer things), that text looks like a long string, and at that point we can imagine that it looks to the computer like any one of these 3 representations
……. ipt -->" & vbLf & "87" & "." & "101" & "." & "95" & "." & "204" & vbLf & "<!—do not scr……..
…….ipt --> vbLf 87.101.95.204 vbLf <!—do not scr ………….

…….ipt --> vbLf
87.101.95.204 vbLf
<!—do not scr ………….

We apply some simple VBA strings manipulation techniques to extract just the IP address number

Code:

---

'
Sub TestPubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com()
Dim strIP As String
 Let strIP = PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com
 MsgBox prompt:=strIP
End Sub
Function PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com() As String
 On Error GoTo Bed
    With CreateObject("msxml2.xmlhttp")
    .Open "GET", "https://whatismyipaddress.com/de/meine-ip", False ' 'just preparing the request type, how and what type... "The True/False argument of the HTTP Request is the Asynchronous mode flag. If set False then control is immediately returns to VBA after Send is executed. If set True then control is returned to VBA after the server has sent back a response.
    'No extra info here for type GET
    '.setRequestHeader bstrheader:="Ploppy", bstrvalue:="Poo"
    .setRequestHeader bstrheader:="If-Modified-Since", bstrvalue:="Sat, 1 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT" '  https://www.autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=9554  ---  It will caching the contents of the URL page. Which means if you request the same URL more than once, you always get the same responseText even the website changes text every time. This line is a workaround : Set cache related headers.
    .send ' varBody:= ' No extra info for type GET. .send actually makes the request
        While .READYSTATE <> 4: DoEvents: Wend ' Allow other processes to run while the web page loads. Think this is part of the True option
    Dim PageSrc As String: Let PageSrc = .responsetext ' Save the HTML code in the (Global) variable. ': Range("P1").Value = PageSrc 'For me for a print out copy to text file etc.    The responseText property returns the information requested by the Open method as a text string
    End With
 Let PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com = PageSrc: ' Debug.Print PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com
Dim IPadres As String, posIPadres1 As Long, posIPadres2 As Long
 Let posIPadres1 = InStr(1, PageSrc, "<!-- do not script -->", vbBinaryCompare)  '      Screenshot --->  Page Source whatismyipaddress_com .JPG : https://imgur.com/LSvORAe
 Let posIPadres2 = InStr(posIPadres1 + 1, PageSrc, "<!-- do not script -->", vbBinaryCompare)
 Let PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com = Mid(PageSrc, posIPadres1 + 23, ((posIPadres2 - 1) - (posIPadres1 + 23)))
 Call WtchaGot(PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com)
Exit Function
Bed:
 Let PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com = Err.Number & ":  " & Err.Description: Debug.Print PubicIPwhatismyipaddress_com
End Function

---

---

Local Host address and computer name in the next post

Local Host address, Computer name
There are a couple of Win32 APIs which will get this information.
We just need to write a small amount of coding to get the function to do what we want and also a bit of manipulaation to give the information as we need it.
For the computer name this is simply a function to give us a string.

Code:

---

Option Explicit
Private Declare Function GetComputerName Lib "kernel32" Alias "GetComputerNameA" (ByVal lpBuffer As String, ByRef nSize As Long) As Long
'  "GetComputerNameA" (ByVal lpBuffer As String, ByRef nSize As Long) As Long
Function ComputerName() As String                                                                                                                                                                        ' GHB and sex..
Dim NmeLen As Long, lngX As Long, strCompName As String
 Let NmeLen = 999: Let strCompName = "                                    "    ' variables must be initialised or API things often dont work                                                            ' String$(50, 0)
 Let lngX = GetComputerName(strCompName, NmeLen) '
    If lngX <> 0 Then ' returns 1 if it works
    Let ComputerName = strCompName '  Left$(strCompName, NmeLen)  ' The first argument variable gets like a LSet done on it
    Else
    Let ComputerName = "Couldn't get Computer name"
    End If
 Let ComputerName = Left$(ComputerName, NmeLen) ' We must do this as there is a  Chr(0)  after the name ....  Let ComputerName = Trim(ComputerName) ' this is no good, - it leaves Chr(0) on the end which means that ComputerName is the last thing that will get printed
 'Call WtchaGot(ComputerName)
End Function


---

The Win32 API for the local IP address is slightly more complicated. It will give us a table/ array of all the IP addresses held. The first is generally that we are interested in. it seems to be added when a VPN connection is made

Code:

---

Option Explicit
Private Declare Function GetIpAddrTable_API Lib "IpHlpApi" Alias "GetIpAddrTable" (ByRef pIPAddrTable As Any, ByRef pdwSize As Long, ByVal bOrder As Long) As Long    '  http://www.source-code.biz/snippets/vbasic/8.htm
'  "GetIpAddrTable" (ByRef pIPAddrTable As Any, ByRef pdwSize As Long, ByVal bOrder As Long) As Long
Public Function GetIpAddrTable() As String  '      Christian d'Heureuse, www.source-code.biz  http://www.source-code.biz/snippets/vbasic/8.htm
Rem 1 We give the API function some info , and that seems to make it fill up an array with table values
Dim Buf(0 To 1234) As Byte ' Buf(0 To 511) As Byte ' must be Byte or overflow at NrOfEntries
Dim BufSize As Long: Let BufSize = 12345
Dim rc As Long: Let rc = GetIpAddrTable_API(Buf(0), BufSize, 1)
  'If rc <> 0 Then Err.Raise vbObjectError, , "GetIpAddrTable failed with return value " & rc
Dim NrOfEntries As Integer: NrOfEntries = Buf(1) * 256 + Buf(0)
  'If NrOfEntries = 0 Then GetIpAddrTable = Array(): Exit Function

Dim i As Long
  For i = 0 To NrOfEntries - 1
    Dim j As Long, s As String
      For j = 0 To 3
      Dim Indcy As Long: Let Indcy = 4 + i * 24 + j
      s = s & IIf(j > 0, ".", "") & Buf(Indcy): Debug.Print Indcy & "  " & Buf(Indcy) ' This code line just builds the final string for each IP address, with a "." before all but the first of the 4 number parts  ---  for example like  192 . 168 . 2 . 110
      Next j
    Dim strIPs As String: Let strIPs = strIPs & "  " & s: Let s = ""
    Next
  GetIpAddrTable = strIPs: Debug.Print strIPs
End Function

'    4  127
'    5  0
'    6  0
'    7  1
'    28  192
'    29  168
'    30  2
'    31  110
'      127.0.0.1  192.168.2.110                                                                                          ' _

'    4  10
'    5  132
'    6  13
'    7  113
'    28  127
'    29  0
'    30  0
'    31  1
'    52  192
'    53  168
'    54  2
'    55  110
'      10.132.13.113  127.0.0.1  192.168.2.110
'    1  2  3    4  5  6  7      8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
'    25 26 27  28  29  30  31    32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48
'    49 50 51  52  53  54  55
'              10  132  13  127
'              127  0  0  1
'              192 168  2  110

---

If we examine that coding above, and experiment with what it does, we see a couple of things:
Rem 1
_ It is doing a strange thing, as API’s often do. That is to say the API works similarly to a normal VBA function, except the way each argument is a mystery.. following some set of rules/coding which probably the author wrote when he was drunk and no one can remember anymore.
You must make an array of Byte types. The array should be fairly big.
You must give the first array element and the size of the array to the API Function.
Then magically the array gets filled. Presumably some internally held table is put into the array
Rem 2
A bit of maths is done to pick out the elements we want from the returned filled array

The final analysis here of a typical output can be helpful to try and understand another way to get this information

Code:

---

'    1  2  3    4  5  6  7      8  9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
'    25 26 27  28  29  30  31    32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48
'    49 50 51  52  53  54  55
'              10  132  13  127
'              127  0  0  1
'              192 168  2  110

---

Or maybe not. I am not sure. I doubt many people are…

Using Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
Why? – because it’s there. It’s not my fault.
Background ideas
Some background reading here, https://tinyurl.com/ydotkymx , might be of no interest: Linking and Embedding Component Model Object, LECMO
It all seems to boil down to a lot of people employed by Microsoft with no clear idea of what to do. Initially a lot of effort has been put into modules that can somehow have available all or most of their functionality via their interface and that the interface has a form/ uses conventions that has at least a chance of being universally compatible. This can allow , for example, for a similar large amount of people now to be employed in making changes and adjustments, to what end, nobody knows.
Although aspects of the concepts discussed above concerned communication via internet, a variation to the above, Distributed Component Object Model , is a variation on an obscure theme specifically to address internet connectivity, or more generally Computer networks in which internet connection can also be included, or even, as in our considerations, hidden.



Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
Based on COM and DCOM, WMI is an attempt to allow management computer systems including through the internet via tools independent of operating systems
In this case , the Object in COM and DCOM is referring more towards actual Object orientated Programming concepts. This is not always the case , at least in terms of COM stuff, so all of this is deliberately vague as nobody can really remember or can have any real idea about what it is all about.
The end result of interest to us is that we have an external shared library, ( http://www.excelfox.com/forum/showth...ing-Techniques ) from which we can make an object. My guess is that the object of use to us looks something like the table we sketched in the last part of the last post, possibly in a more complex form including a lot of other information. The information is likely to be organized in such a way as to allow Object Orientated Programming techniques to access sub sets of the information. We can typically use this to obtain information about connections and IP addresses

Code:

---

Public Function getMyIPWMIObjectQuery() '                              https://officetricks.com/find-local-ip-address-vba-macro-code/      'Related Reference - Microsoft WMI Scripting V1.2 Library (wbemdisp.TLB)  https://myengineeringworld.net/2014/12/public-ip-mac-address-vba.html
Dim objWMI As Object, objQuery As Object, objQueryItem As Object
Dim vIpAddress As Variant
'Create WMI Object                                                    'Related Reference - Microsoft WMI Scripting V1.2 Library (wbemdisp.TLB)
 Set objWMI = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & "." & "\root\cimv2") ' This probly gets a large table full, of infomation ---    "'The root\cimv2 namespace is used to access the Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration class."
'Query WMI : The execQuery method retrieves a number of instances of something that match a query string. The query string is based on the SQL language...  "  A select query is used to get a collection of IP addresses from the network adapters that have the property IPEnabled equal to true."
 Set objQuery = objWMI.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration Where IPEnabled = 1")
   
    For Each objQueryItem In objQuery
    Dim strIPs As String
        For Each vIpAddress In objQueryItem.ipaddress
            Let strIPs = strIPs & "  " & vIpAddress
        Next
    Next
 MsgBox prompt:=strIPs: Debug.Print strIPs
End Function

---

Problem with your normal ( non VPN ) internet, most likely caused by a current or recent VPN connection.

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https://www.watchingthenet.com/how-t...-or-vista.html
https://www.watchingthenet.com/how-to-change-your-computer-name-in-windows-xp-or-vista.html

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