Does vpn encrypt data traffic or only wifi?

These questions all assume your vpn provider supports bb10 and you have the profile set up in the phone already.

1. When you're on a cell phone using data only, does traffic still get encrypted? Does the traffic go like this: phone, cell tower, vpn server, website?

2. If you are on a public wifi, or your friends wifi, and your Vpn profile is set on your phone does the traffic go like this: phone, router, vpn server, website?

3. If you have wifi on your phone with vpn already set up, does some traffic still go through the data?

4. I use a combination of wifi and data and I use duckduckgo for searching and don't use any google products whatsoever and email is hosted offshore. What can I expect in terms of how much of my traffic would be kept private from my cell provider, Internet provider and anyone trying to sniff traffic?

5. With a vpn, how are sms, mms and bbm messages encrypted?

Before anyone recommends setting up my owne vpn at home, this isn't an option. I don't mind using a vpn provider if the set up is fairly easy.

Thanks in advance!

If you set it up, a VPN connection will work over both WiFi and Cellular.

But you have to be clear on directing traffic to then use that "tunnel" you have created.

Yes BBM can use VPN, if set up to do so.

No SMS/MMS will not as this is a Carrier protocol.

You are going to want to do a lot of searching here before committing to a VPN service and make sure it will work for you. VPN has been one of BlackBerry's shortcomings on BB10.

A VPN is an encrypyed tunnel from your device to what I assume would be your workplace usually you would use what they call RSA key fob to enter a generated code to access but yes it's encrypted from device to device if somebody intercepted data they could not open it due to encryption


Posted from my Z30

A VPN connection is established between two endpoints. In this case it is you device and some VPN server. The configuration of the VPN profile defines the VPN server (as well as credentials to connect to it).

I wounds a bit to me that you are assuming all traffic will pass through the VPN connection. This is not the case. Only traffic targeted for that specific network behind the VPN server will be handled by the VPN tunnel.

The routing table in the OS will determine if traffic leaving the device is to be routed through the VPN tunnel. Basically it looks at the destination IP address. If this is the case, the data is routed through the VPN interface and encrypted before leaving your device.

It is irellevant whether the physical layer is WiFi or mobile.

So question 1-4 does not make sense.

In general traffic flow will be like this:

Device -> VPN interface -> Physical interface [WiFi / mobile]-> WiFi AP / Cell tower -> Internet -> VPN server -> remote network/device.

From a communication point of view it looks like this

Device -> VPN interface -> VPN server -> Remote device.
The VPN tunnel encapsulates the traffic making the path secure and transparent.

5. Nothing is encrypted via VPN. SMS/MMS are are sent directly to the wireless network as part of the GSM standard.
BBM is never routed through a VPN connection as you are not able to configure a VPN connection to the other users BB device or the BlackBerry Infrastructure.

An example of VPN usage:
A VPN connection can be established between your device and the company network. When the VPN tunnel is connected, you are able to browse internal web servers (on the company LAN) directly from your device

So can I assume that all tragic, data and wifi, will be sent through the vpn except for SMS???

No.

I think you have the idea that VPN is a universal encryption solution for all traffic. It's not.

Only data from your device to that specific endpoint (defined by the VPN connection) is encrypted.

Example: You wish to have access to the servers at work and your administrator configures a VPN connection.
When you activate the connection you will be able to access the internal network at work via an encrypted tunnel.

In this case all traffic between your device and the work network is encrypted.

What about "traffic not for work".

Well... it depends.

In some setups all traffic is sent through the connection. This would also include Internet browsing, BBM etc. But when the traffic reaches the company network it is decrypted and forwarded to its final destination in the same format as if sent directly from the device.

In other cases called "split tunneling" only traffic for the company is sent through the tunnel and all other traffic goes directly to the Internet.




Posted via CB10

My blackberry is for personal use, I just want my traffic encrypted for privacy purposes.

At home, my computer connects to vpn and I'm assuming anyone observing my traffic will get the ip of the vpn, not my home network.

Is this the way it works on a cell phone?

Traffic is only encrypted from one point to another.

At some point data must be decrypted to be used.

For your wireless connection at home the decryption happens at the router and data are routed to the Internet in its original format which can be encrypted or not. It depends on the connection in use.

For generic web browsing you can use https:// if supported by the mail server.

But to give you a short answer: VPN or WPA for your wifi will not resolve your privacy concerns.

If you need to be more anonymous on the Internet look at the Tor network. This will encrypt the data you are sending and at some random exit point the data will be decrypted and routed to the endpoint. Thus makes it quite difficult to track you as an individual.



Posted via CB10

I'm using a von service that encrypt my data connection. I'm connecting to the vpn sever with an encrypted connection and from there my data goes to the wanted website or service.

Back the same way, first to the vpn server in another country and from there encrypted to my device.

I have another ip adress and another country that see the services.

It works on Wifi and data plan, but of course not with sms.

Sometimes there are some issues with social networks when they find a new country where I'm coming from with my vpn connection, and I have to allow the new vpn in the social network settings.

When I'm connecting to Wifi or regulary network, the von connection will start automatically .

I'm using it for different reasons, and with payed von service you haven't any big slowdowns

Best Wishes

Sada

Wenn du das Weinen verlernt hast, bist du bereits tot (Sayumi Whisp)

I use the tor network when I'm home on my computers. But is there a similar option for bb10? How are the browsers in this situation? Also the enpass browser?

Which vpn are you using on your BlackBerry?