Pre-Cautions To Take Before I Open FreedomE VPN?

[Hopeful_Future]

I'm sorry to be creating another thread, but I tried reading through the documentation on the F-Secure website and couldn't find an answer. Another reason I created this thread was because I thought other FreedomE VPN users would have the same problem so I thought a discussion about this problem would be helpful to others in the F-Secure community.

My question is this: 

I remember reading that before I turn on the FreedomE VPN app that it's  crucial to remember to turn off "internet apps" like Dropbox and Skype because my true IP can "leak out". Is there an automatic way for me to make sure these "internet apps" are turned off or is the best way for me to close each app manually by myself before I turn on the FreedomE VPN app? 

What are some other "pre-cautions" I ought to take before I turn on FreedomE VPN on my Windows 10 PC to maintain my anonymity and so that my real IP isn't exposed? 

Thank you!

[Laksh]

Hi Hopeful_Future,

It is impossible to prevent a program from leaking the internal IP address, if the program has been designed to do so. It is not possible even in theory. Any program installed on a PC, Mac, Android and probably also iOS can obtain the internal IP address from the operating system, encrypt it and send it to wherever it would be sending it.

One way to work around the leaking would be to use private addresses in the home network by setting up a NAT on the home router. This way the programs still would be able to get the local IP address of the computer. But since it is a private IP address and not the one provided for example by the ISP, it is not routed on the Internet as it is used only in private networks. The device would not be able to get the real IP address from the router and leak that.

Web browsers should be configured to prevent them from leaking the internal IP address to any web site that happens to request it. Instructions can be found here: https://community.f-secure.com/t5/F-Secure/Can-Freedome-block-WebRTC-IP/ta-p/77583.

[Hopeful_Future]

Your help is appreciated!

Reading your reply has really made me feel nervous. I didn't know that apps are so easily able to leak my real IP address even if I'm running FreedomE VPN.

Would "Exiting" apps like Dropbox, Skype and Evernote 5minutes before I "Turn on" the FreedomE VPN app prevent them from leaking my real IP address?

[Laksh]

Hi Hopeful_Future,

We really do not know how those apps work and what information they may submit to their servers and under what conditions.

[Hopeful_Future]

Laksh, your reply is much appreciated!

This is still a problem I haven't been able to solve. 

Currently, it takes me a long time to prepare to start using FreedomE VPN as I need to manually "exit" my apps like Dropbox, Evernote and so on.

Is there a way I can do this faster? 

Thank you!

[Tioz01]

I have my Freedome at home on autostart.

I can't be 100% sure but it seems that it starts really early. Way before my Steam Client, Chat Programms etc...

If the problematic programm have a windows service. Maybe try the delayed start option in the services dialog of windows.

[Pizzaman]

Good question, I was thinking somethng similar. I would try auto-starting and auto-connecting Freedome at start. Also consider going into the Windows Task Manager and delaying the start-up of Dropbox, one drive and any other app you want to start after hopefully the VPN is connected.

[Hopeful_Future]

Thanks, but I thought it'd be dangerous to leave other apps like Steam, Evernote and Dropbox running while FreedomE VPN is running because these apps will know the IP that FreedomE VPN is giving you?

[Hopeful_Future]

I hope I'm not spamming but I'm still looking for a solution.

[Hopeful_Future]

I've been thinking about this a lot, but the answer continues to elude me.

Let's say I'm running the Evernote app on my PC and I start up the FreedomE app, will Evernote see that I've connected to Evernote with two different IP's and will Evernote know that these two IP's are connected and are actually the same user?