Was considering deploying https://github.com/navilg/media-stack to my self hoated server (an old desktop plugged into my router). Im in an australia if thats relevent, thinking of getting starlink soon.

What are the risks of running it raw vs over a vpn?

  •  brisk   ( @brisk@aussie.zone ) 
    link
    fedilink
    English
    5522 days ago

    It is a legal requirement in Australia that ISPs record all your “metadata” which will reveal torrent activity. The bittorrent protocol necessarily makes your IP public to peers. Copyright trolls are known to leave bots as fake seeders and peers to collect IPs to mass report people.

    Tl;DR: not a good idea

  • Depends on how you currently download your bounty, and if it’s currently via torrents / public trackers like I do and you don’t get angry nastygrams from your ISP (Britbong here), you’re good to go?

    If not however use of a VPN is recommended and you could go one further actually and buy yourself Usenet access, which means you don’t need no VPN and you’re rock and roll.

    From what I recall thou you Aussies have lots of anti-pirate groups being knobheads so probably wise to hide your traffic? arrr

  • You will get nasty letters if you torrent on Starlink without a VPN and they may disconnect you. It’s CGNAT, so performance will be crap without a VPN since you can’t use port forwarding. The upload is rather slow, so you may want to consider a seedbox, especially if you use private trackers.

    • You’ll only get the nasty letters if you use public trackers… I’ve been on starlink since it came to Australia and never once got a nasty letter or warning or anything, and I don’t have any VPN going

      You’re right about the upload speed though

  •  quirzle   ( @quirzle@lemmy.zip ) 
    link
    fedilink
    English
    622 days ago

    What’s the argument for doing this? It looks like media stack includes a vpn, so the effort level isn’t going to be all that different.

    Echoing everyone else: definitely use a vpn if you’re torrenting. Strongly consider using a seedbox if you’re on starlink or anything else with poor upload speeds.

  • Australian here. Torrenting with no vpn is a terrible idea. Right now today there may not be any litigation of end users, but if you think about whether there will be at some point over the next several years? The odds are pretty good, and you’d be the low-hanging fruit.

    Your risks diminish dramatically with a vpn.

  • There are some very cheap VPNs out there. Get a year long deal on Slickdeals, or a similar site. Come renewal time , switch providers and got another discounted subscription for the following year. VPN providers fall all over themselves trying to lure you away from your current provider.

    Or, even better, get a seedbox. Many of those even offer VPNs at no additional cost. So you get the insulation of never torrenting on your home connection, and a “free” VPN, that isn’t shared with a million other people, for things like watching foreign streaming services or just plain increased privacy.

      • Seedbox providers are taking on the majority of the risk by providing the service. It’s in their interest to keep quiet about it. If they’re served with a legal request, they’ll honor it, if it conforms to their local laws. But so will your ISP, who has no incentive to protect your information.

        Also, just my opinion, but I think seedbox operators tend to be people who are doing the same things their customers are.