I needed to add an extra browser

[mr__ed]

I use two browsers on my PC(running Windows 10 Pro), Microsoft Edge and Vivaldi. I've been leaning towards Vivaldi lately, although Edge is fine. I was attempting to log in to my banking website today and it wouldn't accept my password. I tried using both browsers to no avail. I called customer service and was told they were having trouble with those browsers. It was then recommended I try Firefox instead. So I went ahead and installed it. Sure enough, I logged in without difficulty. It's the first time I couldn't log in with my usual two browsers. I suppose it's only a temporary situation, but I'll keep Firefox for future use if necessary. It's a good idea to have more than one browser, anyway, just in case your usual one gives problems. In my case, I needed a third. 🙂

[coolmom42]

I hate Edge. I love Chrome and use it exclusively, except for one site it won't open. It's because the site needs updating badly.

[Gdetrailer]

mr. ed wrote:


I use my VPN only on US servers. I haven't noticed any problems in all the years I've been using the Internet. Yes, it's probable that complete protection can't be achieved, so the only way to be really safe is don't use the Internet at all. Maybe we shouldn't use our cell phones, either. I don't think many of us are willing to do that.;)

BTW, I've been using Firefox for a little while now, and liking it.

Your VPN connection does not "terminate" at your BANK or any OTHER WEBSITE other than the server the VPN software is running. There are folks who love to make you feel warm and fuzzy by selling you a VPN service, but in reality a VPN does NOTHING to make your connection any more secure than not running a VPN.

As I mentioned, for a VPN to be effective it MUST start at your PC and END at the EXACT server you wish to connect to. Terminations anywhere else and you may as well never have used a VPN.

Most folks use VPNs to AVOID having their IP being traced/tracked or perhaps to use public open WiFi (possible security risk of a rogue Social Engineering attempt).

Many Companies do use VPNs for what they are intended for, remote secure connections via Internet to the Company computer networks.. In these cases, the Company IT installs a VPN on their internal IT network, the employee has a PC with the company's VPN software installed. The employees PC VPN connects to the Company server VPN termination.. Data is encrypted the entire path and only is decrypted at each end..

Your case, there are hundreds of thousands perhaps millions of network switches, servers and security holes between your VPN termination and what ever website you are trying to reach that is totally unencrypted and out in the open.

Yes, you will find Firefox is much faster than Edge or even Chrome and I have not had many issues with Firefox not working with websites.

You can get a "addon" program for Firefox called AdBlockPlus (looks like a red stop sign with ABP in it) which will vastly speed up your websurfing by stopping a lot of intrusive unwanted "ads".

ABP also is helpful in stopping those blasted "inline" Ads (blue text with double underlines) which you trigger by rolling the mouse over and the ad pops up.. Those ads are a source of PUPs (Potential Unwanted Programs), malware, virus loads.. Got hit with malware twice from those ads.. After the second time I dumped IE for FF with ABP..

[2oldman]

mr. ed wrote:
I was attempting to log in to my banking website today and it wouldn't accept my password.

US Bank has recently started rejecting my login if my password is this -> *******. As long as I type it in I'm fine. This is Chrome.

[mr__ed]

Gdetrailer wrote:

mr. ed wrote:

Irover wrote:
I like Opera with VPN and browser with Duck-Duck-Go search engine. had this for about four years now! 🙂

Opera seems nice, but I have concerns over Chinese involvement (possibly unfounded). I do use Duck Duck Go as a search engine on both browsers I use. I'm now using Brave and Edge (mainly Brave, as I've used it in the past and feel it's quite secure and has generally good reviews). I use a separate VPN, Proton VPN, based in Switzerland.

I get a chuckle out of the lengths folks goes to..

You ARE on the Internet, NOTHING, REPEAT NOTHING IS SECURE LET ALONE "PRIVATE".

Edge is as secure and private as "swiss cheese", it is a Chromium based browser and leaks information back to MS and who knows where else.. You may as well count out the "middleman" and use Chrome strait up, most likely will work better than MS hacked up version and I don't like how slow Chrome is..

VPNs are no more "secure" than running barebones browser, yes you might have encryption between your PC and the other end where the third party server is, but once it leaves that third party server, your information is no longer "secure" by any means.. All you are doing is adding a third party to the mix and shoveling information along many more server paths..

Not to mention, now you are fully trusting a THIRD PARTY with your supposed sensitive information, they can store and archive every single event/data with your connection.. Who's to say that that third party is not digging and mining through your information that was sent on that supposed safe VPN connection?

To make a VPN truly work, the termination point MUST be at the same point as the website you are contacting, you VPN service does not do that..

For instance, you connect to your bank website in the US, Your data encrypted and is routed via the VPN out of US to other servers around the world to Switzerland.. Now the VPN server in Switzerland decodes your data and now must push your now UNSECURE OPEN decoded data through servers from outside US to your bank in the US.. Now, tell me just how does that make your "data" safe?

A real secure VPN service with your bank would mean the BANK has a DEDICATED INTERNAL VPN connection for you to connect with. Only your PC and the banks own VPN server has the keys to decode the data exchange.

You are putting a lot of trust into a faceless third party in another country with different rules, you have considerably more faith than I do..

You are wasting your time and money on a VPN.

Firefox is most likely one of the better browsers although with the newer versions it is using Chromium under the hood but it does work well and you do have a lot of very good addons which helps with security, privacy and unwanted intrusive ads.

But to believe anything with computer data being sent on the open wobbly web is "secure" is folly.. If it can be encrypted, someone will figure out a way to decrypt it..

I use my VPN only on US servers. I haven't noticed any problems in all the years I've been using the Internet. Yes, it's probable that complete protection can't be achieved, so the only way to be really safe is don't use the Internet at all. Maybe we shouldn't use our cell phones, either. I don't think many of us are willing to do that.;)

BTW, I've been using Firefox for a little while now, and liking it.

[Gdetrailer]

mr. ed wrote:

Irover wrote:
I like Opera with VPN and browser with Duck-Duck-Go search engine. had this for about four years now! 🙂

Opera seems nice, but I have concerns over Chinese involvement (possibly unfounded). I do use Duck Duck Go as a search engine on both browsers I use. I'm now using Brave and Edge (mainly Brave, as I've used it in the past and feel it's quite secure and has generally good reviews). I use a separate VPN, Proton VPN, based in Switzerland.

I get a chuckle out of the lengths folks goes to..

You ARE on the Internet, NOTHING, REPEAT NOTHING IS SECURE LET ALONE "PRIVATE".

Edge is as secure and private as "swiss cheese", it is a Chromium based browser and leaks information back to MS and who knows where else.. You may as well count out the "middleman" and use Chrome strait up, most likely will work better than MS hacked up version and I don't like how slow Chrome is..

VPNs are no more "secure" than running barebones browser, yes you might have encryption between your PC and the other end where the third party server is, but once it leaves that third party server, your information is no longer "secure" by any means.. All you are doing is adding a third party to the mix and shoveling information along many more server paths..

Not to mention, now you are fully trusting a THIRD PARTY with your supposed sensitive information, they can store and archive every single event/data with your connection.. Who's to say that that third party is not digging and mining through your information that was sent on that supposed safe VPN connection?

To make a VPN truly work, the termination point MUST be at the same point as the website you are contacting, you VPN service does not do that..

For instance, you connect to your bank website in the US, Your data encrypted and is routed via the VPN out of US to other servers around the world to Switzerland.. Now the VPN server in Switzerland decodes your data and now must push your now UNSECURE OPEN decoded data through servers from outside US to your bank in the US.. Now, tell me just how does that make your "data" safe?

A real secure VPN service with your bank would mean the BANK has a DEDICATED INTERNAL VPN connection for you to connect with. Only your PC and the banks own VPN server has the keys to decode the data exchange.

You are putting a lot of trust into a faceless third party in another country with different rules, you have considerably more faith than I do..

You are wasting your time and money on a VPN.

Firefox is most likely one of the better browsers although with the newer versions it is using Chromium under the hood but it does work well and you do have a lot of very good addons which helps with security, privacy and unwanted intrusive ads.

But to believe anything with computer data being sent on the open wobbly web is "secure" is folly.. If it can be encrypted, someone will figure out a way to decrypt it..

[mr__ed]

Irover wrote:
I like Opera with VPN and browser with Duck-Duck-Go search engine. had this for about four years now! 🙂

Opera seems nice, but I have concerns over Chinese involvement (possibly unfounded). I do use Duck Duck Go as a search engine on both browsers I use. I'm now using Brave and Edge (mainly Brave, as I've used it in the past and feel it's quite secure and has generally good reviews). I use a separate VPN, Proton VPN, based in Switzerland.

[Irover]

I like Opera with VPN and browser with Duck-Duck-Go search engine. had this for about four years now! 🙂

[johnhicks]

Vivaldi and Opera use the chromium engine, as does Edge. With Internet Explorer gone Opera may be the longest-lived browser now.

[PastorCharlie]

If you want privacy online use: https://duckduckgo.com/

[theoldwizard1]

I have been using Chrome almost exclusively for a long, LONG time !

If I want to test out something with a different browser, I use Firefox.

[ReneeG]

Edge has a lot of problems. Chrome by far is the best as is FireFox.

[CFerguson]

Firefox is more concerned for your personal privacy than any other browser that i know of. If there's a better alternative, I'd love to hear about it.

[MrWizard]

Fire fox my laptop , Chrome on my Android tablet and phone, i also have Samsung browser,
Over the years i have tried may different ones
On Windows and Android

[mr__ed]

wnjj wrote:
I’ve never heard of Vivaldi until your post (not that I go looking for browsers much). If one of your main browsers doesn’t even make the top 10, it kind of doesn’t count when it comes to compatibility with websites as they likely never tested to it. If it continues to gain acceptance it will become more widely supported.

https://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php

As much as I’m not a big fan of The Google, Chrome is now the most widely used and therefore most likely to avoid those kind of issues.

Vivaldi is an Opera spinoff and has pretty good reviews. I'm familiar with Chrome and understand it's a good browser, but have concern over reported privacy issues. I also agree with others on this thread about Firefox. I've used it before and agree that it's good, but I've settled on Edge and Vivaldi. I like to experiment a little. Another browser I like is Brave. To each his own.