What does it mean when VPN is connect on demand?

[ddabrahim]

Hi.

Sorry if already been asked, I was searching the forum but got results in many foreign languages...

When I enable web protection and VPN on my mobile, in the VPN settings the Status display Connected and below that it is saying Avast security "will connect on demand".

I'm guessing it means it will connect to a VPN only when I'm using a public WiFi network but on a private, secured network VPN is not used.
Could anyone please confirm if this is the case, or explain what "connect on demand" actually means?

Thank you.

[Rednose]

Hi ddabrahim,

What "connect on demand" means, is that everything that wants to communicate over the internet has to use the VPN.

But if you are on a trusted network, you have the choice to exclude it from using the VPN.
Personally I wouldn't do that, but that is a different discussion.

Greetz, Red.

[ddabrahim]

Thank you for the explanation.

May I ask why would you prefer to use a VPN even at home when you are using your own secured WiFi network or when using a 4G mobile network? Avast also monitor and analyse all devices on the network in realtime. Is it not as secure as it sounds?

Thanks.

[Rednose]

It depends if you trust your internet provider as they can and most likely monitor you.

And if you trust your government.
For for example ( political ) activists it is better to always use a VPN server in a different country than they live in.

Greetz, Red.

[bob3160]

It depends if you trust your internet provider as they can and most likely monitor you.

And if you trust your government.
For for example ( political ) activists it is better to always use a VPN server in a different country than they live in.

Greetz, Red.

Good luck doing your online banking when  your VPN doesn't have a City that matches yours.
The VPN on a secure network is fine but not for all things.
Use Banking Mode in the Avast Secure Browser to make banking safer when you can't use the VPN at home.

[Rednose]

I was already playing with Avast Secure Browser and Banking Mode, and my banking is working with NordVPN with an Amsterdam ( Netherlands ) exit server.

And I just tested it with an Iceland exit server, and it is working as well.

Greetz, Red.

[bob3160]

I was already playing with Avast Secure Browser and Banking Mode, and my banking is working with NordVPN with an Amsterdam ( Netherlands ) exit server.

And I just tested it with an Iceland exit server, and it is working as well.

Greetz, Red.

In the US, when you sign into your bank, it expects you to sign in from a certain location or,
all kinds of additional security checks start to happen because of the possibility of someone else having gotten access to your account or card.
If you don't have a VPN location in your state or city, it's impossible to avoid these problems.
When I travel, it's easier since I file travel plans with my financial institution.

[Rednose]

My bank expects me to log in using a hardware device they provide, at least the first time !
Than you can make your mobile phone with the banking app a secure device, to log in on computers as well.

Greetz, Red.

[Rednose]

But back on topic :

Always keep your VPN on, and choose a server in a country with good privacy laws.
Personally I like Iceland, because they are bad ass mf's !
They even kicked the CIA off their island, because their island is theirs.

Greetz, Red.

[Pondus]

But back on topic :

Always keep your VPN on, and choose a server in a country with good privacy laws.
Personally I like Iceland, because they are bad ass mf's !
They even kicked the CIA off their island, because their island is theirs.

Greetz, Red.

FBI it was

[Rednose]

At least Americans

Greetz, Red.

[bob3160]

But back on topic :

Always keep your VPN on, and choose a server in a country with good privacy laws.
Personally I like Iceland, because they are bad ass mf's !
They even kicked the CIA off their island, because their island is theirs.

Greetz, Red.

I didn't realize we ever went off topic.

[ddabrahim]

It depends if you trust your internet provider as they can and most likely monitor you.
And if you trust your government.
For for example ( political ) activists it is better to always use a VPN server in a different country than they live in.

Greetz, Red.

Thank you for the reply, I was thinking about this and I can see why it might be useful to use a VPN even if you are on a secure private network, for example if you are in politics or an activist group and so the government and certain groups may spy on you, want to know your dirty secrets to put you in to shame in public or to blackmail you..etc but as an average user, I am not so sure if I can trust a VPN any better than a government and my ISP. I do expect Avast to spy on me for marketing purposes and statistics and if a government or law enforcement request access to user data in a country I doubt Avast would be in a position to refuse the request without consequences.

I also did recently see an advertisement about how much more difficult for hackers to spy on us if we are using a VPN, but I also don't really understand this part. If I am on a https connection on a private network, even if the hacker hijack my private network, https should prevent them from being able to see what am I doing and also, the same way a hacker could hack the VPN server and the same way the only thing protecting us is the same https connection. Not even the ISP can see what is happening behind a https connection, the only thing ISP and hackers can see is the domain we visited but can not see what page we are looking at and what Information we enter on the page unless they take control of our computer and hijack the DNS configuration but that is something that not even a VPN protect us from but a firewall and antivirus.

At least this is my understanding of how things works, but please let me know if I got it totally wrong.

Thank you.