So, what's the deal with North?

Hey everyone

I just set up a trial version, but since I'm a complete newbie at this, I'm not really sure how to actually use a VPN🤦. Like, if I head over to a music torrent site—The Pirate Bay, for example—what am I supposed to do with North? If I'm not allowed to discuss this here, feel free to shoot me a DM. Thanks!🙏

fadedbear92 said:hey everyone

I installed the trial version, but since I'm a total newbie, I don't really get how you actually use a VPN🤦. Like, if I go to some music torrent site—The Pirate Bay, for example—what am I supposed to do with North? If this isn't allowed here, I can send a DM. Thanks🙏

It’s allowed. As long as you aren't explicitly talking about theft. 😉
It's kind of like talking about guns. You can talk about how they work, but it’s not cool to discuss how to kill people.

I don't use North myself—I use a different VPN—but the logic behind all of them is identical. You just need to connect to a VPN server using their client software. Once that connection is established, your "exit point" onto the web isn't your local ISP anymore; it's that specific VPN server you connected to. Your ISP will see encrypted traffic, but they won't be able to see what you're actually doing.
As for your question, once you've connected to the server, everything else works just like usual. Your browser, your torrents, your email—it all functions normally, just as if you weren't using a VPN at all. All your internet traffic flows through that server automatically, so you don't have to do anything extra.

To figure out exactly how the setup works with North, you should check out their FAQ. You'll want to see what specifically gets installed on your machine. I'm sure they have it laid out somewhere.
Usually, when you install one of these VPN clients, there's just one main button (on/off) to toggle the connection to the server. There are plenty of other settings you could mess with, but for a beginner, most of that stuff is irrelevant.

wiredcanyon94 said:It’s funny how that works—as long as you aren't explicitly talking about theft, you're fine. 😉
It’s just like discussing firearms; you can talk about how they function, but once you start detailing how to take someone out, you've crossed a line.

I don't actually use North, but I use a different VPN, and honestly, the logic behind all of them is identical. You basically just use a client to connect to a specific VPN server. Once that connection is live, your "exit point" to the web isn't your local ISP anymore—it's that remote server. Your provider just sees encrypted traffic, but they have no clue what's actually inside the packets.
As far as you're concerned, once you're connected to the server, everything else feels completely normal. Browsing, torrenting, checking your email—it all functions exactly as if you weren't even using a VPN. All your traffic routes through that server automatically, so you don't really have to think about it.

To get the specifics on how North handles things, you should probably check their FAQ. You'll want to see exactly what software gets installed on your machine. I'm sure they lay it all out there.
Usually, when you install one of those VPN clients, there's really just one main button—an on/off switch to toggle the connection to the server. There might be some advanced settings tucked away, but for a beginner, they aren't really necessary.

Is this alright:





And what about this?



Thanks!🙏

fadedbear92 said:is this okay:
...

and what about this?

...

thanks🙏

I can't see any images. They're way too small.
The whole point of using a VPN is making sure your "exit point" to the web isn't just your local ISP.
It’s pretty easy to check online to see if your public IP address actually changed. There are plenty of ways to do it, but one simple method is just heading to:
https://whatismyipaddress.com/

Check your current IP. Then, fire up the VPN and hit that page again. Refresh the browser so it reloads everything. Your IP should be different now. If it's still the same one you started with, your VPN isn't actually doing anything.

If the IP did change, you're probably good to go and your traffic is likely encrypted. Unless you're planning on hacking the Pentagon, just downloading torrents, you'll be fine.