u/DutchOfBurdock

I am curious to know, if you were to be sent to death, how would you prefer your death to be? I for one, would opt for the latter-most. At least I'll see both my death coming, and leaving.

If you offer WiFi to general public, you have many things to consider. My main concern is overhead and load. All my WiFi (OPEN or OWE), my captive portal highly encourages the use of a VPN, and the reason isn't why you think.

When you have WiFi users, somewhere they're going to be NAT (and fall under SPI states, too). NAT+SPI takes a toll on CPU and memory, remembering states and connections. More connections made, more memory (and CPU) needed.

If you loaded Facebook dot com and logged in, your PC/device would create upto, and probably more, than 10 connections (TCP Stateful). Now couple this with average browsing and streaming, you may have 60+ states going on. Now add 100 over users, that's 6K+ states in both the SPI and NAT. That's hitting memory and CPU.

However, when that user uses a VPN, my SPI+NAT can relax. Just a single (duplelx) stream: Single SRC_IP:port to DST_IP:port. Two states, two entries each in NAT and SPI. You can load torrent under this, and my NAT+SPI just sees a single, bi-directional flow. Easy load on my infrastructure.

I don't promote any particular VPN, my captive portal just highly suggests using whichever you want. Use a VPN on my WiFi, you create less load on my infrastructure, thus get better bandwidth.

VPNs have positive uses, and this is one. A VPN (even unencrypted L2TP), would take a burden off a CG-NAT. You're creating less load on their border equipment.

Something you thwow at a wabbit.

What's a twack?

Something a twain wuns on.

Most VPN users are Android and iOS, using the VPN client on device, for whatever reason you use a VPN for.

Great, your ISP can't see what you're doing, you can bypass certain ISP restrictions and even gain access to content you can't locally. Yep, great. Just what was advertised on the tin.

But, this VPN also keeps you secure. Right?

Well, here's the thing. When you create that `tun` connection to your VPN, you are now bypassing both the NAT and SPI of your own router. The things that blocks unsolicited, inbound connections. Your device has just created a new interface that directly peers you with the VPN local network IP range. This interface, on Android and iOS, lacks any IP filtering. Meaning, zero firewalling.

The VPN network can directly connect to your `tun0` IP and any sockets your device will very likely have open. Now, ofc this would require some 0-day exploit or some fancy shenanigans, but, what about your VPN client? Or maybe WiFi ADB running on a static port, or Airdroid, or some other remote system you may be running on-device.

I know this, as I connect my two Android via my private VPN and I have full, unfettered access to both their stacks. Now, I can block inter-client communication to prevent this from happening. But, from any other network on my network that can route into the VPN network, can talk to the VPN clients. I can ofc firewall on the router to block this, too. But, my router itself can still talk to them. I can ofc firewall this behaviour and prevent it altogether.

Just something for you to think about. When you connect your Android or iOS to a VPN, you are completely bypassing the firewall on your own router.

Working Brighton and had some time to wander the Pier. Had to see what I could hit up on my RT3S. I forgot to program anything for up this area and only had one shot

GB3IW.

From some points of the Pier, I was able to open the repeater and even get the ping of confirmation of modulation. No call backs, tho. So I jump onto echolink and listen to my own call.

The white noise over my voice was heavy, almost like a proper FM DX call, barely audible.

But still, 5W, 53 miles as the crow flies. Brighton Pier to GB3IW.

That's my terrestrial record using this HT. Best I got before was Winchester to GB3SD, which was 48 miles.

I think it may be a slightly skippy day for UHF. 53 miles is well over the horizon.

Please don't mention who you work for, but I do encourage you to express what it is about your job you love. Please keep this positive and civil.

I work in a retail environment of a unique kind. The ethos of the company resonates with me and is something I literally fell in love with. For context, I used to sub-contract to this company in a completely different role to what my job entails now. I saw what it was, how it worked and how both managers and the regular workers all seemed to be on the same table. Managers will jump on tills and serve customers like the rest. You'd often find it difficult to know who is a manager or not because they'd be out on the floor serving customers.

For 18 months I subbed and saw an opportunity to grow. I took it, with support from many staff I had worked with when subbing. I was truly scared! I should mention, I am also Autistic, and in a roody retail role.

2 and a bit years in, and I still love my job. The pay sucks, but the uniqueness, challenges and diversities make it well worthwhile. I say the pay sucks, it pays the bills with some playdough left over. But the overall job entails something I love doing: helping people, offering solutions to problems and improving upon what I and others have made. I even get to get my hands dirty! Being Autistic, I also don't back down when I know a better way of doing something. A few times I've tussled with management above me because their strategy is ineffective, only to have management agree with my approach (mostly).

I will always do right by my customers, as without them we have no trade. I do hold a management role, so have quite a bit of autonomy. I get to train fellow staff and guide them. Having to deal with all customers, issues, problems and queries. That also means having to deal with customer complaints from customer support and I pride myself in a unique way to resolve qualms and complaints. Even today, I spent half an hour after my time to make sure a customer that unfortunately received poor service edit: was resolved. I turned that frown upside down. That's just what I love to do. I love to help and try to make things better!

We have an epic team, we see ourselves as a family. We all have each other's back, rather than stabbing knives into them. No matter which store you go to, you will find this behaviour pretty much consistently. Pay isn't always everything. Enjoying your job is, if not more, important.

Tell me what you love about your job?

Not paying attention when making a Café au Lait, I somehow grabbed the marmite jar from the cupboard, proceeded to spoon it and stir it into my hot milk. To couple it, I even licked the spoon after, still not noticing my blunder.

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Misses just has this perplexing look on her face as I sit down to take a sip.

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At first, I didn't know how to react. Realised what I did, she ends up in hysterical laughter whilst I'm still trying to phaze my reaction.

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Takes another sip, then another. It's gone!

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Marmite and hot milk!

"Yeah," muttered one of the peons, "And there's not much sign of U in it either."