From: nospam@needed.invalid   
      
   On Sat, 2/14/2026 8:55 AM, micky wrote:   
   > The cheapest cost for the most basic ExpressVPN, which I've used before   
   > and been satisfied with, is $3.49/month, or 42/a year.  I think other   
   > VPN's are about the same. I don't really want a VPN all the time, and   
   > had planned to just get it while traveling, 3 months would be $39.   
   >   
   > But Malwarebytes is $60/year and you can add its VPN for just 20 more.   
   >   
   > How come it's so cheap?  Is it no good?  Is it good but it doesn't work   
   > for everyone?   Is it good but it has some annoying problem?   
   >   
   > Do I even need malwarebytes when I have the one built in to windows 11?   
   >   
      
   The expense to the provider, of operating a VPN, depends on what   
   people do with it.   
      
   For example, the largest file I ever downloaded, was 61GB.   
   If I had, at the time, engaged a commercial VPN, what would   
   it cost the provider in transit fees (Level3 corporation transport) ?   
   It would be $0.03 * 61 = $1.83 . If I did that all month long,   
   downloaded a 61GB file over VPN, that would be $55 for the month.   
      
   If you charge me $3.49 for the VPN-month, and I cost you $55 while I am   
   using it, I think your business is in serious trouble.   
      
   However, a big company measures an "average usage" per day of the VPN.   
   Maybe the users only engage a VPN while watching Netflix or something.   
   It is the "periodic" usage of VPN that makes providing the service   
   cheaper. Not much purpose is served, downloading 61GB files over a VPN.   
      
   If they wanted to, a VPN could charge like a utility, and charge   
   $0.03 per gigabyte, and bill you at the end of the month. But the   
   monthly bill might be too small to bill for.   
      
   It all depends, on how you abuse it. And whether the VPN company   
   in question, actually caps usage on a per-day basis or not.   
      
   As for the effectiveness of VPNs, there is a subscription service   
   available to companies not wanting their users to use VPNs, that   
   can be used to block a VPN connection. Netflix doesn't have to work   
   over a VPN, as Netflix is likely to have one of the most   
   comprehensive block-lists of VPN nodes.   
      
   Netflix does not serve bytes, from a central node. ISP data centers   
   have a Netflix pod, with cached content on it. A lot of the   
   Netflix bytes, are served without transit fees for every byte served.   
   By serving from the building two miles from my place, the cost   
   to the ISP for supporting Netflix is "zero". Whereas who knows   
   where a Youtube video comes from.   
      
   *******   
      
   Some companies do not provision their own VPN service. They buy the   
   service from others. It's possible the Mozilla VPN is that way   
   (Mozilla effectively being s re-seller of a service). There is no   
   particular reason that Malwarebytes has set up rental nodes of their   
   own in Paraguay, when some other established VPN could do it for them.   
      
   When you buy a Duracell USB stick at the department store, how   
   much "Duracell" input is there ? None at all. Duracell has   
   no record of that stick, as they only sell their name for   
   the purpose. Just because a name appears on an item, their   
   contribution functionally can be a big fat zero.   
      
   If you ask me, as you have done, "is a Duracell USB stick good?",   
   we don't know who actually made the USB stick, and an evaluation   
   of that no-name company would be needed.   
      
   The main thing to watch for VPNs, is when they provide the service "for free".   
   They are more likely to be profiting from your information   
   stream, if they're not charging you. Billing people is supposed   
   to be a indicator they are legit (which of course is meaningless).   
   But at least you know if someone offers you a VPN for nothing,   
   then something dodgy is going on.   
      
      Paul   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)