Is using a VPN to play multiplayer games with friends safe, or dangerous?

[anningrad]

I remember using something called Hamachi a few years back to play games online with my friends when we had connection issues, and nothing ever happened from this, but I recently read something in the Steam TOS that seems to imply that any VPN use whatsoever could lead to my account getting banned, and I only just learned that hamachi is a VPN.

How dangerous is using a VPN for playing games? Are there are similar programs that pose no risk? I just wanna be able to play EYE Divine Cybermancy with some friends but the game is just annoying to get everyone connected without something like Hamachi.

If it is safe, what's the best program to use?

Also, is port-forwarding safe?

Thank you.

[かぐや]

It's safe. It even does not hide your residence. For example really useful for games what used GameSpy years ago which got shutdown already.

Also: https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/73iop4/usage_of_vpn_is_not_strictly_prohibited/

[anningrad]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από かぐや:

It's safe. It even does not hide your residence.

Isn't that literally what a VPN is though? Something that is used SPECIFICALLY to hide your residence?

[ReBoot]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από anningrad:

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από かぐや:

It's safe. It even does not hide your residence.

Isn't that literally what a VPN is though? Something that is used SPECIFICALLY to hide your residence?

No. Faking your location is a possible use case of a VPN. One of many. Its like saying knives are only good for spreading butter. They surely are good for that, but there's other use cases.

[Living Computer]

Well, the prohibition is under 3. A, Payment Authorization.

I am not a lawyer, but i have a hard time believing they would ban people for just using a VPN to play games and chat.

Doing it with people from countries with civilized consumer rights could also result in courts there getting a bit, ahem interested so to say the least.
Especially with that placing of the clause.

But i am not a lawyer once again, i may be wrong.




If you in any way use the VPN to do anything remotely shady in regards to payment, you deserve what you get.


EDIT: Reddit post was already posted, thanks.

[Living Computer]

Regarding port forwarding, it is only unsafe if you have a vulnerable application listening on a port.

So if the game has a vulnerability, sure, but then it would be dangerous anyway.

Would rather forward a single port than share a subnet with strangers.

If the game wants a lower port, then we are talking more trouble. But games usually don't want that, what port does it want?

[ReBoot]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από かぐや:

It's using LAN protocol instead.

All VPNs use a "LAN protocol", including services designed to fake your location. Hamachi can, by the way, used to fake your location just as well.

[Living Computer]

By the way, if you are in any way worried about security regarding a server i would run the server in a VM or on a separate computer.

But for small scale game servers with friends that's overkill ofc.
At least if you are just a normal person.