bitdefender's vpn protocols & ms store apps

1-bitdefender vpn does not show that which protocol it is currently using in auto settings. any fix ?

2- it does provide complete features support other than hydra catapult & even does not inform which features ll not work if hydra ( which lacks on obfuscation & can easily be targeted by governments ) any fix ?

3- how to add whats app ( downloaded by windows store ) to the exemption list of b.d. vpn as it is not found anywhere.

4 - if chrome is excluded from b.d. vpn , then ll adding it in ''app traffic optimizer'' provide it more speed or ''app traffic optimizer'' feature is just for the traffic going through the vpn ?

5- does a bitdefender secures from tracking ( in browsers ) even anti tracker extension is not installed ? if yes then why offering the extension ? and if not then obviously b.d. will take care of the browsers then which tracking ll it's vpn block as told in the screen shot ?

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Accepted answers

Alexandru_BD

Hi @Rock.87 and thanks for getting back.

I will do my best to respond fully this time.

1 Bitdefender VPN does not show which protocol it is currently using in auto settings. any fix ?

Auto is usually used by Hydra with the exception of limited scenarios where a fallback to openvpn occurs as long as it is available and the hydra connection drops for some reason. And yes, the protocol isn’t displayed, we can consider this a future improvement and I have forwarded your feedback to the Bitdefender VPN product teams for consideration.

2 It does provide complete features support other than hydra catapult & even does not inform which features will not work if hydra ( which lacks on obfuscation & can easily be targeted by governments ) any fix ?

Hydra does not lack obfuscation, in fact in terms of anti-censorship it’s one of the best performing protocols on the market. I wouldn’t take all Bard’s responses for granted. While AI is good in certain applications, I think its responses should always be verified from multiple sources. In terms of feature availability, hydra covers all features while the other protocols lack support for adblocker, antitracker.

3 ...I searched for Whatsapp ( downloaded from MS store ) by exploring program files ( 86x 64 x ) but I could not find it, google told me that Bitdefender antivirus hides it for my security, plz let me know how can I spare it from VPN.

Here it is a bit unclear to me what you are requesting. Bitdefender is not hiding whatsapp, the VPN has no security features, URL filtering or any kind of online filtering related to security. That's a job for the antivirus. In the event you wish to add whatsapp to Split tunnelling so you can route the app outside the VPN tunnel, to access the Internet directly, if the .exe extension is unavailable, it cannot be added there. But then again, I'm not sure what is the purpose or what you are trying to achieve. Nevertheless, if you can provide me with more context, I could try to help, if this is not possible on the forum, I would recommend to get in touch with the Support teams for further assistance.

4 - Answered

5 As there are 2 kinds of anti trackers mentioned there, what does '' anti tracker offered by bit defender security suit '' means ? does this mean the anti tracker extension or Bitdefender itself or both ? and if anti tracking is working by the Bitdefender anti virus then what kind of anti tracking is offered by VPN ? i am extremely puzzled plz explain clearly about that screen shot.

The anti-tracker included in the security suite covers only browser traffic as long as the extension is active, while the anti-tracker available in the VPN filters all device traffic not just browser navigation. Yet, the extension does offer increased configurability.

I hope the information is helpful.

Regards,

Alex

All comments

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/98826/bitdefenders-vpn-protocols-ms-store-apps

Kindly contact Bitdefender support by visiting https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/

Based on your selected product and the type of issue you're facing, you can get in touch with a support representative through email, chat, or a phone call.

If you choose email, you will receive a ticket number on your registered email. The support team will reply within the next 24-48 hours, excluding weekends.

Regards

Rock.87

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/334849#Comment_334849

bitdefender chat help line has 0 product knowledge for several months..they always put my query to the email dept. which never contacts..

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/334873#Comment_334873

Well, in that case, you will have to wait for a response from the forum admin, @Alexandru_BD, who is currently on leave. As soon as he returns, he will be able to assist you.

Nevertheless, if support is unable to help you, there is a high chance that your query may go unanswered, either because the support team or developers are unable to reproduce your issue. However, you can still wait for @Alexandru_BD to reply to this post.

@Gjoksi, @Nunzio77, @Scott any thoughts here.

Regards

Alexandru_BD

Hello @Rock.87,

If you want to check what protocols can be used, you can directly open the VPN app, go to Settings -> Advanced -> Protocol and there you will find the following options: automatic, hydra catapult, ipsec and wireguard. By default, Bitdefender VPN is configured to automatically select the optimal protocol for your device and network – usually a balance of speed and security. In most cases, if you select Automatic, Hydra will be used, but if you explicitly choose any other from the list, then you will use that one. If you are referring to protocols features and the difference between them, the key takeaway is that some protocols are faster than others and some networks restrict the speed of certain protocols. Here's a breakdown of Bitdefender VPN protocols:

IPSec – iOS only: Fast and secure, but your iPhone and iPad battery drains much faster.
Hydra Catapult – available on iOS & Android: Fastest VPN protocol with bank-grade security.
OpenVPN UDP – Android only: Fast and efficient, but could sometimes skip data packets.
OpenVPN TCP – Android only: A bit slower, but delivers your data entirely and in the correct order. More reliable than OpenVPN UDP.

How did you reach the conclusion that Hydra is easily targeted by governments and for what, exactly? The Bitdefender VPN uses the lightweight Hydra protocol because it guarantees fast speeds while using few resources.

Bitdefender VPN has a strict no-logs traffic policy. This policy ensures that what you do behind the VPN curtain is for your eyes only, providing you with the best guarantee of privacy.

Do you wish to add Whatsapp as an exception for Split Tunneling? What happens if you search for the app in that tab?

Bitdefender VPN’s App Traffic Optimizer lets you prioritize traffic to the most important apps on your device without exposing your connection to privacy hazards. The feature lets you decide what apps should receive the bulk of your traffic, then allocates the resources accordingly. This is of course available for the traffic going through the vpn, as you need to launch the Bitdefender VPN app before using it, and you can prioritize internet traffic for a maximum of 3 applications.

The VPN and Anti-Tracker serve different purposes. The Anti-Tracker extension is designed to increase your online privacy and reduce the time needed for websites to load, by hiding your activity from trackers. The VPN encrypts the data that leaves your device, helps you access websites that are restricted to certain countries and hides your own IP address, offering your online search more anonymity.

For more information on the Anti-Tracker extension and what it does, click on the article below:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/25583/

I've noticed you've asked these questions, among others, in your Support inquiry as well. I think the Bitdefender representatives are more knowledgeable and should be able to provide additional information.

Regards,

Alex

Rock.87

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/334937#Comment_334937

Hi there !

i am obliged for providing a detailed answer & for your precious time But i think you could not provide relevant answers of my query. i am repeating the same questions plz read carefully before replying :

1 - i asked that :

(1-bitdefender vpn does not show that which protocol it is currently using in auto settings. any fix ?

if i choose the protocol manually then obviously there is no need to ask about that , i asked about the auto connection of vpn protocols , ion other words if a user chooses auto selection of bitdefender protocols there is no way to get informed ( after being connected or during establishing a connection ) that which protocol is active for the current session. some vpns provide this necessary info after establishing the connection because user needs to be aware of his/her active protocol to surf the internet according to that protocol.. e.g. hydra catapult is lacks on obfuscation , which means it can easily be detected by governments/advanced firewalls & can be failed to by pass geo restrictions or it's speed can be compromised ( as i experience )

if bitdefender vpn display the protocol we can then move to open vpn if we need more security or we keep using hydra if we are going for online games etc. users even do not know that WHICH FEATURES of vpn are not working when we are not using hydra , it just warns but never tells the details. e.g. if kill switch is not working for non hydra protocol it can be a serious threat to our privacy. plz forward my suggestions to betdefender dev. team to fix this issue.

google bard informed me that hydra catapult lacks on obfuscation plz let me know about it's security measures. i mean does it auto reshapes it's traffic size to make it secure form dpi or obfuscations risks when needed ?

about obfuscation : https://nordvpn.com/features/obfuscated-servers/

: https://nordvpn.com/blog/deep-packet-inspection/

3- i searched for whats app ( downloaded from ms store ) by exploring program files ( 86x 64 x )but i could not find it, google told me that bitdefender anti virus hides it for my security, plz let me know how can i spare it from vpn.

4. you ve answered this question.

5. i did not ask about anti tracking extension but the screen shot , as there are 2 kinds of anti trackers mentioned there, what does '' anti tracker offered by bit defender security suit '' means ? does this mean the anti tracker extension or bitdefender itself or both ? and if anti tracking is working by the bitdefender anti virus then what kind of anti tracking is offered by vpn ? i am extremely puzzled plz explain clearly about that screen shot.

bit defender's chat help line was the best helpline last year but now a since few months it has become worthless as whenever i contacted them they transferred my case to email dept by telling me that '' experts ll answer ''... and email helpline just says '' we r working on it '' and never heard any fix from them. only few days ago they contacted me and answered 1 or 2 of my mails.. that's it.

in the end , you asked me that for what i need such security, i am related to journalism , report crimes , there are several security issues related to my job , i ve to access some websites which are strictly inaccessible for a common user in my country.. i hope this will help you to suggest me a better fix.thx

Alexandru_BD

Hi @Rock.87 and thanks for getting back.

I will do my best to respond fully this time.

1 Bitdefender VPN does not show which protocol it is currently using in auto settings. any fix ?

4 - Answered

I hope the information is helpful.

Regards,

Alex

Rock.87

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/334997#Comment_334997

ok so you mean that bitdefender's anti tracking options only works if it's anti tracker browser extension is active ?

i ld like you to forward few of my suggestions to the concerned dept. they never accepted any genuine recommendation ever from my side even the suggested options were extremely critical and necessary.. you could be a genuine way to forward few things for now. but 1st i need to ask about my question no 3. where can i find the whatsapp.exe downloaded from the ms store ? it suppose to be in program files but not shown there, bard told me that the bitdefender might be hiding it due to the security..any fix ?

if i send a link from my bitdefender central account to someone , the receiver & user of that link should not need the bitdefender's credentials to activate the product. the link itself should be enough. what is the purpose of the link if it still relies on the credentials which can not be inserted in anyone other's mobile or pc ( even a family member ) due to the security measures. 7 of my 10 bitdefender licenses are still out of use since several months , forwarded this critical suggestion before but no implement at all.
bitdefender should halt the internet using a kill switch when a user shuffles the protocol while connected, and it should provide the regarding info displayed for the user.
when a user try to change the location or the protocol & bitdefender fails to enable a successful connection the real ip is exposed , which means bitdefender's users are bound to use the ip for the entire session of browsing, e.g. if i want to change my ip when using twitter , facebook etc , and if bitdefender vpn fails to reconnect me, it ll expose my ip for sure.. whether it should not, it should hide the real ip using a kill switch and provide a chance to reconnect.. bitdefender is lacking on this feature.
thx for forwarding the suggestions to add the info about the missing features if the protocols when connecting , this info should be available when those protocols are clicked right inside vpn window.. plz forward it as addition to the previous.
i can use only half of my bandwidth when connected to b.d. vpn ( auto location, auto protocol ) any fix ?
Thanks very much for your attention and the time..

Alexandru_BD

Hello @Rock.87,

ok so you mean that bitdefender's anti tracking options only works if it's anti tracker browser extension is active ? - That's correct for the browser extension. I use it myself. It's the one available in the VPN that filters all device traffic if enabled while VPN is in use.

they never accepted any genuine recommendation ever from my side even the suggested options were extremely critical and necessary - The product developers are always open to receive feedback from customers. But it's important to set the right expectations in this regard, because not all feature requests/ideas will make it into the implementation phase and some can be kept to be reviewed later on, when deemed necessary or whenever the changes can be bundled with other projects that are already in the pipeline.

When adjusting the products or developing new features, the product management teams always take multiple criteria into account. Even though a feature may seem effortless to implement at first, the developers are also considering aspects such as the value the respective feature brings to the average user, as each modification must be designed for both advanced users and less tech savvy users as well, to meet overall requirements.

The developers always analyze feature requests based on many criteria and some will not be implemented even if they may have low complexity, as long as they do not provide value for a relevant mass of users. The priority is to develop new things that bring additional benefits and protection for all users, as the threat landscape evolves.

But the key takeaway here is that the product developers are always open to new ideas coming from our users and will always consider the concepts that have true potential of making it into production. We also have a dedicated section on the forum called Product Features & Ideation. All ideas and suggestions posted there will be automatically redirected to the development teams for consideration. Although I sometimes may be a liason between forum members and Bitdefender staff, I can't really push features into development and the product teams are the ones who have the final say in the selection and implementation processes. But I can make the users' voice heard and this represents a fundamental aspect of the Bitdefender community.

Regarding whatsapp, I'm not sure how I can help here... I think whatsapp representatives can provide more context, and I would take AI's advice with a grain of salt. The Support teams may also provide further guidance on this matter.

1 if i send a link from my bitdefender central account to someone , the receiver & user of that link should not need the bitdefender's credentials to activate the product. the link itself should be enough. what is the purpose of the link if it still relies on the credentials which can not be inserted in anyone other's mobile or pc ( even a family member ) due to the security measures. 7 of my 10 bitdefender licenses are still out of use since several months , forwarded this critical suggestion before but no implement at all. - Whenever you send an install link to someone else so they can install Bitdefender and protect their devices using the license/subscription active in your account, it is not necessary for them to enter the account credentials and this is the default setup. As the account holder, you should be the only one knowing them. This is something that needs to be investigated punctually, to find out why are the credentials still required, how is the install process being carried out, where are the users based, are they using a vpn, etc.

Because there are some limitations in place. There is a limit on how many autologins you can do in a certain period of time, and you can only autologin from the country where the Central account was created. So, if you send invites to someone from another country, or if the person trying to use the install link is connected to a VPN in another country, the link won't work and they will be prompted to enter the main Central account credentials.

This happens because multi-user home solutions are intended to be installed on devices that belong to the same household, and because a login attempt from another country can be a sign of suspicious activity, so the login security measures in place will be triggered if someone abroad is trying to use an install link coming from your account. These restrictions also have the purpose to deter unfair usage and unauthorized resale of license slots. But the Central email address and password are not required when installing protection on other devices, and the below article explains the process in detail:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/1443/

If this process does not work as described above, then this is something that requires a more in-depth investigation, but it's certainly not the subject of a feature request, because in terms of privacy, the account credentials should be reserved for the account holder only, as intended.

2 Bitdefender should halt the internet using a kill switch when a user shuffles the protocol while connected, and it should provide the regarding info displayed for the user. - The Bitdefender VPN does have a kill-switch function, but this stops all Internet traffic if the VPN connection is briefly lost. I can picture a wave of dissatisfaction if the internet connection would be halted whenever the users are switching between protocols not knowing exactly what the cause is and a lot of frustration, to say the least. So that's a no-no, in my opinion.

3 when a user try to change the location or the protocol & bitdefender fails to enable a successful connection the real ip is exposed , which means bitdefender's users are bound to use the ip for the entire session of browsing, e.g. if i want to change my ip when using twitter , facebook etc , and if bitdefender vpn fails to reconnect me, it ll expose my ip for sure.. whether it should not, it should hide the real ip using a kill switch and provide a chance to reconnect.. bitdefender is lacking on this feature. - I think this is where the Kill-Switch feature comes into play, if enabled.

4 Thank you and like I've said, feel free to use our dedicated section to submit your ideas and product improvement suggestions to the Bitdefender development teams.

5 i can use only half of my bandwidth when connected to b.d. vpn ( auto location, auto protocol ) any fix ? - Check if the below article helps:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/82366/

Also, if you are using the Double-Hop feature, have a look here:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/94033/

Regards,

Alex

Rock.87

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/334874#Comment_334874

thx for forwarding the suggestion , u seem best dedicated.