[CLOSED][APP][6.0+] NetGuard - No-root firewall

[Rookie1919]

I have a problem using adguard. I now switched to a Pixel 6 with GrapheneOS which uses Vanidum browser. I installed NetGuard like always but it wont block ads. Its only on Vandium browser. If I install DuckDuckBrowser it works perfectly.

I disabled "use safe DNS" in Vandium but it still doesnt work. Because the fact it works with other brwosers, I assume the problem is within Vandium and not within the GrapheneOS or NetGuard.

Edit: Solved. I didnt activated Vandium in the NetGaurd app. I didnt thougt about doing it bc it wasnt listet in the apps. This browser is listed as a system app. I didnt thought about this anyways bc I made Adguard block all traffic except the ones I allowed but Vandium still worked. Anyway, now it works.

Update: It seems you need to let the "show system apps" enabled for this to work. If you disable the "show system apps" it wont wort anymore, even if you dont deactivate the apps themselfs.

 

[Rookie1919]

This app is no longer being maintained and supported.

Why? Will there be a new app or is this it?

 

[M66B]

Marcel, please dont give up!!!
I like your project!

It seems I don't have much of a choice.

The past days I received death threats while my girlfriend is sick, for apps which are basically free to use. How would you feel?

 

[M66B]

Why? Will there be a new app or is this it?

Please see here:

NetGuard

A simple way to block access to the internet per app

netguard.me

 

[dr4go]

It seems I don't have much of a choice.

The past days I received death threats while my girlfriend is sick, for apps which are basically free to use. How would you feel?

All the best to you both and a good+fast recovery. I really hate how we human behave sometimes.

 

[gimetttt]

The past days I received death threats while my girlfriend is sick, for apps which are basically free to use. How would you feel?

That's the evidence of your apps are awesome and lots of people enjoy it. No one can be really famous without receiving death threats. There are and always will be some dummies (may be benefit or compete related) trying to crash you. If you quit now, then you are letting them to win.

But since you decided to terminate the development of your great projects, I believe you have good reasons and I totally respect that. Anyway I want to thank you for all these years of your hard work, and good luck.

 

[spokipoki]

Audible is connecting to the internet even though connections are blocked for this app WiFi and mobile and roaming and app system setting "background data" unfortunately audible still connects to the Internet on mobile connection even on Netguard lockdown mode. I'm on galaxy s22 plus android 12 latest Netguard version.

 

[lukval]

It seems I don't have much of a choice.

The past days I received death threats while my girlfriend is sick, for apps which are basically free to use. How would you feel?

Marcel, i keep my fingers crossed for you and your girlfriend. Be strong!

 

[gimetttt]

Audible is connecting to the internet even though connections are blocked for this app WiFi and mobile and roaming and app system setting "background data" unfortunately audible still connects to the Internet on mobile connection even on Netguard lockdown mode. I'm on galaxy s22 plus android 12 latest Netguard version.

Probably because NG cannot block UDP connection correctly. Or the app you are using is connecting to Internet through other app.

 

[jsusang]

@M66B
Hi, Marcel,
I just want to say Thank You!

I hope in due time, you will return to developing and maintaining your applications.

I downloaded your apps from your GH webpage.

Very disturbing to read the lack of explanation from Google concerning your e-mail client, and you have received death threats

Wishing you the very Best!

@Mk_xda22
I could pass the IP leak test on browserleaks using NetGuard (on Marcel's GH page) with Proton VPN (F-droid) and CalyxOS VPN (F-droid) with Fennec Fox (F-droid) on degooglefied Galaxy Tab S4, Note9 and Note20 Ultra 5G.

 

[iwanttoknow]

@Mk_xda22
I could pass the IP leak test on browserleaks using NetGuard (on Marcel's GH page) with Proton VPN (F-droid) and CalyxOS VPN (F-droid) with Fennec Fox (F-droid) on degooglefied Galaxy Tab S4, Note9 and Note20 Ultra 5G.

Hi @jsusang ,

Sorry in advance if I didn't understand. Do you use ProtonVPN linked with NetGuard ?
With proxy SOCKS5 ?

 

[jawz101]

.

 

[jsusang]

@iwanttoknow

Here's a discussion on the F-droid forum on how to set up NetGuard with Orbot or another vpn:

NetGuard or VPN?

I keep reading about the pros of using a VPN. Should I ditch Netguard? I wish I could use a VPN and NetGuard simultaneously. Instead it’s either/or. Unless I’m missing something.(?) Thanks.

forum.f-droid.org

I have used Fennec browser with NetGuard & CalyxOS vpn, Fennec browser with NetGuard & Proton vpn, and Tor browser with NetGuard.
Orbot was too slow.
I *think* CalyxOS vpn connects to a Tor relay.

 

[iwanttoknow]

@iwanttoknow

Here's a discussion on the F-droid forum on how to set up NetGuard with Orbot or another vpn:

NetGuard or VPN?

I keep reading about the pros of using a VPN. Should I ditch Netguard? I wish I could use a VPN and NetGuard simultaneously. Instead it’s either/or. Unless I’m missing something.(?) Thanks.

forum.f-droid.org

I have used Fennec browser with NetGuard & CalyxOS vpn, Fennec browser with NetGuard & Proton vpn, and Tor browser with NetGuard.
Orbot was too slow.
I *think* CalyxOS vpn connects to a Tor relay.

I didn't see in the discussion on the F-droid forum, the case describing how to use ProtonVPN and NetGuard in the same time.

 

[jsusang]

Hi, @iwanttoknow

I do not surf the web on my phones anymore, but NetGuard is installed on them and my tablet.

It has been a couple of years since I used ProtonVPN. I think ProtonVPN was set up similar to the case for using Netguard with Orbot.

Doesn't the browser one uses leak the IP address?
and then there's fingerprinting (device, browser, do not track, add-ons, etc...) that leak and can be used to identify a user?

Fennec was the only browser I've used that you can edit the about:config menu with NetGuard and a vpn and successfully pass leak tests on EFF and browserleaks.

Most browsers used today do not allow users to disable javascript, but Samsung Internet does.

But, I think the browser can still be fingerprinted because of customization tweaks, settings and add-ons. This is why when you use Tor browser, the developers ask that you do not add add-ons or tweak the settings so you will appear (fingerprinted) like everyone else.

Tor browser worked well with NetGuard.

 

[iwanttoknow]

I think ProtonVPN was set up similar to the case for using Netguard with Orbot.

I already use NetGuard with Orbot.
Could you please give us parameters to declare ProtonVPN in NetGuard and parameters to set up in ProtonVPN ?

Thanks in advance for your reply.

 

[jsusang]

@iwanttoknow

I used ProtonVPN from F-droid's website about a year+ ago, and no longer have an account.

ProtonVPN users have to create/sign-in for an account with ProtonVPN. F-droid also notes the vpn service uses non-free network service (anti-feature).

I don't remember the exact setup to work with PVPN and NetGuard, except that it is similar to how to set it up with other vpn services as mentioned on the F-droid forum - SOCKS5 and ip settings.

One of the vpn services, cannot recall which one, I think you can temporarily turn off NetGuard, turn off NetGuard "always connected vpn," then connect vpn service, then turn on NetGuard.

After surfing internet - disable vpn service, turn on NetGuard "always on" vpn.

As I mentioned, it has been a while since I do not have browsers installed on my phones any longer.

Just have NetGuard keeping watch on those sneaky services and android apps.

 

[iwanttoknow]

@iwanttoknow

I used ProtonVPN from F-droid's website about a year+ ago, and no longer have an account.

ProtonVPN users have to create/sign-in for an account with ProtonVPN. F-droid also notes the vpn service uses non-free network service (anti-feature).

I don't remember the exact setup to work with PVPN and NetGuard, except that it is similar to how to set it up with other vpn services as mentioned on the F-droid forum - SOCKS5 and ip settings.

One of the vpn services, cannot recall which one, I think you can temporarily turn off NetGuard, turn off NetGuard "always connected vpn," then connect vpn service, then turn on NetGuard.

After surfing internet - disable vpn service, turn on NetGuard "always on" vpn.

As I mentioned, it has been a while since I do not have browsers installed on my phones any longer.

Just have NetGuard keeping watch on those sneaky services and android apps.

Thank you but I'm not sure to understand your last explanations. I think that unfortunately ProtonVPN doesn't offer a mean to use it simultanously with NetGuard, particulary through SOCKS5 proxy.

3 years ago I asked Proton team if they could add SOCKS5 proxy support to interface with NetGuard, they answered no.

 

[jsusang]

Thank you but I'm not sure to understand your last explanations. I think that unfortunately ProtonVPN doesn't offer a mean to use it simultanously with NetGuard, particulary through SOCKS5 proxy.

3 years ago I asked Proton team if they could add SOCKS5 proxy support to interface with NetGuard, they answered no.

It may have been the vpn that I temporarily disabling and turning off "always on" in NetGuard, enabling the vpn, then enabling NetGuard, then connect to the internet without setting up the SOCKS5. May have disabled filter traffic in NetGuard, too, but I am not sure.

I tinkered around with several settings in NetGuard with different vpns, browsers (settings, etc) to see if I could pass leak tests on EFF's Cover Your Tracks and browserleaks.

 

[Mk_xda22]

@M66B
Hi, Marcel,
I just want to say Thank You!

I hope in due time, you will return to developing and maintaining your applications.

I downloaded your apps from your GH webpage.

Very disturbing to read the lack of explanation from Google concerning your e-mail client, and you have received death threats

Wishing you the very Best!

@Mk_xda22
I could pass the IP leak test on browserleaks using NetGuard (on Marcel's GH page) with Proton VPN (F-droid) and CalyxOS VPN (F-droid) with Fennec Fox (F-droid) on degooglefied Galaxy Tab S4, Note9 and Note20 Ultra 5G.

Hi there, just saw your reply, Yes i did figure it out eventually, not using a VPN of course since I’m not ROOTed so i have to choose either a VPN-firewall or a VPN-service provider like NordVPN which I also have and would recommend Nord if you trust them to read all your data and if you trust your apps cuz now there is no firewall to block them. Regarding the solution you described well, it’s good but for rooted + degoogled phones, actually around 3-months ago I decided to apply it on my old Mate-8 running Orio and its surprisingly stable, I thought for sure it will get bricked. So it has [Netguard + Orbot using SOCKS5], but then I discovered it’s still leaking requests to Buidu (Huawei remember) and also 8.8.8.8 and my DNS ISP and a ton of others (using DNS Logger apps you can see this info) , so I added AFWall+ on top of that for those pesky system apps and downloaded all the offline host blockers for NetGuard and felt safe for some time actually but nope! If you do the ultimate test (which is rather easy to do) and switch on the mobile hotspot on your LAPTOP and use it to tether the phone data (so now ALL phone data must pass through the laptop hotspot! – well at least for the scope of this discussion and assuming your Android OS is not Hijacked by whoever made that custom ROM to begin with) and then fireup Wireshark, set it to capture the hotspot channel only, investigate the DataStream coming from your supersecure phone, now you will see the reality. So, in short I found many leaks that required plugging I used AppOpsx Xposed for changing hundreds of parameters and Adaway helped too. But the main leaked info that really bothered me was the MAC address and IMEI. So I spent the next week deleting them from the device (not spoofing them but changing them permanently). Don’t you just hate it when you already paid for purchasing the device but it still remains owned by others!

Take care that the more layers of security you will apply the slower the connectivity and less functional the experience will become, it is a balance between convenience and security, only you can say how much is enough for you. Ultimate security is not owning a smart phone.

Back to the unROOTed Samsung S20plus, well most of the previous solutions can not be applied there, I was not able to completely plug the DNS leaks whatever methods I devised or blogs I read, there was always one DNS server at least seeing my real ip geolocation and rout-traceable back to me, I tried RethinkDNS from FDROID with better results but don’t use their analytic dns (or now you will have to trust these 3-dudes) only use the Proxy dns option and forward it to Orbot and select also the option “Prevent DNS Leaks” and the option “Block all UDP traffic Except DNS and NTP” . of course I didn’t dare do the WireShark test for the Unrooted phone (I think I will find my personal photo in the datastream!) but I guess that’s about the best you can get on an unrooted phone.