I’m using CloudFlare to hide my home IP and to reduce traffic from clankers. However, I’m using the free tier, so how am I the product? What am I sacrificing? Is there another way to do the above without selling my digital soul?
I’m using CloudFlare to hide my home IP and to reduce traffic from clankers. However, I’m using the free tier, so how am I the product? What am I sacrificing? Is there another way to do the above without selling my digital soul?
I’m using my own LetsEncrypt certs for TLS with cloudflare free. I too wonder how I’m the product in this scenario.
I always assumed it was a loss leader play: the more selfhost type people are using cloudflare at home, the more likely they are to recommend and implement it at work, on a paid tier.
Cloudflare has a ton of services in their “free” tier and there’s a lot of confusion in here because people toss around “Cloudflare” without specifying which service they are actually talking about.
If you are using Cloudflared (notice the d) with your own LE Cert then you are probably fine.
Are you using their proxy or just DNS ?
If you have the little orange cloud (proxy) on your DNS entry, go to your public facing webpage and examine the cert. Chances are it’s not what you think it is.
it is exactly what I think it is. you can use your own certs
Typically on their free accounts they use your cert for communication between them and you, and use cert they issue for communication between them and everyone else.
User -> CF cert -> CF -> your cert -> your server.
That’s why I suggested examining the cert on your external facing page.
Regardless, one way or the other, they need to be able to decrypt your data in order to apply their services (WAF, etc).
Unless, again, you’re just using DNS (grey cloud).