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NordVPN is regarded as one of the best virtual private networks on the market. It’s a device that’s getting rave reviews all over the internet because of its high speeds, online security features, streaming and torrenting capabilities, and web browsing facilities.

A virtual private network (VPN) is one of the most crucial cybersecurity tools you can have. By using a VPN, you may remain anonymous while also safeguarding your browsing history. In this NordVPN review, we examine one of the leading VPN services on the market.

Another VPN behemoth, NordVPN, is headquartered in Panama. It’s incredible how far the firm has progressed in such a short time since its inception in 2012. As of 2018, it has more than 5,000 servers in 59 countries under its control.

For example, the corporation is based in Panama, which is not subject to any surveillance laws. In the past, it’s had a good reputation for dependability as well. As a result, NordVPN informed us that we wouldn’t have to look too far for a server.

As a result of using a virtual private network (VPN), you’ll be able to surf the web without fear of your internet service provider (ISP) snooping on your activity. NordVPN, unlike most other VPN services, offers a lot more than just basic safety.

It boasts an extensive and diverse collection of servers, an impressive arsenal of rarely seen technologies, as well as robust privacy and security procedures. NordVPN is an excellent choice in terms of streaming if you can locate a server that works with all the major platforms. Its SmartPlay technology is a crucial factor here.

Also, NordVPN does not disappoint in terms of server choices. Several servers are located in nations with the most extensive streaming libraries available. Users in the U.S, Canada, the U.K, and many other countries will view the content.

Subscription

For about $5.83 per month ($69.96 for a year), NordVPN subscribers can purchase static IP addresses. France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States are all available.

Using a static IP address can prevent your VPN connection from being blocked, especially when frequently connecting to the same region of the world via VPN.

Among NordVPN’s best features is the wide range of additional privacy-enhancing options it offers. Only NordVPN, ProtonVPN, and VPNArea have direct access to the Tor anonymization network that we’ve tested.

It also enables multi-hop connections, which it refers to as Double VPN, on NordVPN’s service. This allows you to use two VPN servers instead of one.

Several Devices Connected at the Same Time

With NordVPN, you can use as many as six devices simultaneously. NordVPN was installed on two Android phones, my Windows desktop, my Linux laptop, and my Samsung TV, to see how it worked. This connection never slowed down, even with many things using it at once.

It can be installed on your router to cover more devices. As a result, all of your network traffic will be protected by the VPN. Make sure your router supports VPNs before purchasing one. ISP modems may also make it impossible to install a VPN, so keep that in mind.

NordVPN Supports Which VPN Protocols?

In its Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows apps, NordVPN defaults to using NordLynx (a WireGuard implementation). As a fallback, OpenVPN is accessible on all of those systems. IKEv2 is only supported on iOS and macOS.

Virtual private networks have long relied on OpenVPN and IKEv2, but WireGuard is becoming more prominent. Compared to OpenVPN, WireGuard uses modern encryption algorithms and provides superior speeds. It’s easy to see why.

Console Gaming & Streaming Performance

NordVPN’s Android TV, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV Stick apps are also straightforward to download. In the app shops, they may be downloaded in a matter of seconds.

These gadgets have similar functionality, but the UI is a little different—you won’t get a map. This isn’t a significant concern because there are many servers to pick from.

NordVPN has a step-by-step explanation of how to do this, and it just takes a few minutes to get it up and run. This option is compatible with PlayStation and Smart TVs. On your computer, you can also set up a hotspot and use your computer’s VPN connection on other devices.

Leak Prevention in the DNS

Using a VPN encrypts all of your data and sends it through a secure tunnel. All your identification (such as your IP address) is so obliterated, allowing you to maintain your anonymity.

Your name and behavior can be revealed to third parties if a small amount of information leaks through (like hackers or your ISP). This isn’t ideal when you’re trying to keep your identity a secret.

DNS leaks occur when your ordinary traffic (which reaches your ISP) instead of your VPN is used to carry out your DNS requests.

Using DNS, you may get an IP address for any domain name (of the websites you visit). This is terrible since your internet service provider will be able to observe everything you do online.

IP address leaks occur when your ISP sees your real IP address. IP addresses come in two flavors: IPv4 and IPv6, which are more recent (which is newer).

Most VPNs can mask your IP address if you’re using IPv4, but many VPNs have not yet caught up with IPv6 technology. This issue can be solved by disabling IPv6 (or using a good VPN like NordVPN, which can hide this as well).

Your Privacy Matters

According to NordVPN’s incorporation and operation in Panama, no laws mandate the company to preserve any data for a specific amount of time. As long as a Panamanian judge orders the corporation to comply, it will not abide by other subpoenas.

It is stated in NordVPN’s privacy policy that the firm does not log connection timestamps, session information, bandwidth consumed, traffic logs, IP addresses, or browsing data of any sort. 

Instead, NordVPN saves your login and session duration for a maximum of 15 minutes after you’ve terminated your VPN connection. That’s great news. Here are some details from a recent third-party audit. Customers’ data is never sold to other parties, NordVPN’s operator informed me. Customer subscriptions are the only source of revenue for the company.

NordVPN is not obligated to retain logs of its customers in Panama because of the country’s strong privacy laws. NordVPN uses diskless RAM servers to safeguard its “no logs” policy and prevent server breaches.

For this server to be secure, it must not store any data at all. There will be no data or configuration files to steal in the event of a hack.

obfsproxy is supported by NordVPN as well. Deep Packet Inspection can’t see the data passed across the VPN tunnel because of this (Tor’s) method of preventing it. Users in countries like China and Turkey, where using a VPN is often prohibited, could benefit from this.

NordVPN offers Anti-leak protection as an additional benefit. It’s perfect for users who want to divide their internet traffic between NordVPN’s split tunnels.

Kill Switch

NordVPN also provides a kill switch as an extra layer of security. This feature is comparable to the kill switch offered by other VPN services. When you are briefly disconnected from the VPN server, it prevents your data leakage.

When your VPN connection drops, your internet access will be fully disconnected. If you merely use NordVPN for Netflix, this won’t frequently happen, but it can come in useful.

Uninitiated users will notice an extra adjustable kill switch that lets you choose which apps are killed in the event of a VPN failure. That doesn’t mean you can’t use any other apps, but keep in mind that they could be a privacy risk.

Site filtering and an optional ad and tracker blocker are also available as additional features. The latter is a significant factor in ensuring that the average VPN user’s connection speeds remain stable.

It is also worth noting that Nord’s double VPN allows customers to hop between numerous servers for additional security. As for its obfuscation, we discovered that it worked flawlessly in every test scenario.

Speed

Compared to the 32% loss of speed we detected when we tested NordVPN in 2019, NordVPN lowered our connection speed by 53% on average.

NordVPN’s speeds were not as fast as ExpressVPN or Surfshark, but they were consistently fast. There were no abrupt drops in speed or service outages, and NordVPN excelled in areas where we expected it to fail.

In terms of speed, NordVPN has consistently outperformed our expectations. Speeds were generally high, and there was little to no additional delay while utilizing NordVPN in the five key regions that I tested.

Both 2k and 4k HD video streaming on YouTube worked smoothly for me without a hitch. 4k videos streamed without a hitch at all. But be aware that there are regions where the internet isn’t as fast as it should be.

Customer Support

As you’d expect from a premium VPN service, NordVPN offers many customer assistance alternatives. You may find answers to a wide range of questions on their help page, including guides and FAQs.

Even though they have an extensive database of answers, you can contact them by email and live chat if you can’t find the answer to your query on their website. All your questions will be answered quickly in this manner.

However, to participate in the live chat, you must provide your name and email address. This is to keep the option from being abused by users or spammers.

Customer service with NordVPN is excellent. Live chat is available even if you haven’t signed up for an account. This VPN service is well known for its accessibility and quality of customer support.

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a privacy-focused VPN, NordVPN’s headquarters are in Panama, which isn’t a part of any international surveillance alliances. NordVPN’s NordLynx faster speeds, P2P-optimized servers, and Bitcoin compatibility make the service appealing.

Although OpenVPN speeds aren’t the quickest and Netflix could not be unblocked during our testing, this VPN is highly recommended for users of all skill levels.

Although a lot has changed, it is still one of the best VPN services available. For example, NordVPN’s split tunneling functionality and server network redesign have smoothed out some rough spots, making it a premium, well-rounded VPN.

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