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NordVPN Review

NORDVPN

NordVPN, established in Panama, is possibly the world’s most popular VPN service. With rave reviews all over the internet praising the platform’s fast speeds, online security safeguards, streaming and torrenting capabilities, and web surfing facilities. It is unquestionably a product worthy of your consideration.

NordVPN servers are never down, and you can view virtually any form of material without fear of being spied on by local law authorities.

NordVPN has worked hard since its debut in 2008 to establish a reputation as a reliable and speedy VPN service with high privacy standards.

It typically manages to get through Netflix’s VPN defenses, allowing their customers to fully enjoy the benefits of a proxy network while still being able to view American Netflix. In reality, NordVPN offers a plethora of additional outstanding advantages to consider.

Pros

  • Effective privacy protection policies
  • Features for secure encryption and leak protection
  • All operating systems and devices are supported.
  • Connections are available indefinitely and concurrently.
  • An independent security audit was successful.
  • CleanWeb (ad blocking software) and Whitelister (split tunneling)
  • Global server network with a large number of servers
  • NordVPN is compatible with Netflix.
  • Great rates and a money-back guarantee
  • VPN with many hops and other added features
  • Live chat and email assistance are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • VPN protocols include OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec, and WireGuard.

Cons

  • There is no Port Forwarding function.
  • The dedicated IP add-on is quite pricey.
  • Basic browser add-ons
  • Prices are high.

What is the speed of NordVPN?

For a decent VPN, speed is critical. You don’t want it to slow down your internet connection if you utilize it. It’s the first thing to think of.

  • The speed tests revealed a little drop in speed, but the speeds remained quite high. When you connect to NordVPN, you won’t notice the typical dip in speed.
  • There is no discernible change in speed when used on a regular basis, not even when gaming.
  • NordVPN immediately connects to the fastest available server.
  • With NordVPN, P2P downloading was likewise lightning fast.

NordVPN Speed test

  • The average speed loss was 53%.
  • Server count: over 5,200 servers
  • NordVPN has 60 server locations.
  • The number of IP addresses is 5,000.

NordVPN Advantages

NordVPN on smartphone

Smartplay

SmartPlay is a unique function that allows you to overcome streaming media limits and access video from anywhere.

Want to catch up on the latest Netflix episodes, Hulu TV series, and download some Amazon Prime classics? You can view over 150 streaming services that are unavailable in your location with NordVPN’s SmartPlay function.

There are fewer loading windows, almost no latency, and increased audio quality for all users.

Improved security with an encrypted proxy

NordVPN was among the first VPN service providers to provide encrypted proxy extensions. Unfortunately, for the time being, these extensions are only accessible for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.

They help by encrypting all data sent to the proxy server, making it more difficult for hackers and the authorities to intercept. However, only material accessed via a web browser is sent through the proxy.

Privacy and security

NordVPN was among the first VPN service providers to provide encrypted proxy extensions. Unfortunately, for the time being, these extensions are only accessible for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.

They help by encrypting all data sent to the proxy server, making it more difficult for hackers and the authorities to intercept. However, only the material accessed through your web browser is sent through the proxy; everything else functions as if you weren’t using a VPN or proxy.

The company’s headquarters are in Panama. This nation has strong privacy laws, which means NordVPN is not required to maintain logs on their users.

It uses conventional AES-256-CBC encryption and offers Perfect Forward Secrecy, which means it changes encryption keys regularly to avoid security breaches.

Servers and Locations of NordVPN

NordVPN’s VPN server network is continually developing. They presently have approximately 5,250 servers across 60 countries.

The majority of NordVPN’s servers are located in the United States and the United Kingdom, which is not uncommon for VPN providers. NordVPN, on the other hand, has a huge global server network, with several in Asia, South America, and Europe, as well as a few in India and the Middle East. The firm now has one location in South Africa, a continent that is mostly disregarded by other VPN providers.

NordVPN, in particular, has servers in Hong Kong, Turkey, and Vietnam, all of which have restricted internet rules.

Users benefit from having servers in an increasing number of countries since they may switch between them to obtain the greatest connection speed and usability. It also assures that a server is always available, no matter what the conditions are.

Protocols

NordVPN on laptop

When it comes to security, NordVPN uses military-grade encryption. NordVPN, in particular, employs 256-bit AES data encryption. NordVPN is extremely safe as a result of this, as well as their well-protected servers and good firewall.

NordVPN employs many well-known VPN protocols:

  • IKEv2/IPSec
  • OpenVPN TCP
  • OpenVPN UDP
  • NordLynx (based on Wireguard, with NAT to increase security)

For secure and high-quality encryption, the popular and fast encryption protocol IKEv2 employs IPSec. OpenVPN (either TCP or UDP) is often regarded as the safest protocol, thus we recommend it for optimum security.

NordVPN is one of the most secure VPNs accessible today due to its versatility and number of settings.

The Kill Switch

NordVPN also has a kill switch for further security. It avoids personal data breaches when your connection to the VPN server is briefly lost. Instead, your internet connection will be entirely disconnected until the VPN connection is restored.

Aside from that, NordVPN allows you to add certain apps and programs to an app kill list. If the VPN connection is lost, just those specified applications will be shut down.

Split tunneling

The NordVPN split tunneling function allows you to pick which applications use the VPN connection and which do not. You may set Windows to stop or allow VPN just for specified programs.

This gives you more control over how your VPN is utilized in your configuration.

Auto-connect and pausing

If you want to start up your device and get online, VPN auto-connect saves you a lot of time. However, it always keeps you linked to a VPN and when you need to switch it off completely to access anything that does not require a VPN connection.

Customer service

As you would expect from a premium service, NordVPN features a plethora of support options. Their help sites include tutorials and FAQs that give in-depth solutions to a range of topics.

Customer support professionals are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you can reach them no matter where you are.

Pricing for NordVPN

NordVPN pricing

NordVPN does not offer complicated pricing structures or plan possibilities. NordVPN price plans all provide the same features and advantages. They also enable up to six simultaneous connections, so you’re getting a lot for your money.

The longer the strategy is in place, the greater the savings. While paying a larger price may appear to be a concern at first, the difference in value is simply too great to overlook. Take a peek at your monthly payment.

The monthly NordVPN subscription costs $11.99 per month, while the 1-year package is $4.99 per month. The 2-year plan is considerably less costly, costing only $3.99 each month. That’s around three and a half times less expensive.

In terms of payment, they provide a variety of easy methods, including credit cards, AmazonPay, Sofort, PayPal, ACH Transfer, and even prepaid cards, iTunes, or Google Pay.

There are additional possibilities to buy using cryptocurrency and even through retail establishments for those who are concerned about their privacy.

FAQs

Is NordVPN reliable?

NordVPN is now one of the most secure premium VPN service providers. Their physical location, no-logs policy, and infrastructure ensure that your data privacy is protected. They have had two public audits and are ioXt certified.

Is there a free version of NordVPN?

NordVPN does not, sadly, provide a free version. NordVPN, on the other hand, offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to test the service for 30 days.

How many devices can I connect to NordVPN with?

You may use the same account on up to six devices at the same time. When you install NordVPN on your network, you may use it with as many devices as the router allows.

Is NordVPN causing your internet connection to slow down?

Using any VPN, even NordVPN, may cause your internet connection to slow down since encrypting your data and transferring it over a VPN tunnel incurs some overhead.

According to our most recent performance testing, NordVPN resulted in a performance loss of 6-8 percent, which is typical for a VPN provider. Most likely, you won’t even notice it.

Is NordVPN compatible with Netflix?

NordVPN is compatible with Netflix. It enables you to stream Netflix material from many countries and to utilize the technology to unblock new libraries that contain exclusive movies and TV shows. You may also use SmartPlay to unblock them without installing VPN software.

Can I use NordVPN to download torrents?

Without a doubt. In reality, NordVPN has dedicated P2P servers that are specialized for peer-to-peer transmission for this specific purpose.

Conclusion

NordVPN is a fantastic VPN that seamlessly mixes speed, functionality, and security. It has an independent audit, strong AES-256 encryption, and the next-generation NordLynx protocol. It’s useful not just for streaming Netflix, but also for connecting to the internet in countries where access to the internet is restricted.

NordVPN’s strength has always been that they provide all of the greatest features of the competitors in a one bundle. It manages a massive fleet of servers all around the world while yet providing an excellent customer experience.

In terms of functionality, you are getting a lot of bang for your buck. The firm is also reaping the benefits of infusing new technology into its core products, such as WireGuard. Having saying that, NordVPN remains a superb product and an Editors’ Choice winner.