VPN Review: NordVPN

NordVPN by Tefincom & Co., S.A.

NordVPN’s origination story on its website goes like this: “NordVPN was born in 2012 when four childhood friends came together to build technology that could liberate the internet. Spending a lot of time in different parts of the world they saw internet censorship, content control and intrusive government surveillance growing faster than ever before. The feeling that the internet was losing its main purpose led to a search of possible solutions on how to overcome all the restrictions.”

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That is no doubt true, but as a Panamanian corporation (Tefincom S.A.) NordVPN dates from 2016. Since the early days of development, NordVPN has evolved into “a trusted online security solution, used by over 12 million internet users worldwide.” Even if the product’s name, NordVPN, was “inspired by Nordic ideals of confidence, trust, and innovation,” the corporation is based in Panama in Central America. Panama is a favorable legal location for VPN privacy, with no data retention laws. NordVPN’s also has offices in the United Kingdom.

NordVPN has been highly rated by tech experts and many publications, including PCMag (PC Editors Choice), VPNMentor, TechRadar, and others. It claims to be the most-used VPN on the market.

Those are all good reasons to consider NordVPN for your VPN needs, but let’s get a little more specific…

NordVPN – NordVPN offers subscription plans ranging from monthly to 2 years (discounted). More below.

NordVPN is a Zero-Log VPN
NordVPN is one of the first VPNs to be publicly audited to verify its no-log policy. (VyprVPN was the first.) In February 2019 NordVPN revealed that its 2018 audit had been performed by the Swiss branch of PricewaterhouseCoopers. A no-log policy is another good aspect of VPN privacy that not all VPN services offer.

Servers
NordVPN currently has over 5,400 server locations operating in 59 countries. Most of those servers are located in the United States (1609), the United Kingdom (651), Canada (457), the Netherlands (255), Germany (244), Australia (224), France (188), and Sweden (196). NordVPN also offers special servers for specific purposes, including P2P sharing and double encryption.

Obfuscated Servers Option
When you connect to a regular VPN server, your ISP can’t see where you go online. But it knows that you’re using a VPN from the way your data looks. However, if you connect to an obfuscated server, it changes your data packets. Therefore, tools that are meant to block VPN traffic let it pass. NordVPN gives you the option to use obfuscated servers if you feel you need to.

Encryption
Double encryption for top level security and privacy. Military-grade AES-256-CBC encryption and a variety of protocols to choose from: OpenVPN (UDP and TCP), PPTP, L2TP/IPSec,IKEv2/IPSec.

Streaming
NordVPN has had success accessing streaming sites such as Netflix USA, Netflix UK, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Sky GO, HBO, and Amazon Prime. No VPN can claim 100 percent success in this area, as streaming services have increased their efforts to defeat VPN services.

Simultaneous Connections
NordVPN allows 6 simultaneous connections on 6 devices.

Kill Switch
All good VPNs have this feature, including NordVPN. It insures that if your connection becomes insecure, the connection is cut to prevent any outside snoop from seeing your data. NordVPN’s kill switch can stop individual processes or the whole internet connection.

Platforms and Operating Systems
NordVPN supports all major platforms and operating systems: Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, Linux, plus browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

Customer Support in English, French, and German
NordVPN also offers customer support in French and German for customers in Europe.

Payment Options
Not all VPNs offer Bitcoin as a payment option, but NordVPN does. (Bitcoin offers payment anonymity.) The crypto currency option (3) is in addition to the normal payment methods, including credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover), Amazon Pay, Alipay, Union Pay, and others.

Subscription Plans
NordVPN offers three different subscription plans, based on the length of the plan. The two-year plan offers the biggest savings (65% compared to the monthly plan) and is fully refundable for 30 days.

  • 2-Year Plan: $14.13 per month – $99.00 billed every 2 years (save 65%)
  • 1-Year Plan: $4.92 per month – $83.88 billed every year (save 58%)
  • 1-Month Plan: $11.95 per month

TRY NordVPN: Get NordVPN for your computer and other devices

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