Are you looking for a quality Virtual Private Network for you? There are many options out there. Picking the best one isn’t easy at all. Here we present five traits of a reliable VPN service and how to assess them. Read on!
Safety
Yes, safety first – this isn’t just a worn-out catchphrase. VPN is a cybersecurity system. To assess how it well it protects you online, check the following:
- Encryption standard: symmetric 128-bit AES algorithm is very widespread and enough, 256-bit is redundantly unbreakable.
- Kill switch – a precaution. In case a VPN server goes down, it disables the network link, so you don’t get suddenly exposed.
- Leak prevention – DNS and WebRTC technologies might ‘spill’ some information aside from the safe VPN tunnel. A well-designed system prevents that.
Speed
There’s no use in the VPN that slows the connection frustratingly. The overall speed depends on several factors:
- Server congestion. The more people request a resource, the more scarce it gets. This can vary a lot, depending on the time of the day and server pricing.
- Server capabilities, for obvious reasons. Alas, this factor is beyond your control and in most cases confidential.
- Distance to the server. It impedes latency (delay in response from the server) rather than speed. This affects the overall experience, too.
- VPN app quality – the ones that use highly optimized software code are just faster.
- Your device’s capabilities. It must handle the computational load VPN always adds.
This causes the speed to vary, even without changing anything on your part. There’s no way to know in advance how fast a given VPN will work for you. To get a rough idea, refer to detailed reviews or check yourself with online speed meters.
Privacy
Boosting privacy is a reason why many decide to get a VPN. Besides the described safety measures, how does a good VPN arrange that?
- No data sharing with third parties. Advertisers or others shouldn’t be given whatever they wish to keep to themselves.
- No log policy. The point is to promptly delete any information that could be used to track you.
- No governmental pressures. Some providers go as far as moving their operations to countries where the law prevents authorities from spying on anyone.
How to verify all this? In the provider’s privacy policy and terms of service. If you’re really sensitive about your privacy, read them carefully to learn how your data will be handled.
Many servers
A good VPN provider takes pride in serving customers well. Allowing them to bypass geo-blocking is crucial. To grant access to content restricted to a given region of the world, the VPN server must be physically located there. It forces the supplier to maintain hundreds or even thousands of devices, literally all around the globe.
Pricing
As with most things in life, a good VPN is NOT the cheapest one. Notably, there are cost-free VPNs out there. Their drawbacks include displaying ads, and congested and slow Web links, and impairing user privacy instead of guarding it. Not very tempting, is it? If you really can’t pay for a VPN, consider a compromise solution. Some services offer free limited versions of a premium service. An example is tuxlerVPN and many other similar VPNs.
The good pricing is simply one that suits you. Charges meant for private users should be acceptable for a household. Payments depend on the speeds offered and the number of servers to pick from. Just pay for what you really need.
Those were the most important qualities of a decent VPN service. Now you can pick one for yourself. Choose wisely and browse safely!