VyprVPN Overview: a secure, fast and reliable VPN service for privacy
As people become increasingly concerned about privacy and anonymity on the web, VPN’s are entering the limelight as an all-around solution. What are VPN’s and why should you care about them? Find the answer to these questions and more by reading our article on the basics of VPN.
In short, VPN’s keep your Web traffic safe from scammers, hackers, and government snoops. If you ever use an unsecured public Wi-Fi network, this is an essential tool. If you are on an open wi-fi network and access the Internet, any 3rd party with ulterior motives can intercept the data packets and know what you are upto. If your data is un-encrypted, it’s unsafe. Using a VPN doesn’t only shield you from unwelcome interlocutors, it can also help you geolocate yourself elsewhere (to use online services that are restricted to particular regions), or surf the internet with an element of anonymity (by obfuscating the originating home IP address). It can also help you bust through state censorship by allowing you to circumnavigate or bypass filtering and logging at the ISP or state firewall level. It can also help you avoid being tracked by corporations online. And, of course, it can help you evade surveillance by the much maligned US and UK intelligence machines.
There are a ton of VPN providers out there, however, and choosing one can be a hell of a task. That is why we are taking a look at VyprVPN, one of the more established services out there (being active since 2009), to see if it can make your choice any easier.
Features
#1- In-House Servers: Speed
VyprVPN works like this- when it is active, your PC connects to the GoldenFrog servers and not directly to the destination site. VyprVPN’s server will handle all communications with the destination site and send the data back encrypted to your PC. Unlike other services, VyperVPN utilizes it’s own servers and no 3rd parties are involved. VyprVPN claims to have over 50 servers in Asia, Europe, Australia, North America and South America.
Because no 3rd parties are involved, VyprVPN claims to provide a service superior to it’s competition in terms of speed. We put this claim to the test and found that it passes the muster, mostly. On the PC, these were the results of my speed test:
Without YyprVPN active:
With VyprVPN active:
That’s quite decent! Predictably, the ping takes a nosedive, but the hit on the download speed is quite low, exactly what we want to see. The upload speeds are almost the same. We also ran a test through the Android App, here are the results:
Without VyprVPN active:
With VyprVPN Active:
The results again are very encouraging. The drop in download speed is quite low, certainly not a huge pain. The upload speed is also quite alright, although in my Non-VPN test it seems to have been botched badly (owed, perhaps, to the inconsistent nature of speed tests and especially my ISP). On the PC, I was connected to a server in Thailand; On my phone, to a server in South Korea. Both worked out well.
The VyprVPN service is definitely not a slacker and in terms of speed, at the very least, is up to the mark.
#2 VyprDNS
One of the unique things about the VyprVPN is that it also includes a DNS service (VyprDNS), which can potentially guarantee even more safety and anonymity. DNS translates hostnames (e.g. technofaq.org) into a IP address, which is readable for the computer. This enables the computer to communicate with the particular host. Unfortunately, internet users mostly rely on their ISP’s DNS servers, so the providers are able to log the Internet activity and censor websites – even if a VPN is active. But VyprVPN solves this problem with the integration of VyprDNS into the VPN service. This is a very nifty addition that I would like all VPN providers to integrate in their service.
#3 The Software Interface: Fast and Easy
The interface of VyprVPN is pretty simple to use and neatly designed. Activating or deactivating the service is a breeze. All the information you could want is readily exposed in a simple manner, and the advanced information can be gleaned in a simple manner too.
The interface on PC:
The interface on Android:
Neat and simple. There are no settings to fuss with or get lost in, it is very welcoming to non-enthusiasts.
VyprVPN Price and Pricing Overview
The plans are relatively affordable, with discounts when you splurge for an entire year. You can also get 50% off on your first month by following this link.
#4 Unlimited Bandwidth
VyprVPN offers unlimited bandwidth, which means no data caps. Open Netflix and go nuts!
#5 Data Logging: are you really secure?
Goldenfrog, the company behind VyprVPN, is incorporated in Switzerland and this is great news – Switzerland has a long history of respecting privacy and has established a legal framework to protect it. It is not likely that any governmental pressure will compromise your security while using VyperVPN. You want to avoid using services based in the UK (post DRIP ACT 2014, providers are required to log customer activity and turn it over on request) and in the US (no law requires data logging, however, companies are still bound by federal laws such as the Patriot Act, which allow wiretapping customers). Even Europe, with the exception of the UK, is mostly fine right now (laws requiring data logging were scrapped some time ago). This doesn’t guarantee that Goldenfrog doesn’t keep logs, nothing does, but it does mean that your data will at least not be mined by secret court orders.
#6 Multiple Connections – Offered
You want to look out for the number of simultaneous connections allowed – most people have more than one device they use to access the internet nowadays. If you want the service to work for your entire family you should pay even more mind to this category.
The service is available in 3 tiers – the most basic offers 2 simultaneous connections, the intermediate offers 3 simultaneous connections, and the most expensive offers 5 simultaneous connections.
#7 Miscellaneous
There’s a referral program in play – which rewards you and a friend with a month of free service when someone uses your referral link to sign up!
There’s 24/7 Customer support available and the service can work on multiple protocols – according to your needs and desires. Proprietary technology “Chameleon” helps in avoiding any kind of VPN blocking at any location or node.
An app for the service is available on all the major operating systems – Windows, Android, iOS , Linux, Mac etc.
Summary
Pros:
- Fast speeds without any bottle-necking or service throttling
- Supports multiple devices such as smart phones, tablets, laptops, desktops and others.
- No third party is allowed in the operation and management of the service.
- Simple and easy to use apps for different operating systems such as Mac, Android, iOS and Windows.
- Uses Chameleon technology to avoid any kind of VPN blocking at any location or node.
- Uses multiple protocols for encryption to ensure high grade security
- Uses NAT firewall for stronger security for business, pro and premier plans.
- Unlimited bandwidth for all plans
- Unlimited number of server switching
- 24/7 customer support offered through different means such as Live Chat, Email, Ticketing etc.
- Offers a 3-day Free Trial Period
Cons:
The service isn’t entirely flawless, some cons are:
- Payment cannot be done through digital currencies such as Bitcoin
- Some DNS leakage problems have been observed.
- The prices are a bit on the higher side
- Some customer reviews indicate that they keep log files
Conclusion
VyprVPN seems to be a reliable service provider in the VPN marketplace, considering the features it offers.
You can follow this link to get 50% off on the first month of your VyprVPN subscription.
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