Things are ever so complicated with new technologies, portable electronics, and internet at everyone's finger tips. We constantly have to watch out for the bad stuff. Viruses, Adware, Tracking Cookies, but now we have to add a few more new ones to the list, your own Internet Service Provider, and let's not forget the NSA.
We have Hollywood lawyers screaming at the world governments for harsher piracy laws. And we are having governments bending over backwards trying to please them, all while trying their best to keep the public happy as they secretly spy on the world.
Stricter anti-piracy laws are understandable, but 24/7 monitoring and logging of your internet activity is going beyond reasonable. And that is exactly what United Stated and other countries ISPs are currently doing... (read: this article)
Digital information can be easily manipulated by a smart hacker. The new tracking techniques used by these organizations are considered a "new technology". As with any new device or program, there is going to be bugs, glitches, and unexpected and unpredictable problems.
Usually, new technology such as this goes threw a testing phase. But, with Hollywood lawyers wanting their wallets to get even fatter, very quickly. They have started to use this technology to actively pursue individuals for damage claims and cash compensations. With promises of "If you don't pay up and give us what we want, we will see you in court." extortion tactics, which are working quite well.
Thousands of letters are being send out, but only a small fraction of them actually go to court. With the threat of expensive court costs, who wouldn't give in to their demands, pay up, and sign their non-disclosure agreement. Regardless if you really don't even know what you did wrong if anything at all.
Can YOU really be identified as 127.57.18.117 ?
Identity theft takes place every hour. How would this subject not be any different? How can judges rule in the prosecutor's favor and say yes, that number is you and you are guilty of what we say.
For this reason we need to take steps to ensure our online privacy stays private! One of the best ways to do this is to purchase a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service. This service will cloak and hide any and all activity you do online from any peeping eyes.
Now there are many different services out there. When new to the matter and doing a Google search it can be a bit overwhelming to read threw all the results.
In hopes to ease the pain, I have created this review site for you. I will discuss services I have tried or currently using. Please remember that these are my own opinions and my encounters with the service.
Now when choosing a VPN service there are four questions you want to consider, they are,
- How does this VPN service protect me?
- How much capability do I want from this VPN service?
- Is the price for this VPN service fair?
- How easy is it to use this VPN service?
These four important questions will get you on the right track on what you are looking for when it comes to protecting your online privacy. Starting from most recommended to lease recommended, will discuss each service and relate the questions to each service.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#1 TorGuard's VPN Service
In my opinion TorGuard is the best VPN for your cash. They have a huge
selection of service in different countries. They rarely ever have
problems with their servers going down. And their customer support is
top notch.How does this VPN service protect me?
This service protects you by using a 256-bit secure tunnel from your PC to the VPN server. No one will be able to see what you are doing or what site you are visiting. Not even your own ISP!
This service also offers the valued feature of "no logs are kept". This means it will be far harder if not impossible for someone to trace your steps, even the feds.
How much capability do I want from this VPN service?
With the Personal VPN service, you will be able to do anything. Watch movies, listen to streaming music, download torrents. I didn't experience any pauses or lag in the music or video, which is highly surprising.
The service can be used anywhere to get around those pesky collage or work firewall and web restrictions.
Is the price for this VPN service fair?
The service carries a great price of $9.95/mo for what you get. If you want something cheaper they have plans for just proxies and plans for just Torrent VPNs if that is what you are looking for.
They offer a 30 day money back guarantee in case you are not happy with the service or just want to try it. Also as with most quality services they longer term you purchase the cheaper it is, Purchase the quarterly package and it's $20 for three months.
How easy is it to use this VPN service?
Torguard is very easy to install and use. Simply download their software, select a location you want to connect to, put in your log in info and connect. Your Internet connection is now secure and your privacy ensured. They even offer a portable version so you can use your VPN from anywhere and carry it on a usb flash drive.
Simple the best: TorGuard.net
#2 ProXPN's VPN Service
I would rate ProXPN the second best service I have tried. They offer a very easy to use service that you can set and forget. My Windows Live mail didn't work threw their VPN but everything else was fine.
How does this VPN service protect me?
This VPN service will mask all your internet traffic. They have a large range of servers but you can not select which server or country you want to connect to. The company does keep activity logs for two weeks though as required by their country laws.
How much capability do I want from this VPN service?
While I was not able to use the Windows Live mail program threw their service. I'm sure this was a problem just related to me. And to be honest I didn't bother contacting the support staff to resolve my problem. Which I'm sure they would of been more then happy to do.
I was still able to check my mail threw the web browser as well as watch movies and listen to streaming music. Their terms strictly forbids torrent downloading, but for must this isn't a problem.
Is the price for this VPN service fair?
Their service plans start at $6.25/mo. This is a great deal if you are looking for a VPN to keep your daily browsing private. The price is the main reason why I rank this service 2nd place. For simple peace of mind without the bells and whistles you can't beat this service.
This service is great to try, they offer a 7 day refund policy if you are not happy with their service.
How easy is it to use this VPN service?
This service is great if you want a "set and forget" suit. Their software is very user friendly and easy to understand. You simple put in your log in info and click connect and your good to go!
If your not looking for a VPN that lets you select which country to mask behind. This service is can't be beat.
#3 BTGuard's VPN service
BTGuard's VPN service would be ranked 3rd on my list. They have a good service but they have a pretty sharp learning curve for their service.In order to use their service you will need to be comfortable making changes to some of your network settings on your network adapters. Some prefer this as you don't have to install any software but others don't find it so easy making changes that you can't easily undo with an uninstall.
How does this VPN service protect me?
This VPN service is top notch when it comes to privacy. The main hit about them is they allow anything threw their VPNs and do not keep any logs.
They will not give any information out even tho the authorities, simply because they do not have any information to give.
How much capability do I want from this VPN service?
With this service I was able to do anthing, Music, video, torrents, you name it. Their serrvers are fast enough where I didn't experience any lag. And with the low level integration it seems like the service was part of windows.
If you want something that blinds in seamlessly with windows and can follow the learning curve this service is for you!
Is the price for this VPN service fair?
Their VPN service carries a fair price of $9.95/mo. For the top of the line service you get from them it is a bargain.
The service is not very try friendly as they do not offer a trial period or money back / satisfaction guaranteed policy.
How easy is it to use this VPN service?
The VPN service requires you to make changes to the settings in your Network Adapter. You can easily follow the How-To steps they provide, but it is a different experience then a simple install program.
While it may be a bet harder to set up. This method does offer more functionality with many routers and offers the ability to blend in perfectly with your operating system.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While there are many more VPN services out there, not many offer a trial period and I am working on a limited budget, as refunds take time to get processed.
I have read many customer reviews of many different VPN services and I have come to my own assumption that these three services received the least complaints and the most positive feedback.
There are many specifics for each service posted on their website and if you still have questions feel free to contact their support. All three services had very kind support agents and responded to my questions in a timely manner.
I hope you have found this review page helpful and save you some aggravation when it comes to searching for the right VPN.
While many services on the web look legitimate, not all of them are trustworthy. Happy Shopping!
-- Follow this author on Facebook
