Given that new VPNs are being created constantly, this means that you have 100s of VPNs to choose from. But how do I know which one they should select? Here are some essential aspects to consider when considering the VPN you trust to offer online privacy and security.
Data Policies
How much privacy does a Virtual Private Network offer when the provider logs and sells all your data to interested parties? Most of the time, free or inexpensive VPNs monitor your activity to establish your profile before selling the information they gathered to marketing firms or data aggregators.
The type of data collected usually falls into three buckets:
- Activity Logs: Furrtrends, wie etwa die betrachteten Websites oder heruntergeladene Dateien
- Connection Logs: How often you connect, or how often users typically connect, and which servers you generally use
- Aggregated Logs: The volume of traffic, how long you are online with a VPN service, and other information
The contrast between a good and a bad VPN is simple. A good VPN also does not log any data from you, so it complies with a zero-log policy. An anonymized policy entails that while data is collected, it is somehow modified, making it almost impossible to read or know who it originally belonged to. All VPNs that are worth your time boast about no logging policies; however, free or those that offer little cost are the worst offenders as they exist to sell your data.
Connection Speed
VPN slightly lowers your connection’s speed, which is pretty reasonable. In fact, VPNs are effective since they encrypt your data, and instead of directly connecting to the intended destination, connect to a server or several servers first. Although this process may take some time, some VPNs take longer than others. Certainly, the type of encryption used, routing protocols, geographical location of the VPN server, and the number of other users connecting to the same VPN will influence connection time.
Number of Servers and Server Locations
In case a VPN provider has a few numbers of servers that one can connect to, then it is most probable that those connection whores may, at times, be slow during certain hours of the day. In these cases where lots of users are on the site, and everyone wants to connect, then these servers will prove to slow, and sluggish.
Secondly, you would like to see servers situated in different locations. More importantly, you may want the ability to connect to a server near you. Probably the most effective solution is to connect to a server within the vicinity so as to avoid compromising the speed. It also provides VPN servers all over the globe, which allows users to unblock content of geolocation of their choice. Also, there’s an added level of anonymity if someone tries to trace your identity.
Detectability
If they’re getting a large number of impressions from an IP address, they quickly know that they are dealing with a VPN. They may simply deny it, particularly if the website offers geo-restricted content.
An excellent VPN service will consist of many thousands of servers to connect to and employ obfuscation to mask VPN traffic as normal internet traffic.
Device Compatibility and Ease of Use
A good VPN must also have apps available on different devices. It should help your PC, smartphone, tablet, streaming device, or any connected device. It should also run on the Windows and Mac operating systems.
The final thing worth remembering is the number of connections you have with your VPN. Perhaps you use it on several gadgets or share it with your friends or loved ones, or maybe you lost track of time. This service allows you to connect to the internet through up to ten different devices, and one of my favorite VPNs is NordVPN.
Cancelation Policy
This is the situation where you may desire to drop your VPN subscription. When the time comes, you want to be able to cancel the subscription without much hassle. As you perhaps are aware, not all subscription services are easy to cancel.
