We liked the setup and configuration options, although seeing the automations turn into full-on profiles would be nice. At $2.03 per month for three years, it's one of the more inexpensive plans we've looked at, and yet it's very full-featured. Overall, though, I was quite impressed with PIA. It might be faster to walk there if you're trying to connect to India, at least from the Pacific Northwest in the United States. That's a solid result.Īs for the third question, for the locations I was able to test (with the exception of India), the answer is a clear "yes." You can easily move files, stream YouTube, and do all your basic work while active VPN connection. That question is probably the hardest to answer definitively because few of the VPN vendors we've looked at have independent audits to verify their claims.Īs for the second question, PIA does hide your data, it does hide your originating location, and it appears to hide the fact that you're using a VPN. I can't independently verify the first question, but PIA does say they don't log any data. Is it fast enough to get done what you need to get done?.There are three really important things to know when choosing a VPN: I retried these tests six times each, and they were consistently terrible. Connecting to Mumbai resulted in barely better results. I first tried a Hyderabad connection, and the resulting 0.69Mbps was essentially unusable. For years, most of us would have been thrilled to have the broadband download speeds reported after this VPN was enabled. Since you don't really need more than about 6Mbps to 8Mbps to stream HD video from sites like YouTube, the PIA connections were certainly fast enough. It just seemed to embed the PIA promotions too tightly into the test results.įor all connections, with the exception of India, PIA download performance was quite good. Since the other sites reported the same leak-free results, I'm comfortable passing it along. The only thing that slightly concerned me was that was plastered with promotions for Private Internet Access. The leak tests were interesting in that they showed no leaks whatsoever. If you're sending a packet across the planet, it will take longer to hear back than if you're sending a packet across town. Some of the limitations here are due to actual physics. Ping speed is an indication of how quickly a response gets back after a network request is sent from your computer. That's not the best measurement, mostly because I have broadband over fiber, so my connection speed is extremely high. In looking at these numbers, it's possible to get carried away by the difference in the baseline speed compared to the VPN speed. If you're planning on using NordVPN (or any VPN service) to hide your identity for life and death reasons, be sure to do far more extensive testing.īaseline download speed without VPN (higher is better)ĭownload speed with VPN (higher is better) These tests are basic security tests and not much more. While I was connected, I also ran DNS and WebRTC leak tests (to make sure that DNS and IP are secure) using, , and. I could not test a connection to Russia because PIA doesn't appear to have a Russian presence. The number shown below is the average result of all three connections. For each test, I connected to each server three times. CloseĮvery remote worker should consider a virtual private network to stay safe online.īeyond the US, I tested connections to Sweden, Taiwan, Australia, and India. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping.
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