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Tips to Consider When Choosing a VPN Service Provider

Are you considering getting a VPN, but are unsure where to begin? Here are the things you should look into before joining a VPN service.

Using a VPN is a priceless way to safeguard your privacy, but picking a VPN provider requires confidence. You are giving third party access to a lot of your internet data, so you need to be confident they will keep it safe and not abuse it. It can be challenging to identify trustworthy VPN providers if you’re new to utilizing one.

Thankfully, there are steps you can do to investigate a VPN company before signing up. To determine whether a VPN provider is deserving of your trust and your money, follow these steps.

1. Examine the provider’s logging guidelines

The logging policy of a VPN company is the single most crucial factor to take into account. It’s crucial to examine this in order to preserve your privacy because it will reveal what data a VPN provider will keep on file regarding your online actions. You need a service provider that has a “no logging policy,” which states that they won’t record information about the websites you visit or the things you download.

Visit a possible provider’s website and look up their privacy policy to see how they handle logging.

Look for a section in the privacy policy that describes the kinds of data they process or the information they gather. A decent VPN service will only gather the most basic data, including:

  • The username or email address you use to register for an account and log in.
  • Information on payments so that you can pay for the service (you can sometimes pay with Bitcoin if you want to stay more anonymous).
  • Optional diagnostic data in case your software malfunctions (you can opt out of sending this information for greater privacy).

You’re good if the service provider you’re thinking about solely gathers this data. These companies frequently promote themselves as no-log VPNs.

How about if they add more

However, you should exercise caution if they acquire further data. Examples of data that a VPN service provider shouldn’t be required to log include:

  • You, please (unless it is required for payment).
  • Authentic IP address.
  • In which you are located (your current location).
  • Identifying details about your device, including the operating system.
  • Connection time stamps (but it’s preferable if your provider doesn’t collect them, as they can be used for diagnostics).

Be careful because some VPN companies may claim to be “no logging” while really keeping track of when you use their service or what device you use it on, which compromises your privacy. Before selecting a provider, thoroughly review the privacy policy.

2. Examine the Available Level of Encryption

How robust the encryption is should also be taken into account when selecting a VPN. Stronger encryption provides better security and is more difficult to crack. In the VPN market, 256-bit encryption is the norm, while some companies also provide 128-bit encryption, which is less safe.

The supplier should make their level of encryption known on their website under the “features” section.

3. Determine the number of available servers

You want a VPN company with many servers that you can connect to for convenience. On the provider’s website, look for a section labelled “Server List” or something similar to discover how many are available. This ought to provide you with an exhaustive list of all the servers that are accessible along with their locations.

In general, having more servers is beneficial because it gives you more opportunities to connect to a quick and dependable server. However, in reality, a supplier with 1,000 servers and one with 2,000 servers offer essentially the same service. Simply choose a supplier that has at least 500 servers, which should be more than adequate for the majority of users.

You should also look into the number of nations where servers are accessible. As long as your VPN service has a server in the nation you want to use to access the internet from, you can use a VPN to get past geographic limitations. Check to see if the service provider you select has servers in the nations where you want to view content.

4. Be aware of the speed range

Due to the additional encryption stage that the data must go through when utilizing a VPN, there is a drawback that it can somewhat slow down your internet connection. You’ll need a VPN with fast servers if you wish to reduce this slowdown.

However, estimating a VPN’s speed might be challenging. Although most providers claim to offer good speeds, it might be difficult for a prospective consumer to confirm this.

You can search for VPN reviews, which typically contain a speed test, but keep in mind that your experience will vary from someone else’s. This is due to the fact that your connection’s speed will be influenced by both your location and the location of the server you are connecting to.

You can only be sure of the speeds you will experience using a VPN if you use one yourself. In order to test out their servers for a few days and determine whether you are satisfied with the speeds before choosing one provider, many VPN providers provide a free trial or a money-back guarantee.

5. Examine the add-on features that are offered

Before making a choice, you may also look on a VPN provider’s website to see what extra options they provide. Some good add-on features are as follows:

  • A VPN service provider who permits torrenting.
  • A kill switch for the internet.
  • A provider that you are able to use in China (most VPNs do not function in China due to VPN-blocking software there).
  • The VPN’s router installation capability.
  • A VPN service provider that supports Netflix.

6. Country of Origin of a VPN Service Provider

VPNs based in any of the 14 Eyes nations have to be avoided. The list of these nations includes the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Sweden. Local security agencies in these nations may force a VPN service to reveal the information of its users.

Additionally, unless you’re utilizing a no-log VPN provider, avoid connecting to servers in any of these nations.

7. VPN Protocols Supported

Available Protocols for VPNs are similarly significant. They are the main piece of technology that controls the path your data takes to reach the VPN server. There are numerous significant VPN protocols, and not all of them are made equal.

You should confirm that a service supports the VPN protocol. If you are unfamiliar with VPN protocols, don’t be concerned.

That Is How Using Your VPN, You Can Stay Safe Online

You can observe that the services provided by various suppliers can be quite diverse after checking these items. Spend some time locating the ideal VPN for your needs; start with our list of the top VPN providers. We advise ExpressVPN or Private Internet Access if you don’t know where to start.