What is NordVPN ?

NordVPN - Best VPN Security

download and use it.

NordVPN offers a VPN service at a relatively cheap price that allows its users to browse anonymously and securely. Their virtual private network servers use OpenVPN tunneling protocol and AES 256-bit encryption (with double data protection).

In this NordVPN review, I’ll point out 7 reasons why I recommend using this VPN software for online privacy instead of a proxy or a free VPN service.

Rated #2nd out of 74 VPNs

• Usability: 5/5
• Logging policy: No logs are being stored
• Netflix: Yes
• Torrenting: Yes
• Speed test: Above average
• Cost: $2.75/mo and up on NordVPN.com

NordVPN Pros +

NordVPN is a very popular VPN provider who boldly claims to be The World’s Most Advanced VPN.

But I’ve seen those claims before. So I bought NordVPN and decided to put it towards multiple tests. Here are the pros I found…

1. Strong Features & Add-Ons

While being relatively cheap, they do provide some great features including:

• IP hiding: Yes
• Netflix access: Yes
• Kill-switch: They have two different kinds of kill-switches: a user can now choose whether to close a particular app or completely terminate the Internet connection in case of unexpected dropout (system-wide kill-switch).
• 6 simultaneous connections
• Access to their DoubleVPN servers which encrypts data twice
• Servers 3350+
• Countries 64 (last verified 1st of May)
• 6 simultaneous connections

Not only do they have applications for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android they have detailed tutorials for protocol connectivity for them and 40 other mobile OS, RaspberryPi’s and routers.

• Kill Switch: NordVPN software automatically kills your connection if your VPN connectivity is interrupted, blocking your device or terminating certain programs from accessing the internet.
• DNS Leak Protection: If you have set up your VPN connection manually (say you didn’t want to connect via OpenVPN) or have recently reset your Windows, you’re prone to DNS leaks. These DNS requests will then be completely unprotected. NordVPN have implemented measures to protect you and negate such leaks.
• Onion Over VPN: For extra protection, or those desiring to visit the dark web (TOR network), NordVPN offers you the ability to route your traffic first through their VPN and then send it to the Onion Router.
• SmartPlay: SmartPlay technology ensures you can access more than 400 geo-restricted streaming services; Netflix, Amazon Prime, Pandora, BBC, and others. With more and more VPN servers unable to access Netflix, this is a welcome feature.

OpenVPN (among other tunneling protocols)

OpenVPN comes with 256-AES-CBC with a 2048bit Diffie-Hellman key. I generally like to see DH over RSA, due to the former enabling Perfect Forward Secrecy. On iOS and MacOS clients, you’ll be encrypted via an IKEv2/IPsec protocol; AES-256-GCM and a 3072bit DH key,

In short, NordVPN has gone all out on security and has employed above industry standard encryption algorithms.

Double Data Protection

If you opt to turn this feature on, NordVPNs double encryption will relay your data via not one, but two subsequent VPN servers, before it reaches the web page or application you’re attempting to access. By chaining your connection through two VPN servers, your data gets encrypted twice.

In addition to the (often unnecessary) double encryption, the second VPN server will be unaware of your original IP address and connections are always made via both UDP and TCP protocols. This is a “one extra step” security feature. The vast majority of you are unlikely to ever require it, especially if you’re using it only for torrenting and Netflix unblocking.

Not to mention the impracticality of the drastically reduced speeds you’re going to incur.

2. Located in Panama (Safe VPN Jurisdiction)

According to their website (NordVPN.com), NordVPN was launched 2008 in Panama and is operated by Tefincom co S.A.

For some, this can raise a red flag.

However, that’s common practice.

All top VPNs are located in independent countries that don’t share information on logging (Switzerland, Singapore, Caymans, British Virgin Islands and so on).

NordVPN definitely hides this information well enough. And it’s good for their users, too.

However, when I actually paid for the test account to write this NordVPN review, my payment went to CloudVPN Inc (located in the US). So aren’t they really located in Panama like the claim?