A VPN is essential for browsing with custom apps, especially Kodi and Kodi builds.
by far, our top pick for VPN security and privacy is NordVPN.
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Fastest VPN
NordVPN touts their service as the fastest currently available on the market today.
If you’ve ever used a VPN service, you know that you usually get faster download speeds when connecting to a server that’s closest to your physical location.
NordVPN has over 5,200 servers worldwide which should ensure customers can enjoy the fastest connection.
The following quote is pulled directly from the NordVPN Website.
Go for a VPN service provider with wide server coverage. The math is simple here: more servers mean less overcrowding and better speeds. Plus, a variety of worldwide locations will ensure you will find a server nearby, wherever you are.
Another reason for the fast speeds is due to the new NordLynx VPN Protocol that I mentioned earlier and will test later in this review.
When talking about VPN speeds, it’s important to point out that there are a lot of factors that come into play here. Network setup, Internet speed, distance from server, and many more elements determine your Internet speed when connected to a VPN.
Mask Your IP Address
There are multiple ways to mask your IP Address and using a VPN is the best way due to one main reason.
A VPN will encrypt your connection to the Internet while also changing your IP Address.
This means that even if your data was ever accessed, it wouldn’t be readable due to the encryption that takes place when connecting through a VPN tunnel.
Whenever you click the Connect button within your NordVPN application, your IP address will change so you can’t be identified online.
Secure Internet
NordVPN uses AES with 256-bit encryption, which is recommended by the NSA for securing classified information.
This type of encryption is typical for most popular VPN services.
One of the most important aspects to examine when it comes to VPN security is the different protocols that a service uses.
NordVPN utilizes three different VPN protocols.
OpenVPN
The OpenVPN protocol has been around for a long time and still offers a secure connection through either UDP and TCP ports.
Most VPN users will find faster download/streaming speeds by using the UDP port when using Open VPN protocol.
The main reason for OpenVPN popularity among VPN services is its open source code, which is freely available for review and modification. This means that there are literally thousands of developers committed to keeping the OpenVPN secure and bug free.
NordLynx
This is the one that I’m excited to test out.
The biggest hype lately among VPN services is the new Wireguard protocol that is usually faster for most users.
Wireguard consists of only 4,000 lines of code which is 100 times less than OpenVPN which should translate into a more efficient VPN experience.
Unfortunately, Wireguard out of the box can’t ensure complete user privacy, therefore NordVPN developed their own protocol.
NordLynx VPN Protocol was developed by NordVPN and provides a double NAT (Network Address Translation) system.
NordLynx uses the new Wireguard VPN Protocol as its backbone which should result in faster download and streaming speeds.
We will get into download speed tests later in this review to see how well this new protocol stacks up against OpenVPN and IKEv2/IPsec.
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Strict No-Logs Policy
NordVPN keeps no logs of your online activity.
Since NordVPN is incorporated in Panama, there are no data retention laws to adhere to.
NordVPN volunteered to be audited by one of the most popular firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers AG, Zurich, Switzerland in both 2018 and 2020.
Both reports found that Nord’s no-log policy description was fair and accurate.
Block Malware and More
Here’s where NordVPN goes above and beyond of what most VPN services offer.
NordVPN offers an advanced Threat Protection feature within its applications that blocks cyber threats before they can do anything harmful to your device.
This Threat Protection helps to identify malware-ridden files, blocks trackers, intrusive ads, and keeps you from landing on malicious websites.
You can activate the Threat Protection feature within the NordVPN application and it will work even if you’re not connected to one of their VPN servers.
Privacy on the Go
Most TROYPOINT visitors use a VPN to protect themselves when streaming from questionable apps or IPTV services.
It’s important to point out that VPNs should also be used when connecting to a public WiFi Hotspot when away from home.
NordVPN provides applications through both Google Play and Apple App Store so you can use your VPN account when away from home as well.
VPN Servers Everywhere
I touched on this a bit earlier when explaining the reason for the great download speeds that come with NordVPN.
As of this review, NordVPN offers 5,282 ultra-fast servers in 60 countries around the world.
It’s extremely important to have numerous servers to connect to for a few different reasons.
The first reason is that you will usually experience faster speeds connecting to a server closer to where you are located.
Multiple servers also allow you to get around geo-blocking often imposed by streaming services/apps. In theory, I should be able to connect to a UK server and retrieve the Netflix library for that region. I will put this to the test later in the review.
Obfuscated Servers
Here is another big plus when it comes to NordVPN.
They use obfuscated servers.
This means that they can hide the fact that you’re using a VPN.
There are some banking websites, streaming services, and others that block traffic coming from a VPN connected device. Sometimes you may also see the captcha requirement when trying to search for something in Google.
Obfuscated servers are designed to get around the VPN blocks and I will put this to the test later in the review when I test a few streaming services.
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Mutli-factor Authentication
NordVPN protects your account by implementing multi-factor authentication.
This means that when you log into your NordVPN application, you will be required to verify the login attempt with a special app, time-sensitive code, or second device.
Now, some people don’t like this feature and thankfully Nord provides the ability to enable/deactivate it.
Kill Switch
Here’s another feature that most VPN services provide.
NordVPN provides a kill switch which will terminate your connection to the Internet in case your VPN ever disconnects.
Your Internet connection will be remain blocked until the encrypted tunnel is restored on your device.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t work on streaming devices such as the Fire TV Stick or NVIDIA Shield. For those looking for protection on those devices, VPNSafetyDot is a great alternative.
Split Tunneling
Although NordVPN uses obfuscated servers, you may still come across applications that don’t work when a VPN is enabled.
Split tunneling allows you to bypass the VPN connection for certain apps that reside on your device.
By doing this, you won’t need to disconnect from your VPN whenever you want to use these apps that don’t play nice with a VPN.
Hopefully, this feature won’t be needed very often due to the technology NordVPN uses to fly under the radar and go unnoticed as a VPN connection.
Dedicated IP Address
NordVPN customers can order a dedicated IP Address.
Normally, when you connect to a VPN server, your IP address changes, but you share it with other users. However, you can buy a dedicated IP address, which will exclusively belong to you.
This is often used by businesses who restrict server access to specific IP addresses.
I personally suggest not doing this unless you need a static IP address to access a secure server, system, etc.
One of the benefits of using the standard IP addresses that NordVPN offers is that there are other users using them as well. All of the traffic gets mixed together which improves user-end security.
Double VPN
NordVPN offers a feature called Double VPN.
By using this, your Internet traffic will be routed through two VPN servers instead of one. So, your data will be encrypted twice.
- Your traffic is first encrypted on your device and redirected to a remote VPN server.
- It reaches the server and gets re-encrypted.
- The encrypted traffic then passes through a second VPN server, where it gets decrypted.
- You reach your internet destination securely and privately.
At first glance, I would assume that this will slow down Internet speed so users would probably only want to do this on a case-by-case basis.
I will test the download speeds with this feature later in this review.
Onion Over VPN
Using the Onion Over VPN connection is another feature offered by NordVPN.
In the Onion network, you send your traffic through a network of volunteer-operated servers.
It goes through three stages:
- Entry – You connect to the Onion network at a random entry point
- Maze of Servers – While traveling through multiple servers, your data is enveloped in layers of encryption.
- Decryption – Further down the road, the layers of encryption are peeled off one by one.
- Your data is decrypted, and you exit through a random node, landing on the web.
So, as with Double VPN, you are adding additional layers of security to your connection.
Is this needed? Probably not. Again, more than likely, this will negatively effect download speed.
P2P VPN
NordVPN offers P2P servers that are optimized for peer-to-peer traffic.
Most often, this type of technology is used for torrenting.
Buffer-Free Streaming
If you’re going to be using a VPN while streaming, it’s extremely important to find a fast one that allows buffer-free playback.
NordVPN is a top-rated VPN service and buffering shouldn’t be an issue unless you are already using a slow Internet connection.
Browser Extensions
NordVPN offers browser extensions for Firefox, Edge, and Chrome.
The main advantage of using the browser extension is for the quick connect action.
You won’t need to leave your browser, find your VPN app, and then click the connect button. You can do it all by clicking the browser extension in your browser toolbar.
No Data Leaks
NordVPN uses private DNS servers to avoid data leaks.
The Domain Name System (DNS) is the reason why browsing the internet is so quick and simple. Its job is resolving domain names such as “nordvpn.com” into actual IP addresses. In other words, it translates the long, complex numeric names of web servers into human language, and the other way around.
This is how it works: Whenever you want to visit our website, you type “nordvpn.com” into your browser. Your computer or smartphone sends a query to a DNS server: it contacts the server and asks for the unique IP address of our site. Only after the DNS server provides the IP address, your device can finally connect to the website you want.
When you connect to NordVPN, your device only uses DNS servers operated by NordVPN. All your DNS queries travel over the encrypted tunnel and are resolved on the same VPN server you are connected to.
This way, you never have to worry about your confidential information leaking and third parties spying on it.
NordVPN Fire TV / Android TV Application
NordVPN does provide an application for Fire TV and Android TV systems.
You will find most of the features in this app that you find in Nord’s other applications.
It seems that this application needs to be updated with a more polished user interface.
When connected to the VPN, when I go back into the NordVPN app, I get a spinning wheel for approximately 7 seconds.
All of the features within the Firestick / Android TV app seem to work fine but the user interface could use some work in my opinion.
24/7 Support
There’s no doubt that NordVPN is dedicated to customer support.
You can reach them by live chat, email, and social media.
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