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As a former hacker, not only do I know the bits and bytes extremely well, but also tend to be very creative. If you need a VPN that offers a decent array of functions and that you can feel safe using, then VPNArea may be the right choice for you. The setup requires a simple sign-up and download procedure, evident with most VPNs. The benefit of their sign-up form is that it requires limited information (only an e-mail address and password before commencing with payment).
VPNArea did unblock Netflix and allowed us to stream its US library. However, despite being solely created and optimized to unblock the channel, the server didn’t work. While connected, we searched for a US-only title “The Con is On” and it didn’t show up. While most of the lists are pretty self-explanatory, one notable one is the Special tab. Founded in 2013, the site’s mission is to help users around the world reclaim their right to privacy.
IP & DNS Leak Test Results
However, it has poor speeds and the desktop app is difficult to navigate. Read our full-length VPNArea review to learn all the details. With the 12-month and 3-year subscriptions, the refund period is 30-days, whereas it’s only 14-days with the 1-month subscription.
Technically, that might be enough to give the service a try, but it’s nowhere near what other providers allow. VPNArea uses OpenVPN with all of its clients on every server. This is by far the safest commonly used protocol in the industry. This protocol is considered to be the most stable one as it provides a strong connection and allows users to switch between networks without risking their security.
In our experience, we found VPNArea’s customer support agents responsive and friendly. We connected to a live agent in seconds and the person was patient throughout. We prodded agents with a collection of simple and technical questions and we received prompt and helpful answers. What’s more, the app is organized strangely, which can make navigation difficult. For instance, on the homepage, the power button doesn’t take center stage, as is the case with most of our beginner-friendly VPNs. Rather, the homepage is busy with lots of information about servers and your connection status.
We are sorry to see a customer disappointed, but we hope at least your VPN experience was to your satisfaction, as you did not request a refund during the first cycle. Unbeknownst to me, it set up a recurring billing cycle, as many of the other reviews have mentioned. I can also activate the ad blocker and malware prevention system in order to hide the malicious ads that might flash on my screen while I’m browsing the internet. It also somehow prevents 3rd party data trackers and data harvesters from collecting information on my internet activities. With the use of P2P, I can efficiently download files from the internet and upload files to the internet in a secure manner.
VPNArea has good customer support, with a wide range of options. Its customer service team is available 24/7 and mostly replies quickly to questions. The website FAQ has some useful information but should include more. Not only are there more servers available, including streaming and DoubleVPN, there’s more options in the settings. It has X-Stunnel VPN servers in many locations, which will disguise your connection as HTTPS traffic and allow you to bypass state censorship. Log in to VPNArea’s online dashboard, click Server Status, and track how many users are on each servers.
The VPN’s encryption will inevitably cause a speed drop, but depending on how the VPN optimizes its servers, this drop varies. This is why the client presents us with figures for server load, ping time, and an approximate distance from our current location. Note to mention that everything is categorized for specific tasks such as unblocking content, P2P actions, and stealth browsing. VPNArea now has more than 100 server locations across 55 countries. That’s a great number if we were to mention how heated up the VPN rivalry is nowadays. The Android app has 250 reviews while the iOS one has 26 only.
Server Locations
If one is using the IKEv2 Protocol, then gaming on VPNArea is a fantastic experience. On the OpenVPN protocol which is what most people have, the gaming speeds are pretty decent. Having played GuildWars2 using one of the servers on the network, I can attest that there were no significant drops in load speeds. My baseline location was East Africa with a speed of 3.5 Mbps without any VPN connection. I then proceeded to test speeds when using different servers on VPNArea. There were drops in the speeds with the worst being servers in Canada.
- This allows you to pick a city that is closer to your location for the best speeds.
- There are over DNS server to get lost with, which is an ample amount of support.
- You can expect a 90% drop in download speeds when connecting to servers on the other side of the globe.
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I switched to a US-based server and tried again and it showed no leak. Just to double-check, I ran a TorGuard leak test and came up with no leaks. VPNArea is founded in Bulgaria and has the right building blocks to provide the security that is necessary and has tools to support the needs of any user. VPNArea is compatible with all the leading platforms like Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, and iOS.
Speeds — Inconsistent but Fairly Okay
These servers can also be used in other situations where stealth mode is appropriate, such as in schools or offices where network administrators attempt to block VPNs. We were able to unblock Netflix in the iOS app as well, but only after some lengthy troubleshooting with customer support. You’ll notice a Netflix UK server, too, and this one worked to unblock the British Netflix library. Most providers only focus on the US catalog so it’s refreshing to see the British one up there too. As you can see from the plot, VPNArea pegs some great speeds.
There’s also a double VPN, obfuscation technology, and an ad-blocker. The VPN also works with most streaming platforms and has dedicated servers for torrenting and online viewing. It is a well-rounded service with excellent apps for all platforms. A Settings pane gives you access to a lot of tweaks and options. Its no logs policy helps keep your data private while advanced security features such as 256-bit encryption and a double VPN ensure your security when on the network.
There are many reasons to want that level of privacy, but foremost should be the fact that Congress has given ISPs the green light to sell anonymized metadata from their users. The ISPs argue that companies like Facebook and Google do the same thing, which is true, but someone could conceivably decide not use Google or Facebook. Most people have precious little choice when it comes to selecting a company to get access to the internet. The network has special servers dedicated to streaming Netflix and other sites. The dedicated servers can unblock Netflix US, Italy, and UK. Another unique feature of the network is that it allows sharing with friends and family, which isn’t common with other VPN providers.
Timeframe
But the dedicated one gave us a bit more than 5 Mbps that is barely enough for the HD streaming. Speaking of which, loading and skipping parts of the show usually took a few seconds plus a few more for the SD video quality to improve. This means that you should use the Italian server only if you need something unavailable elsewhere. One dedicated server was slower at 26 Mbps and quite long loading times, while also streaming in SD, improving to HD only after a while. Downloading and installing the client for this VPNArea review was a straightforward process.
While VPNArea’s headquarters’ location doesn’t pose a threat and their Privacy Policy does give us all we need, we hope to see them perform a third-party audit in the near future. The United States, Germany, and India are also top countries that impose heavy penalties on those who download/upload copyrighted. Now, we do not encourage illegal practices, neither do VPNs. Normally, some previously reviewed VPNs do show the title but get a proxy error while playing the video.
In this window, you can check your DNS location or set the settings to default. VPNArea owns more than 200 servers spread across 70 countries, allowing their users to connect to any server vpnarea reviews they find the most suitable. This is because Switzerland is not a European Union member, which means that they’re not obliged to keep logs of users’ activity, as opposed to EU members.
VPNArea’s Android application is a bit different from its Mac counterpart in terms of design. Once you open it, the home screen will display your connection status, your IP address, and a server location https://coinbreakingnews.info/ that you have to select. Unlike several VPN providers, VPNArea does not automatically connect you to the nearest VPN server to your area. VPN area was one of the best out there, but with one major flaw.