Nord VPN Review 2023, Did you realize you’re being watched? Right now, internet service operators are tracking your internet activity, companies can sell your information to advertisers, and governmental authorities could be peering into your camera.
The majority of people are unaware of how exposed they are online, but intelligent customers like you are eager to close the door and recover their privacy. VPNs are progressively being used by these people.
Today, I’ll take a close look at NordVPN, one of the Best VPN Companies for 2023 on the market. I spent a couple of days in the services fiddling with settings and pushing levers, but you’ll be shocked by what NordVPN has to offer.
There are numerous reasons to choose a good VPN for your devices, as well as numerous brands to choose from. It’s critical to look behind the glitzy promotional assurances if you want to make the best decision.
A VPN can secure your internet traffic from ISP snooping while also making it far more difficult for spies and advertising to track you digitally. On top of that fundamental security, NordVPN, unlike many other VPN services, delivers a little bit of anything. It boasts a big and diverse group of servers, as well as a formidable arsenal of rarely seen tools and stringent security and privacy policies.
WireGuard technology is also used. It still impresses, earning our Editors’ Choice award despite its exorbitant price tag.
NordVPN Features
I have identified NordVPN as one of my top recommendations for the top VPNs of 2021, but in this article, I’ll go over each of its characteristics in-depth and explain why I believe it’s such a good choice.
Servers from all over the world-
With over 5,000 servers in 59 nations, we were certain that we would never be without a server to use. That means we won’t have to worry about sluggish Web speeds because we are nearer to a server, and our Internet speed is faster.
VPN servers with Onion –
These servers build a VPN connection by combining the Tor network with a VPN. Your data is routed through three Tor nodes after passing through the VPN server. This adds a degree of deception, making it more difficult to link any online behaviour to you.
Servers that are obfuscated –
These proxies scrambled your VPN traffic to appear like standard HTTPS, which is only effective in extreme censorship scenarios. VPNs are sometimes blocked by governments that use traffic monitoring to restrict VPN usage. By deceiving such analysis tools, obfuscated services solve this issue.
P2P (peer-to-peer) servers –
It’s great for torrent downloads because it’s geared for P2P traffic. These are, nevertheless, excellent for any form of P2P communication.
IP servers with dedicated addresses –
These will only be available to individuals who have bought a static IP address. When you’re attached, your IP address will always be the same. If you don’t care about remaining anonymous or have other needs, this could be handy. They’re only accessible in UDP or TCP modes with OpenVPN.
Panama is the company’s headquarters-
Although NordVPN has offices all over the world, its headquarters are in Panama. Although Panama is outside the authority of the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes, this is a major positive for us.
For those of you who aren’t VPN nerds, there are international surveillance alliances, which means that based on how a VPN is situated, a government body might theoretically force a corporation to hand over our data collected while using their VPN.
That’s a significant red signal in our book, so we appreciate the fact that NordVPN doesn’t even have to bother about it, which means we didn’t have to either.
Switch to kill
Use of Data
I liked that I didn’t have to constantly watch for my programs to load when I used NordVPN to pirate. There have been no data caps, which means that some VPNs will block our monthly network capacity and only let us download a particular amount of information.
I was able to access as much online information as I wanted; thanks to NordVPN. The best part was that we could watch Netflix. I even watched episodes from other nations because of the large number of servers available in other nations.
Our web traffic is routed through our ISP if we don’t need a VPN. They have access to our whole online behaviour and can share it with advertising, government authorities, and other third parties. Our Internet Service Provider cannot observe our behaviour when we connect to a Network through a VPN, but our VPN can.
Tunnelling in Two Parts
Split tunnelling is not available with NordVPN. When a VPN provides this functionality, we can connect to the VPN’s private network as well as a public network. I had the option of using NordVPN to browse the Web anonymously or going unsecured on a public Wi-Fi network.
Strong encryption
When our information is protected, it is modified in such a way that it is unrecognisable to anyone other than authorised users. It’s one of the key reasons we use VPNs, and NordVPN has high standards. Our VPN connection was preserved even if our Web server was lost because the company employed IKEv2 and IPSec. This was very useful when we made the changeover from W to Z.
VPN twice
NordVPN also used a double VPN, which meant that our data was encrypted twice, once on each server. This technique, called multi-VPN server chaining, increased our privacy to the point that not even our Internet Service Provider was aware of what I was doing. Because most VPNs use only one server, we were relieved to learn that our information was protected by two layers of encryption before it was sent.
IP Addresses That Remain Static
Static IP addresses are not among the features we liked about NordVPN. Every time we used the VPN, we got the very same IP address, which is also not ideal. We chose to share this IP address with the other users, which made our behaviour more difficult to track, but under the best-case situation, we’d have a different IP address every time we used the VPN.
Tests of Speed
Because communication must pass through an encryption server on the highest point of a public network’s server, VPNs can slow down our Internet connection speed. Regardless, we would like to witness fast Internet connections when we’re online, so we put NordVPN to the test. We use an Acer Aspire 5 and a Macbook Pro.
Many factors influence speed, including distance to the servers, devices make and model, and operational system so bear in mind that there are more elements at play than simply the VPN.
CyberSec
The CyberSec function of NordVPN employs its own DNS servers to block hazardous websites. The CyberSec function will begin cross-referencing your viewed websites in real-time after you toggle it on at the preferences menu.
Blacklisted websites related to malware and spyware distribution, tracker, and other risks are blocked by CyberSec.
When it goes off, you’ll get a notification and won’t be able to access the webpage. It’s a tough block to go around, and the only way to get around it is to shut off CyberSec completely. The function is accessible on any platform with client support.
Monitor the Dark Web
This eerie-sounding tool looks for data related to your email account on dark web markets and paste bins. If it eventually ended up there, there’s now a significant probability that hackers have hacked into some of the services you’ve been utilising.
The email address associated with your NordVPN login can be secured to keep this from happening. The programme will notify you if your emails ever turn up on a dark web market. Only iOS users have access to the feature. There are reports that an Android version may be released soon as well.
Auto-connect and pause
If you’d like to turn on your device and go online, auto-connect saves you a lot of time navigating around. If you don’t deactivate auto-connect, you won’t be able to disengage from the VPN.
As a result, when you’re about to turn it off, you’re forced to stop auto-connect first, just to forget to allow it afterwards. The more clicking you do, the more likely this blunder will become a gap that exposes your true IP address.
So, in the shape of a pause option and there’s a more basic answer. A VPN server is the sole way to log in or disconnect from many other VPN services. There is no such thing as a middle path.
Rather than disconnecting and reconnecting manually, NordVPN enables you to pause your connections for some time. The connectivity would automatically re-establish once you click stop and set a time.
Presets
Presets are a new feature which you can configure to your heart’s content. You may customise your VPN options and access them immediately from the application’s home menu. It lets you select the sort of server you feel connected to and enable or disable services such as CyberSecurity.
There could be the option of including shortcuts to specific programmes that may be accessed from the app’s home screen. This functionality is a blessing if you use several VPN servers for various services. There are various pre-made presets provided to make your installation easier. Presets are only accessible on macOS at the moment.
Is NordVPN a secure and reliable service?
One of the healthiest VPN services is NordVPN. They encrypt the connections with a strong military-grade cypher and only use secure tunnelling methods to route it. In terms of security, their server fleet is RAM-only, and their privacy statement has also been verified twice by independent parties.
The most important aspect of VPNs to get correctly is security. And besides, you’re sending your Internet data through a 3rd party, so it should be safe. The stakes are enormous for NordVPN, which has around 14 million clients.
Protocols for tunnelling
Tunnelling protocols are used to transport data between VPN servers and your devices. These are supported by NordVPN:
UDP/TCP OpenVPN –
Unlike some of the other VPN companies, NordVPN lets you choose between UDP and TCP, allowing you to choose between a safer (TCP) and quicker (UDP) technique. It’s accessible to all users.
IPsec/IKEv2 –
Because you can smoothly switch between wifi and cellular data on smartphones, this is the ideal option. Unfortunately, only iOS, Android, Linux, and macOS are supported.
WireGuard –
This unique WireGuard update changes your IP address around each connection. It masks your IP address so that your real address isn’t saved on the servers.
Servers that are housed together
The majority of VPN service companies just rent the server they supply to their customers.
This usually means they only administer them by downloading proprietary software and handing over partial management to the information centre’s third-party owner. This has the potential to backfire.
Audits of security and privacy
If you think to yourself when reading the last part, “Well, this is all very good, but how would I know these guarantees mean anything?” NordVPN, on the other hand, contacted PwC, an independent firm, to conduct an audit.
NordVPN also went through a round of app security checks. VerSprite, a cybersecurity consulting firm, ran numerous penetration tests on its apps and infrastructures in 2019. Well before the report was released, all of the explored bugs were patched.
They’re currently working on improving their service, and they’re providing bug bounties to testers who uncover bugs on their HackerOne page. As a provider of cybersecurity goods, NordVPN is taking essential measures in the direction of transparency.
NordVPN is among the few operators with ioXt-certified cell phone applications on the market. This demonstrates that they follow stringent security guidelines. Not to mention that the application process includes a thorough examination of the service’s privacy policies as well as the app’s security.
Is NordVPN able to unblock Netflix, Hulu, as well as other streaming services?
Initially, it appeared that streaming would be the one to break NordVPN’s almost flawless streak. The US libraries declined to be unblocked during Netflix screening. The issue was addressed after deleting Cloudflare from the custom DNS address in the options. So, if you wish to enjoy the benefits of default DNS settings, keep that one in mind.
Whenever it came to DAZN, the tests didn’t work with the US server. Everything ran smoothly after I migrated to UK servers. It’s a good way to take a few different nations because even if one fails, there’s a strong chance it’ll work with some other location of the server.
Customer Service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
NordVPN provided a variety of customer service alternatives, including a live chat option that was available 24 hours a day, email assistance, and a searchable database of user questions.
When I wanted to learn more about what data was logged, I went to their FAQ page and reviewed their privacy policy for myself. While it’s excellent if a VPN includes a phone number where you can speak with a live person, it’s not required.
How much does NordVPN set you back?
NordVPN is priced at $11.95 per month or $119 per year. The yearly plan is listed at a discounted price of $59, but then when your membership is up for renewal, you’ll be charged $119. Other plans with varying starting rates are occasionally available from NordVPN. Always read the fine print.
NordVPN Pros & Cons
Pros
- It’s simple to use.
- Comprehensive security suite.
- Allows you to access streaming websites.
- A no-logs policy that has been independently audited.
- Excellent client service.
- High-speed internet access
- Turn off the kill switch on all clients.
- Linux compatibility.
- A sizable server fleet
- Servers who specialize.
- Option for a dedicated IP address.
- Employed in China.
- Money-back guarantee for 30 days.
- The cost is reasonable.
- Extremely Fast Speeds
- No DNS leaks were discovered.
- Activists and journalists will have increased security.
- Optimisation of peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing
- Tor-to-VPN connectivity.
Cons
- The Linux client does not have a graphical user interface.
- There is no app for the router.
- A Little Perplexing Setup
- There are no optimizations for particular streaming platforms.
- Issues Connecting with Offshore Servers Using Specific Protocols.
Bottom Line
Despite its over-the-top advertising, NordVPN delivers on its promises. When it comes to encryption techniques and privacy standards, their bundle offers no space for uncertainty. In addition, their push for greater transparency and host controls makes them a good choice for longer-term pricing strategies.
In terms of internet connection speed, accessibility options, as well as other amenities, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck. The greatest clients will be available for Android and Windows users Apple users, on the other hand, get a slew of new features. Your device will not feel so left out, regardless of which platform you’re running.
This VPN service comes highly recommended by me. Whatever your reason for using a VPN, you can count on NordVPN to provide it.
FAQs
Is NordVPN available for free?
NordVPN used to offer a free trial that could be utilized on any device. They’ve adjusted the procedure somewhat since then, but you can still receive a free trial. You’ll be capable of using NordVPN on whatever device you choose with this strategy. To begin your 1- week free trial period, you must first download NordVPN from the Google Play Store. You can now log together with the same credentials on any other device after this verification. It’s worth noting, however, that you’ll be charged if you don’t cancel your membership promptly.
What platforms are compatible with NordVPN?
MacOS, Windows, and a few Linux systems all support NordVPN. They’re also present on Android smartphones and iOS, with Firefox or Chrome extensions.
Is it possible to track NordVPN?
Anything you do using NordVPN is kept private. No one can know who you are and what you’re doing online because your traffic is encrypted. Furthermore, the service does not gather user data, ensuring your privacy.
What is the maximum number of devices I can connect to NordVPN with?
At any given time, you could use the same login credentials on up to six different devices. You could use NordVPN with just as many gadgets as the router allows if you put it up mostly on the router.