At the moment, paying for a VPN service may seem unattractive, especially considering that it will increase the annual or monthly bill for contracted digital services such as Netflix or Apple One. But what exactly can be said about the NordVPN platform? It’s worth it? Let’s talk about our experience.
First, maybe you should know what is Virtual private network (VPN). Simply put, this solution creates a virtual private network between devices, that is, it encrypts Internet traffic. “Its job is to hide users’ IP addresses and encrypt data so that no one who is not authorized to receive it can read it,” the Amazon Web Services website says.
It is emphasized that there are three main functions of this type of solution:
- VPNs use encryption to protect sensitive data such as passwords, credit card information, and browsing history, especially when connected over public Wi-Fi networks.
- A VPN connection hides your IP address so you remain anonymous on the Internet. This element contains information about the location and activity on the Internet.
- It uses cryptography to protect a network connection from unauthorized access. Similarly, it can act as a shutdown mechanism to terminate programs in the event of suspicious activity on the Internet.
User Experience with the NordVPN App
optimal performance
The first thing to note about the NordVPN app is that it is a multi-device platform, so it can be installed on devices such as smartphones, Mac and Windows computers, browsers, and even smart displays.
In our tests, we ran the tool on an iPhone 13 Pro and a MacBook Air with an M1 chip, and its performance was more than acceptable.
According to NordVPN, the first step is to select a remote server that securely transmits data over the Internet. This indicates that he has over 5,000 in about 60 countries. “Servers close to your actual location usually offer the fastest connection speeds and the best streaming quality,” he says.
In most cases, we connect to the US application infrastructure, especially to access information about digital services that are not yet available in Mexico, where we are writing these lines. There was an occasion when we needed a connection from Spain to follow the flow of communications from the Iberian nation, which was achieved without any inconvenience.
Of course, there are certain paid video platforms, mostly, which are already able to determine that communication is taking place through a VPN, for which they manage to close their entrance: they are not even allowed to enter their main page.
What can you say about such a popular service as Netflix? Interestingly, you can access the directory that the Los Gatos, California firm provided in the United States if you set up a NordVPN server in that country. And while the original content may seem the same, there are films that are not available in Mexico. In quick navigation we define production Hangover And Still Alice as available only on American soil, at least.
In terms of entertainment, we can conclude that the possibilities expand significantly with the use of a VPN, from accessing platforms that are not supported in other countries (Vudu) to having a larger content folder (Pluto TV), although this implies its availability in English only.
other features
NordVPN has more advanced features that can enhance the security and privacy tools provided by other similar apps. We like the ability to bookmark countries for faster access to their servers, as well as a “more specialized” view.
According to the application, it has specialized servers in three areas:
- Double VPN. This makes it difficult for hackers to decrypt users’ Internet traffic. Changes the IP address twice, thereby protecting the connection with double encryption.
- Bow through VPN. Combines the strengths of VPN and Tor Browser for greater privacy.
- P2P servers. Download files securely and at maximum speed with hundreds of P2P servers “or set up a direct secure link to your files using our feature.”
Thus, depending on the activity that you will carry out on the network, it is recommended to choose between one or another version of a specialized server. If all you need is daily digital protection, all you need to do is to tie into one of the more than 5,000 outlets that NordVPN has in 60 countries, that is, hide your IP address and encrypt your Internet traffic.
Conclusion
What we can do with NordVPN is that it’s a simple and effective solution when people are looking for alternatives to stay safe online, whether it’s simple activities like browsing the web, shopping online or streaming streaming services.
When it comes to entertainment, accessing another country’s catalog or watching live content that only streams in certain regions can be a good reason to get VPN services that are actually cheaper than paying for any kind of streaming.
The only thing is that the app is not as intuitive as you might expect, so you will have to spend some time to really get the most out of it or squeeze out all the features on offer, again, depending on the activity that will be carried out on the Internet.
We’ll have time to compare NordVPN to the VPN provided by Google for its Google One subscribers, a service that boosts the storage you get when you open a regular Gmail account.
Source: Digital Trends
