How to Choose the Best VPN: A Step-by-Step Guide
Today, there are thousands of VPN reviews online. But many readers are still confused about the one they should choose.
Selecting a VPN is no longer a straightforward task. Now, you can find over 300 apps offering VPN and proxies on Android Play Store. With so many options, how do you pick the best VPN?
It is now essential to do research before selecting a VPN service to protect your data online. The following tips and ideas will help you select the most secure and efficient VPN for you unique needs.
1. Know Your VPN Usage Goals
Start by listing out the reasons why you will pay for a VPN. This list will help you to know the features you need to focus on while assessing various VPN reviews.
According to a recent study, some of the main reasons why people used VPN services in 2021 include to:
* protect their data while using public Wi-Fi
* gain access to streaming sites with geographical restrictions
* keep journalism or activism online confidential
* boost security while making a purchase online
* get low prices
* access content that is not available in their country
* provide stability while making VOIP phone calls
You may have other reasons to add to this list. Use it as a checklist when you are assessing different providers.
2. Check the Provider’s Privacy Policy
A VPN should safeguard your privacy online. VPN providers claim to do this through:
* A No logging policy
* Multi-hop connections
* Integrated kill switch
* Non-disclosure of subscribers' data
To ensure that your online activities are not shared, choose a provider operating in a country without any links to Five Eyes, Fourteen Eyes, or any other international surveillance alliance.
3. Look at the Encryption Protocol
VPN encryption involves scrambling your data and securing a private tunnel for it to pass through. If anyone gains access to your VPN connection, they won’t be able to extract any meaningful information from it.
Although different encryption methods exist, most providers use the Advanced Encryption Standard, the 256-bit AES. It is the most secure at the moment. That is why governments, banks, and the military use it.
Apart from the encryption protocol, you also have the VPN protocol. This is a combination of the encryption protocol and transmission protocol. Examples include the OpenVPN, IKEv2, and the more recent WireGuard protocol.
Most of the top-rated VPN providers offer you those three options. It is better to avoid VPNs that use the outdated Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP).
Beware that PPTP is a far less secure protocol than the other three. This means you need to avoid most free VPNs which use PPTP.
4. Search for Relevant Server locations
Popular VPN services offer thousands of servers in different parts of the world. You can see a list of the countries where they have servers posted on their websites.
The greater the number of servers, the more the options you have when a server fails. While testing your VPN, test different servers in the countries you will connect to. Avoid VPN services that have few or slow servers in your countries of preference.
You may check reputable VPN testing services like Top10VPN and VPNOverview to view performance test results.
5. Assess Performance and Speed
Speed is an important factor to consider while choosing your VPN. Beware that using a VPN will reduce the speed of your internet connection slightly.
Nonetheless, to do live streaming from a site like Netflix, you need a connection speed of at least 1.0, 3.0, and 15.0 Mbps for SD, HD, and Ultra HD respectively. So how do you ensure that you have a fast VPN connection?
Taking a speed test is the best way to know the actual speed for each server location. Testing may be done during a free trial period or your first month as a subscriber. Use a testing tool like SpeedTest.net to test the speed of your connection with the VPN servers.
Note that VPN speeds are affected by the encryption and transmission protocols used. The more recent WireGuard offers much faster speeds than the OpenVPN protocol. Some of the VPNs that offer high performance are NordVPN, Surfshark, TorGuard, and Hotspot Shield.
6. Ensure the VPN Unblocks Your Desired Streaming Sites
Today, streaming websites restrict access to their content by geographical location. So if you are not residing in the U.S. you can’t watch movies streamed live on US Netflix.
To access streaming services like US Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer, and Hulu, you need a VPN with many servers in different regions of the country. VPNs that unblock the popular US Netflix include ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark.
Note that Netflix may block a server if they suspect that it is owned by a VPN. When this happens, contact customer support for a list of servers that are connecting successfully.
7. Assess the Support for Simultaneous Connections
How many devices will you connect to your VPN at once? If you only need a VPN for two or three devices, most basic paid plans will be adequate for you. On the other hand, if you intend to put all your home internet-enabled devices on the VPN, check that it can accommodate them.
In some cases, using a router can increase the number of simultaneous connections without paying for a higher plan or switching to another provider. But if you want a service with unlimited connections, you can consider any of the following:
* Surfshark
* IPVanish
* ZenMate
Providers like Private Internet Access and PrivateVPN allow you to connect 10 devices at once.
Apart from supporting unlimited devices, your VPN should also support various types of devices like routers, TVs, and game boxes. However, you may need to contact the provider directly to find out if you can configure a particular device to use the VPN service.
8. Don’t Ignore the Kill Switch
A kill switch is a feature that prevents your apps from connecting directly to the internet when the VPN connection breaks suddenly. A VPN that lacks this feature can cause your IP address and other information to get "leaked" without your knowledge.
Many VPN providers also provide additional tools like DNS leak detectors, multi-hop connections, and malware protection. Other features to look for are auto-connect and auto-reconnect.
Auto-connect will instantly connect your device to your VPN when you attempt to use public Wi-Fi to go online. Similarly, auto-reconnect will attempt to get you back online through the VPN if the connection cuts off unintentionally.
9. Opt for a Simple App Interface
When you need to change servers, pick a different protocol or reconnect your VPN, you don’t want to sweat over it. A well-designed VPN makes it easy for you to find and reconnect to frequently used servers or to adjust any desired settings.
Some providers offer you a clean interface with few bells and whistles. Other VPN companies may give you a graphical user interface for non-techies to use. Take some time to view some interface screenshots before you sign up.
10. Read Customer Service Reviews
It is hard to assess a company’s customer service until you become a subscriber. Everything usually looks good on the surface.
That does not mean you have to spend a lot of money and then wait to get a refund if you are not satisfied. You can visit sites like TrustPilot to find out what previous customers don’t like about the service.
11. Test the Service
If you feel that a particular provider’s specs and features will meet your privacy and protection needs online, go ahead and try the service. Before you do so, check the terms of service and ensure that the company offers either a free trial period or will give you a refund.
Note that some companies will only offer a partial refund while others will give you a full refund. As a guiding principle, you should only commit to a long-term plan (one or two years) if you have tested the service extensively for a month and you are satisfied.
12. Compare Different Prices and Plans
Today, cheap and free services litter the VPN landscape You need to decide whether you want the best privacy, security, and performance and pay accordingly.
Ultimately, you’ll get what you pay for. If you choose a free service, you will have to bear with slow speeds, frequent disconnections, a scanty feature set, and in some cases, bandwidth restrictions.
You will be able to get by with a cheap VPN service if you only want to use it to hide your IP address. But be aware that free or cheap services may sell your browsing data to third parties to earn additional income. Free VPN services are limited and their IPs get blocked by most premium streaming services.
Once you’ve decided to choose a paid service, you need to do some price comparisons. The aim is to get the best value for each dollar.
You can reduce the monthly cost of your VPN service by paying for one, two, or three years at once. For example, instead of paying $11.75 per month for NordVPN, you can pay as low as $3.71 monthly if you choose the 2-year pricing plan.
Before paying an annual or two-year plan, test the VPN service thoroughly for a month. Connect to servers in all the countries where you plan to use the service.
Test the service on torrent and streaming sites. Ensure that the VPN will meet your performance requirements before you pay for a long-term plan.
Those are some of the steps to take when you are selecting a VPN to protect yourself online. I hope they will help you to find the best VPN service provider for your online activities.
Daniel O. Kolade is a freelance tech writer available for hire. For over nine years he has written thousands of content pieces for leading marketing agencies, software development companies, engineering firms, and affiliate marketers. You can reach him via email at oodaniel75@gmail.com
