FULL REVIEW -IP VANISH
Connection up to 5 devices
D: 54Mb/s U: 38Mb/s
Unlimited
Servers in 60 countries
24/7 Live Chat/E-Mail
Own and third party DNS
99.00 % uptime
Kill Switch
%
Effectiveness
Reviews
Joe 07/05/2018
Absolute anonymity guaranteed! No logs, bitcoin payments, encryption and multihopping. Thanks!
Christina 06/05/2018
I am very satisfied! I’ve been using this client for six months now and it works perfectly. Worth its money
Julie 05/05/2018
Quite fast connection, I am absolutely happy.
Anonymous 04/05/2018
No logs, no data limits and file-sharing-friendly!
Henry 03/05/2018
SOCKS5 proxy, good for the TOR network.
OVERVIEW
The VPN service by IPVanish is provided by a company founded in November 2012 in the US, which is also located there. Even though IPVanish is a very young company, it already operates servers in more than 60 countries, and users already have more than 40,000 IP addresses at their disposal.
IPVanish VPN software uses secure 256-bit AES encryption and it is protected by an NAT firewall. The provider adheres to a zero-traffic log guideline, meaning that practically no user data are stored. Apart from the standard protocols, users can use the L2TP/IPSec and PPTP protocol. A SOCKS5 web proxy is also offered. Users can automatically shut down pre-set programs in the case of connection interruption using the kill switch function. It is possible to pay anonymously using Bitcoins among various other payment methods.
Customer support is available 365 days a year via email. Alternatively, customers can use the live chat support during weekdays, during normal operating hours. In case customers are not fully satisfied, they can make use of the 7-day money back guarantee.
STREAMING
Streaming films, series, and sports broadcasts has rapidly become more popular over the course of the last few years, by now used in almost all households with access to the Internet. Many large and reputable companies, such as Amazon, HBO, BBC, Netflix, and Sky offer their customers a huge variety of streaming content. Generally speaking, streaming content becomes available first in the country of production, and access from other countries is banned for a certain period through IP blocking. Users from other countries need to be quite patient because of licensing issues or unavailable synchronization.
VPN software makes the streaming content available in other countries as well, circumventing IP blocking. To do so, the IP address of the user is masked, and the virtual location is changed. The streaming platform now allows users unlimited access. Users can see all films, series, sports broadcasts, andall country-specific streaming content using VPN software.
With a large selection of more than 40,000 IP addresses at over 60 locations globally, all users of IPVanish obtain an available IP address without delay. Since the software changes the location of the users, they are therefore no longer subject to IP blocking. Through fast server changes, users always have the fastest-possible servers at their disposal. This, combined with unlimited bandwidth, makes IPVanish software optimally suited for streaming. IPVanish is perfect for high-quality films, series, and sports broadcasts in Ultra HD (4K resolution), with a maximum download speed of 54 Mbit per second. IPVanish provides an app for mobile devices running on Apple iOS or Google Android.
FILESHARING
Computer software, music CDs, and DVDs like Blu-rays with films and series are all relatively expensive. It requires a real investment to listen to a lot of music, use a lot of software, and regularly watch films and series. All the while, most content can be downloaded for free without all that much effort using the large file sharing platforms like eMule or BitTorrent. Downloading these content is however usually illegal and punishable by hefty fines.
Users benefit from IP address masking when using VPN software during file sharing. This makes your presence and activities undetectable to authorities. Most providers explicitly support the P2P connections necessary for file sharing. Many VPN software is ideally suited for file sharing with high-quality encryption and unlimited volume. VPN software makes worrying about security when downloading software, films, or music via P2P on the Internet a thing of the past.
IPVanish VPN software wins users over with its high transfer rates and unlimited bandwidth. The download speed reaches a maximum of 54 Mbit per second, upload speed 38 Mbit per second. These rates make IPVanish perfect for file sharing. The file sharing programs are automatically shut down in case the VPN connection is interrupted using the kill switch function. The VPN provider stores practically no user data and explicitly allows P2P connections. Automatic server changes make sure that users always have the fastest-possible server at their disposal.
CIRCUMVENT FIREWALLS
These days, one might be of the impression that the Internet is available to all users without restrictions. This is unfortunately not the case in several countries, where its inhabitants sometimes need to cope with grave limitations. Many well-known websites are censored in various countries. In addition, Internet traffic is strictly monitored. Some companies are especially strict, completely restricting Internet access to their employees with only few exceptions.
Local users or business travelers can change their virtual location and mask their IP address using VPN software. These measures allow users to circumvent both country-specific firewalls as well as firewalls in companies and public institutions. This allows the VPN users unlimited access to the Internet; all services and websites can be used. The VPN client uses secure encryption, making both filtering and decrypting of user data impossible.
IPVanish users benefit from VPN servers in more than 60 countries worldwide. As such, users always have a virtual location at their disposal. All data connections are protected with a secure 256-bit AES encryption, making sure that third parties cannot get a hold of user data. Apart from all usual protocols, IPVanish users can additionally use a SOCKS5 web proxy. This makes it possible to use the Internet completely secure and anonymous. IPVanish VPN software bypasses all types of firewalls in all countries with censorship, enabling Internet use without restriction.
SECURITY & ANONYMITY
Internet criminality continues to be on the rise the last few years. Now, more hacker attacks on credit institutions and large companies take place than before. That is why many users fear that their personal data easily lands in the wrong hands. The rise in criminality results in significantly stricter Internet monitoring by authorities. As such, it is a lot riskier to use file sharing software than it used to be. Authorities, companies, and hackers have gained access to Internet user data through public as well as private networks and used these for advertising purposes, for example.
Internet users can completely protect their privacy and protect their anonymity online using VPN software. The IP addresses of the users are protected with secure encryption, making it impossible for the data to land in the wrong hands. As such, authorities and companies cannot access the data of the VPN user. The users browse from a secure data tunnel, protecting their data even from experienced hackers.
Even though the company is headquartered in the US, the provider adheres to a zero traffic log policy. IPVanish is subject to American data storage regulations but still only stores a minimum of user data. VPN software users are protected by a hardware-based NAT firewall and benefit from a secure AES-256 data encryption. The practical kill switch function and the secure Socks5 web proxy are also at users’ disposal. The actual IP address of the user is reliably masked; third parties cannot access it. This completely protects surfing behavior as well as user data from companies, authorities, or hackers. All supported protocols are listed in the following table.
| Protocol | IPVanish |
| Open VPN (TCP& UDP) | X |
| PPTP | X |
| L2TP/IPSec | x |
| IKEv2 | X |
| Socks5 web proxy | X |
Customers can pay for their IPVanish subscriptions securely with PayPal or completely anonymously with Bitcoins if desired. Especially the latter payment option is completely untraceable. Anonymity of users from third parties is guaranteed in combination with the zero traffic log guideline. IPVanish VPN software protects the privacy of its customers and makes it possible for them to anonymously browse the Internet. All security features of IPVanish are listed in the following table.
| Security features | IPVanish |
| Kill switch | x |
| DNS server ownership | x |
| DNS leak blocking | x |
| Accepts Bitcoins or vouchers | X |
| AES-256 encryption | X |
PERFORMANCE
Customers of IPVanish are able to choose a VPN-Server located in 20 different countries worldwide. The maximum download speed during our tests was clocked at 54 Mbit/s. We determined a maximal upload transfer rate of 38 Mbit/s. As such, IPVanish wins users over with its high server density, many global locations, and high transfer rates.
IPVanish servers win users over with their low latency and a good ping of just 4 ms. The average time to connect during our test was 11 seconds, and all servers operated very reliably. The VPN software of IPVanish is well suited for online gamers as well, thanks to its high performance. All users benefit from fast server changes and always have the fastest server at their disposal. As the software offers unlimited data, it is excellent for streaming high-quality 4K content. The most important performance data of IPVanish software is listed in the following table:
| Performance feature | IPVanish |
| Max download speed | 54 Mb/s |
| Max upload speed | 38 Mb/s |
| Ping time | 4 ms |
| Average time to connect | 11s |
| Reliability rating | Good |
USER-FRIENDLINESS
IPVanish software is fast and easy to install. The VPN software is installed on various devices within minutes. There are versions available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux computers.The software runs smoothly and uses just few resources. A fitting app for the VPN client can be found in the official stores for mobile devices operating Android or iOS. The software can be manually installed on a Windows Phone or DDWRT router. All compatible devices and platforms are listed in the following table.
| Device | IPVanish |
| Windows | App |
| Mac OS | App |
| Linux | Manual configuration |
| iOS | App |
| Android | App |
| Windows Phone | Manual configuration |
| DDWRT router | Manual configuration |
You will find all answers to important questions in the support center. Users can contact support with other issues. Support can always be contacted via email or from Monday to Friday during opening hours (Eastern US) via live chat.
BOTTOM LINE
The American company IPVanish is very young, but they still operate a very high-performance VPN network. Software users can choose from a large selection of VPN-Server in over 20 locations globally. IPVanish customers benefit from unlimited bandwidth, secure encryption, the useful kill switch function, and reliable protection with the NAT firewall. The VPN software effortlessly circumvents all common firewalls and IP blockages and is therefore ideal for use in countries with Internet censorship. Thanks to its anonymous usage combined with unlimited bandwidth, IPVanish is also perfectly suited for file sharing and streaming.
The VPN software can be used on all popular platforms and has intuitive operation. The American company only stores a minimum of user data. Support can always be reached via email and on working days via chat. The VPN service can be paid using Bitcoins or with PayPal if desired. Users can test the software risk free with the 7-day money back guarantee.
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