While companies and some states try by all means to chart your course on the Internet to better sell you advertising or monitor your actions, VPNs or virtual private networks have the mission of making your connections more confidential and delocalized. Interface, speeds, ping, leaks. We have tested everything.
The VPN (or "virtual private network" in Spanish) are systems that allow you to create private and encrypted connections to another remote computer that will connect to the Internet. The interest? Protect your digital life by changing your IP and location and thus benefit from greater security. You thus escape advertising tracking, but also certain unscrupulous states of your privacy. A VPN also allows access to services reserved for specific regions, such as television channels, for example. When traveling abroad, VPNs allow you to continue to access certain streaming or banking services. What is the best VPN? Itopdroid offers you a comparison of the best offers on the market. Follow the leader !
While companies and some states try by all means to chart your course on the Internet to better sell you advertising or monitor your actions, VPNs or virtual private networks have the mission of making your connections more confidential and delocalized. Interface, speeds, ping, leaks. We have tested everything.
The VPN (or "virtual private network" in Spanish) are systems that allow you to create private and encrypted connections to another remote computer that will connect to the Internet. The interest? Protect your digital life by changing your IP and location and thus benefit from greater security. You thus escape advertising tracking, but also certain unscrupulous states of your privacy. A VPN also allows access to services reserved for specific regions, such as television channels, for example. When traveling abroad, VPNs allow you to continue to access certain streaming or banking services. What is the best VPN? Itopdroid offers you a comparison of the best offers on the market. Follow the leader !
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? Why use a VPN?
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) or virtual private network allows you to surf the Internet or use online services (P2P, messaging, etc.) using an IP address provided by your VPN provider. It is therefore not your IP address (the one that identifies you on the Internet) which is recorded by the servers on which you surf. A VPN also allows you to use an IP address located in another country and therefore bypass certain territorial restrictions and thus access content normally in geographical areas. Finally, the connection between your device (computer / smartphone) and the VPN provider is encrypted, which ensures a certain level of security, especially if you use Wi-Fi in public places such as hotels or coworking spaces.
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? On which device can I install a VPN?
VPNs can be installed on different devices or peripherals that communicate on the Internet, such as computers (Windows, macOS, Linux, etc.), Android or iOS smartphones (iPhone, iPad, etc.), televisions (with an Android smartTV system). or routers. It is important to verify that the VPN provider you choose offers software for your various devices. Also, make sure that it offers a large number of simultaneous connections.
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? Do VPNs reduce connection speeds?
Yes and this is one of the main criteria that we look at in our testing. The speeds (upward or downward) of your Internet connection are impacted by the VPN servers. The more you try to connect to remote servers, the slower the connection will be.
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? Are connection data kept by VPNs?
By using a VPN, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can no longer know about your network activity. However, the VPN providers manage your connections and can record your actions. Most VPNs claim to not log your data (no log), but this is only a statement. To reassure customers, some VPNs have their operation audited by a third-party company and thus prove the non-retention of user data. In all cases, it is important to read the general conditions of use (T & Cs).
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? How do we test VPNs?
To separate the different VPN services, we tested the speeds for traditional web connections using the nPerf online service, on a 10 Gbits / s server (Bouygues Telecom / Paris). We carry out several readings at the same times of the day on 5 days of the week in order to have an idea of the average flow of the providers.
We have chosen several "exit" countries to also check the connection speeds (upstream / downstream) in Spain, Sweden, the United States and Japan. We also carry out speed measurements for P2P downloads, each time with a location in Spain. Any DNS leaks are checked with the dnsleaktest online services. Finally, access to certain streaming providers such as Netflix or Amazon Prime are verified. During our tests we also check the performance of servers specializing in certain types of connections such as P2P (torrent downloads), or double VPN, which uses two VPN servers to ensure better confidentiality of connections.
We also assess the presence of different functions that are important when using a VPN. Thus, the presence of a Kill Switch (emergency stop) seems essential to us in the case of secure communication. This service immediately cuts off the Internet connection in the event of a VPN software crash. We also note the number of connection protocols available, some being more or less effective in bypassing protections and establishing connections in complicated countries such as China where confidentiality and security of exchanges can be essential. The number of devices that it is possible to use simultaneously is also to be taken into account if you want to secure your digital life.
We also try to analyze the privacy policies of VPN providers by examining the terms of use, but also by checking that the commercial site is not "riddled" with cookies and other trackers. Keep in mind that in any case, anonymity cannot be guaranteed and that digital traces will always be present. It's up to you whether you prefer to leave some information with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or a VPN provider located on the other side of the planet.
As the VPN offer is important, the question of the price is also important since there are both free and paid VPNs. VPN providers have to fund a large infrastructure of servers around the world to establish connections in different countries. Most providers offer a subscription to the service to provide you with protection over one month (the time of a trip, for example) or over several years with a sliding scale price. Free VPNs have to find another source of funding. Most of the time, it is advertising display. Remember to read the general conditions of use to know if your data is not resold to better target said advertising ...
Finally, we use the software for several weeks in order to familiarize ourselves with the interface and the different functionalities in different environments (Windows operating system, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux ...). Installing the software is also important. Often very easy with Windows or macOS, it can be more complicated for Linux or routers.
