NordVPN Review 2024! The Best VPN for Netflix and Torrenting
NordVPN is a Panama-based VPN service provider that has been in the VPN business since 2012. They have a solid server network reliable service, a strict no logs policy and some quite attractive features, such as double encryption, Killswitch, and P2P servers. Here in this post we go through depth review of NordVPN with features, security, privacy how it works and more about this famous VPN service provider.,
Whenever you look for a product three things matter: Features, Security and pricing.
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NordVPN Features
- IP hiding: Yes
- Netflix access: Yes
- Torrenting/P2P: Allowed
- Ad-blocker
- Access to their DoubleVPN servers which encrypt data twice
- Servers: 5000+ fast and secure servers in 60 countries
- Max. simultaneous connections: 6
The company runs 5280 + servers in 62 countries of the world and the number of locations keeps growing month after month. The servers are divided into groups according to their type and specialization. You have servers for Tor, servers for ultra fast TV, double VPN, anti-DDoS, dedicated IP servers, standard VPN servers, Netflix USA servers and servers for P2P sharing or torrenting. This makes things incredibly easy for users. After you decide what you want to use the VPN for, you simply find a server group that specializes in that particular service and choose the location nearest to you or the one that allows you to bypass geo-restrictions.
NordVPN uses Smart DNS technology that enables you to pretend to be elsewhere by resolving DNS requests at a specified location. This makes it ideal for streaming geo-blocked content.
According to NordVPN,
Users can access over 150 streaming services using NordVPN Smart Play. These include Hulu, Amazon Prime, ABC Go, Zattoo, Cartoon Network, Shudder, WeTV.com, Telemundo, VH1, Vevo, TNT Drama, Sundance.tv, StarTrek, Spike, PBS, Slacker, NBC Sports, FoodNetwork, DramaFever, Discovery, Crackle, and many more.
The Tor-over-VPN allows you to send your traffic to one of the NordVPN servers where it gets encrypted and sent along to the Tor network. It is a handy solution that provides higher security, which many users will definitely appreciate.
NordVPN offers DoubleVPN feature that allows you to “chain” VPN servers so that your data is routed between two VPN servers as it travels between you and the internet.
Your PC/device -> VPN server 1 -> VPN server 2 -> Internet
NordVPN runs obfuscated servers in a number of counties: the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey, the UAE, and Egypt. These use the XOR encryption algorithm to overcome VPN censorship blocks put into place by authoritarian governments.
NordVPN is very serious about security and therefore offers the full security suite with protocols ranging from PPTP and L2TP to OpenVPN with strong SSL-based 2048-bit encryption. There is also a free proxy list with up to 3000 free proxies, both shared (static/dynamic) and dedicated IPs, secret notes, double VPN for increased anonymity, as well as firewall pass-through.
It has an automatic kill switch option that protects you in case you get disconnected from your VPN connection. When this happens, the kill switch simply shuts down traffic, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally exposing your sensitive data and personal information. If you want to use it, all you have to do is check the little box next to it.
WiFisec feature automatically initiates a VPN connection whenever a Wi-Fi network is joined. It can be set up to auto-connect to Nord on both secured and unsecured Wi-Fi networks.
Recently the company introduced the NordPass Password Manager feature that basically stores and organizes passwords securely by keeping them in one convenient place.
“We can secure your connections with NordVPN and we can secure your files with NordLocker, but you still need a strong password for both. Passwords are the front line for your online account security. That’s why we’re introducing NordPass,” says Marty P. Kamden, CMO at NordVPN. “It all started when we were looking for a safer and more productive way to deal with passwords within our company. In the end, this initiative has grown into something pretty exciting, which we decided to expand beyond the bounds of our company.”
NordVPN Security and privacy
- Military-grade data encryption
- No logs of your online activity
- Hundreds of fast servers optimized for secure P2P sharing
- Ultimate security when browsing on public Wi-Fi
- Native apps for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS
When it comes to full security, Nordvpn could be a good choice. Because it provides Military grade encryption, Cybersec (protects from malware and other online threats) and double VPN (i.e Encrypt your internet traffic twice to safeguard your online privacy) that shield your Internet activity from hackers and malware protect you on public Wi-Fi networks and even block annoying ads.
As for the protocols, NordVPN offers all of the most widely used protocols, including those considered the best. So, you have OpenVPN, which is considered the most secure, PPTP, L2TP and IPSec protocols. NordVPN uses AES-256 cipher paired with RSA-2028 handshake and SHA-1 HMAC authentication. The service also provides perfect forward secrecy with 3072 DHE keys.
As for privacy, Panama does not have any data retention laws.
“NordVPN does not monitor, store or record logs for any VPN user. We do not store connection time stamps, used bandwidth, traffic logs, IP addresses.”
That means the company is not required to hand over any of your personal info to the authorities. But even if there were such laws, the company wouldn’t have anything to give to the authorities since they do not keep any logs at all.
NordVPN’s logging policy from their website:
NordVPN strictly keeps no logs of your activity online. That means we do not track the time or duration of any online session, and neither do we keep logs of IP addresses or servers used, websites visited or files downloaded. In other words, none of your private and secure data is logged and gathered at any time. As a result, we are not able to provide any details about your behavior online, even if you request it yourself.
NordVPN is based away from the EU and US jurisdiction and is not required to collect your personal data and information– it means nothing is recorded, monitored, stored, logged or passed to third parties.
NordVPN Pricing and Discount
NordVPN offers three plans – Simple, Standard and Best Offer. The Simple plan lasts one month and costs $11.95. The Standard plan is good for 1 year and costs $7 per month while the Best Offer, which gives you 2 years of VPN, costs $95.75, billed annually.
Nord VPN 72% off 2-year plans $3.39/month
Get 68% Discount on 2 Years Plan (30-day money-back guarantee)
The company offers a 30-day money back guarantee and accepts all traditional payment methods, including some less conventional ones, such as Bitcoin. Here is the exact refund policy copied from the NordVPN website:
If you wish to claim a refund, you can do so within 30 days following your purchase of NordVPN service. We want you to be fully satisfied with our services. However, we will troubleshoot an issue you experience first. There are several nuances to a VPN service configuration and we solve 99% of issues encountered. NordVPN reserves the right to suspend, terminate, or refuse service to anyone at any time for any reason. No refunds will be considered for accounts deleted for violation of our Terms of Service.
Ease of Use
NordVPN provides custom apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. It also provides manual setup guides for these platforms, plus Linux (Ubuntu and Raspberry Pi), Blackberry 10, Chromium, and various routers and NAS systems. These guides look a little on the bare-bones side but should work well enough. Additionally, NordVPN offers browser add-ons for Chrome and Firefox.
Signing up for the service is a straightforward affair. A valid email address is required, but there is no reason this cannot be a disposable one. Unless paying in Bitcoin, of course, NordVPN will know your payment details anyway.
Once signed up, you can download NordVPN’s software immediately and will receive a confirmation email containing some useful links.
Does NordVPN unblock Netflix?
The straightforward answer is yes! NordVPN unblocks several streaming sites including but not limited to Netflix, BBC iPlayer, ABC iView, and Hulu. NordVPN accomplishes this through its trademarked SmartPlay feature, which is toggled on in the settings by default.
Does NordVPN work in China?
Yes, NordVPN announced in late June 2017 that it can unblock websites and content that are censored in China. Most users in mainland China should be able to simply connect to a server the normal way to bypass the Great Firewall.
If that fails, however, Nord instructs users to go into its app’s Settings menu, select Advanced Settings, and toggle on Obfuscated servers. This has the effect of making encrypted internet traffic look unencrypted, which prevents China’s deep packet inspection system from identifying VPN connections. It might add a small amount of latency, but most users probably won’t notice a difference in speed overall.
Is NordVPN good for Torrenting?
Yes – NordVPN is an excellent choice for Torrenting because it is no logs and they do not impose any restrictions on Torrenting or P2P downloads. When torrenting with NordVPN, be sure to enable the kill switch to protect you in case the connection drops.
I hope this NordVPN review helps to decide to buy the best VPN service for your online security. Let’s share your NordVPN experience on the comments below.