IPVanish VPN Overview
IPVanish VPN is a top-rated virtual private network (VPN) service that promises to keep your data safe and secure while you’re online. But does IPVanish really deliver on its promise? Let’s take a closer look at this IPVanish VPN review.
IPVanish VPN has several key benefits that make it an attractive choice for anyone looking for online security. First, IPVanish VPN keeps your data safe by encrypting it before sending it over the internet. Using this private internet access service also enables you to hide your IP address and geographic location from websites and online trackers. This makes it impossible for anyone else to see what you’re doing online or access your data without your permission. Second, IPVanish VPN allows you to bypass geographic restrictions and access content that is blocked in your location.
IPVanish also supports simultaneous connections with one license and provides a 30 day money back guarantee. This makes it a viable option to protect your online activity.
History of IPVanish
IPVanish was founded in 2012 by a team of experienced VPN engineers at (Mudhook Marketing) Mudhook Media Inc. The company’s goal was to create a VPN that was fast, reliable, and secure, and that could be used by anyone around the world by any VPN provider. IPVanish has since become one of the most popular VPN services on the market, thanks to its combination of security and performance.
IPVanish VPN is headquartered in the United States, but has servers all over the world, allowing you to access content from anywhere. The company is committed to privacy and security and does not keep logs of your activity or sell your data to third parties. IPVanish is also one of the few VPNs that still works with Netflix.
IPVanish owns and operates a private fiber-optic network of tier-1 servers, which it also manages. IPVanish owns around 90% of its points of presence (POPs), which are locations where the company has complete control over the data center and hardware, often known as “the rack and stack.” Its infrastructure is leased from third-party operators in regions “where it doesn’t make sense to have our own equipment,” such as Albania, where it doesn’t make sense to own its own equipment. It was announced in 2017 that the Highwinds Network Group had been acquired by the CDN business StackPath, which included IPVanish as part of the deal. IPVanish was one of many VPN providers acquired by J2 Global as part of their NetProtect business in 2019, according to the company.
Is IPVanish still safe?
IPVanish is a secure VPN that hides your actual IP address by masking it with a new IP address, and one of the primary reasons for this is the company’s industry-leading security features. Military-grade encryption, a kill switch, DNS/IP leak protection, split tunneling, and complex VPN protocols are among the features available. The OpenVPN protocol includes a Scramble feature, which makes it appear as though you are not using a VPN by obfuscating your communication. Its primary function is to aid in the circumvention of online restrictions and robust firewalls.
Unfortunately, it does not include a built-in virus scanner or ad blocker, which are two features that I find really useful in a VPN. While it does support split tunneling, it is only available on the Android apps at this time. Using split tunneling, you can route some of your internet traffic through a virtual private network (VPN) in order to benefit from both a VPN and a non-VPN connection at the same time.
How does IPVanish VPN work?
IPVanish operates very similarly to other VPNs by hiding your real IP address using VPN protocols. If you want to find out a more detailed explanation of what a VPN is please click here for my in-depth VPN article.
In short – VPN Basics
A virtual private network (VPN) service works by establishing a secure encrypted connection between your device and our VPN servers and then delivering data across that connection to the internet. Everyone else, including your device and our server, will be unable to understand the contents of an encrypted connection. This is very important that if an attacker were to get your traffic logs all they would see would be encrypted traffic originating from IP addresses none of which would indicate the end user.
There are two basic reasons why people utilize a virtual private network (VPN) service:
You may prevent your ISP, Hotspot Provider, or anybody else linked between you and our servers from knowing what you are doing online. You can even access region-restricted material or conceal the actual location of your device
What Can your Internet Server Provider (ISP) see?
You can still be tracked by your Internet service provider when you use the Internet and how much data you consume, but they will not be able to determine what you are doing or which websites you are seeking to view. All they can see is that you are connecting to our server using a web browser. They may be aware that our server is utilized for VPN access, but they are not aware of the websites that are accessible through our server infrastructure.
Why is it crucial to understand what your Internet service provider can and cannot see? If your Internet service provider restricts the amount of data you can download each month or throttles people based on their overall consumption, you would still be impacted by these restrictions because your ISP can still monitor your usage.
What part of the link is protected
A virtual private network (VPN) service encrypts data transmitted between you and the IPVanish Server, not between the IPVanish Server and the intended destination.
What is the significance of this? It will appear to the target server (for example, google.com) that your connection is coming from the IPVanish server rather than your home computer. If you use a login and password that is related to your real ID/name/address, etc., then that website will still be able to identify you even if you are using their service from a different location, regardless of how much security is in place. In other words, if you utilize personally identifiable information on a website, you should *not expect* the website to not track what you do on the website.
What type of protection does a VPN Provide?
A virtual private network (VPN) service will not protect you from all types of malware, Trojans, and viruses. You can find out more information about this here in this article.
Anyone outside of the VPN will not be able to make direct contact with your computer unless your computer initiates contact with them first, so your machine is certainly less vulnerable to them than it was previously. Please keep in mind, however, that practically all viruses, malware, and trojans are obtained from the Internet, either through an email attachment or a website. Our service does not intentionally prevent anything from being accessed. Furthermore, most forms of Malware and Trojans (as well as some specific viruses) will reach out from your computer and establish communication first, which our VPN will not be able to prevent from happening.
Why should you be concerned? Being unable to use your computer because of malware is really inconvenient. If your financial records are compromised by a trojan, a computer that has been compromised by a trojan can cause you financial harm. A computer that has been rendered inoperable by a virus is worthless. In order to battle these threats, you must have adequate protection installed on your computer. As with having a flu vaccination, the concept is the same: you may not need it in the future, but if you do – it will be beneficial to have it. As a result, always ensure that your internet-enabled device has up-to-date anti-virus and anti-malware software installed in order to have a safer browsing experience.
What Operating Systems support IPVanish?
IPVanish supports several different operating systems and has different IPVanish apps for each one of the different operating systems. This is something few VPN providers offer.
IPVanish VPN for Mac
IPVanish is compatible with macOS 10.13 and later. A kill switch, OpenVPN Scramble, and API load balancing are also included, but there is no option to drop the AES 256-bit encryption level to a lower level, as there is with some other VPN services. It is compatible with the OpenVPN protocol, as well as WireGuard, IKEv2, IPSec, and L2TP protocols. Additionally, the app gives you the option of using IPVanish’s private DNS or a third-party DNS.
IPVanish VPN for Windows
IPVanish Windows app is available for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and higher (Although if you are still using Windows 7 you really should look at upgrading to the latest version of Windows). You will have to go here to download the latest version of the windows app.
LAN filtering, OpenVPN Scramble, an automatic kill switch, and IPv6 leak protection are just a few of the security features it gives users. The software also comes with a large number of protocols, including OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2, PPTP, L2TP, and SSTP, among others. the ipvanish windows app has the Scramble feature in the program also lets you adjust the amount of encryption from AES 256-bit to 128-bit, depending on your needs. You have the option of customizing the language of the IPVanish windows app. The user can also enable audible speech feedback in the windows app, making it more accessible to a broader range of users.
IPVanish VPN for Android
IPVanish is compatible with Android versions 5.1 and higher. It combines features from the previous apps, such as a kill switch, API load balancing, and OpenVPN Scramble with AES 256-bit encryption, to create a comprehensive VPN solution. The android app can be found on Google Play. Divided tunneling is supported, allowing you to choose which traffic goes via the VPN and which does not. Its default protocol is WireGuard, however, it also supports OpenVPN and IKEv2 as well as other protocols. It is highly recommended to launch this android app every time you connect to an unsecured network connection.
IPVanish VPN for iPhone/iPad
IPVanish does have an ios app and it is only available on devices running iOS 11 or higher. There is no kill switch, which is unfortunate, but it does offer the auto-connect feature, API load balancing, and the ability to choose whether to use IPVanish’s DNS or a third-party DNS. The IPVanish ios app In comparison to the other programs, it only supports AES 256-bit encryption and fewer protocols, including WireGuard, IKEv2, IPSec, and L2TP.
IPVanish VPN for Chrome OS
IPVanish is available if your Chrome device is compatible with Android app available from the Google Play Store. It is compatible with both the L2TP and the OpenVPN protocols. AES 256-bit to 128-bit encryption can be selected, as can the level of encryption, just like in the Windows program.
IPVanish VPN for FireTV
IPVanish is compatible with the Fire TV Stick Gen2 or later. AES 256-bit encryption is included, as is the OpenVPN Scramble feature. Split tunneling is also included. OpenVPN and WireGuard are the only two protocols available through this app, both of which may be downloaded directly to your smartphone from the Amazon App Store.
IPVanish VPN for Routers
IPVanish has pre-configured FlashRouters that can be purchased directly from the company’s website, but if you already have a router at home that is compatible with the VPN, you may configure it to work with the VPN. It may be configured on routers such as DD-WRT, Tomato, ASUSWRT, and ASUSWRT-Merlin. The VPN on routers is based on the OpenVPN protocol and uses the industry-standard military-grade encryption of AES 256-bit to protect data. This technology will protect the entire server network at your house, if you have one.
What’s under the hood of IPVanish
What VPN Protocol does IPVanish offer?
IPVanish offers high security through the use of a variety of protocols, including OpenVPN (TCP and UDP), WireGuard, IKEv2, IPSec, and L2TP, among others. It is possible to personalize your connection for whatever you are doing online using these protocols, mostly by increasing the speed and security of your connection. It is possible to alter the default protocol, which is OpenVPN TCP, from the settings menu.
- OpenVPN is a highly secure protocol that is available as open-source software. The code is constantly visible, allowing others to review and enhance it. It comes with two options: TCP and UDP.
- IKEv2 is a fast protocol that is well-suited for use on mobile devices. The reason for this is the capacity of the device to auto-connect, which protects you while switching between a mobile and WiFi data network. It is, however, not as fast as OpenVPN or WireGuard, which are both free options.
- WireGuard is a relatively new protocol that achieves an excellent balance between speed and security. It provides the fastest speeds of any protocol, though not by a significant margin. As a result, in regards to streaming, it is recommended. The same can be said for video conferencing, and browsing on the internet.
- L2TP is a useful protocol to use on mobile devices that do not support OpenVPN, such as smartphones and tablets. It was created to be a better alternative to the old PPTP protocol, despite the fact that it generated the slowest speeds in my tests.
- IPSec is a secure transport protocol that encrypts IP packets and serves as a foundation for secure transport.
What type of encryption does IPVanish use?
Known as AES 256-bit encryption, this is the greatest level of encryption currently available and is extremely safe to use in a military setting. The number 256 refers to the length of the character key, which acts as a password to protect your data. The longer the character key, the better, because it takes more time to crack the longer the character key is. It is estimated that it would take several lives for the world’s most powerful supercomputers to crack the 256-bit barrier.
It also makes use of the SHA512 algorithm for authentication, as well as the DHE-RSA 2048 key exchange, which provides full forward secrecy when used together. These encryption standards ensure that none of your data can be decrypted even if a hacker obtains access to the decryption key used to protect it.
Does IPVanish have DNS/IP Leak Protection?
IPVanish offers both DNS leak protection and IP leak protection on all of its apps, and it performed admirably during my testing. The use of a VPN means that both your DNS requests and your actual IP address remain anonymous, ensuring that no one can track down your surfing activities, geographic location, or identity. Because these features are already in place, you won’t have to do anything to make them work.
Does IPVanish have a kill switch?
Yes, IPVanish VPN offers a kill switch to macOS, Android Mobile, and Windows clients. This kill switch is important because it helps to ensure that your data remains protected in the event that the VPN connection unexpectedly drops. The kill switch will automatically terminate all traffic if the VPN connection is lost, thus preventing your data from being exposed. Few VPN providers provide this technology to mobile apps.
What is a kill switch?
When your current VPN connection fails, a kill switch is activated, which prevents any further Internet traffic from being transmitted. A kill switch is an excellent option to have enabled if you want to enhance your privacy and anonymity because it disables your internet connection if you are not secured by a VPN. This implies that even if the connection to our VPN is lost, your personal information will remain safe and secure.
How do you enable a kill switch with IPVanish?
On desktop computers, enabling or disabling the kill switch is a simple process. There’s a kill switch check box in the main window of Windows that you may select so that you don’t have to open your settings at all. On macOS, you may toggle it on or off by navigating to your OpenVPN settings under Preferences and selecting OpenVPN from the list.
Enabling the kill switch for Android apps is a little more difficult to accomplish. It is necessary to enable it in the advanced connection settings of your Android device. In the IPVanish app’s “Connection” menu, you’ll see a section titled “Android OS kill switch.” Click on this section to learn more. When you tap it, a popup will appear that will explain how to activate it. Even yet, it only took approximately 15 seconds for the device to activate.
What is IPVanish’s Log Policy?
IPVanish has a straightforward privacy policy that is clearly laid out on its website, but it is still not the best VPN services available today.. It has been embroiled in controversy in the past over the disclosure of data to the FBI, and its headquarters are in the United States, which is not the most privacy-friendly location in the world. Since the crisis in 2016, the company’s privacy policies have been revised. However, because it has never been subjected to an independent audit, its claims of having no logs have not been formally validated.
Does IPVanish keep logs?
IPVanish adheres to a strict no-logs policy. It states that it will not collect or store any information about your online behavior, such as the websites you visit, DNS queries, or connection timestamps, among other things. It maintains, on the other hand, that it collects random bits of data in order to improve the performance of its products. Because the information is gathered anonymously, it cannot be linked back to you as an individual.
This information covers the user’s preferred language, device model, UI interactions, country, and session lengths, amongst other things. In the unfortunate case of IPVanish, the company has not been subjected to any independent third-party audits, which is quite troubling. You won’t be able to know if it is truly adhering to its no-logs policy unless third-party audits are performed.
When signing up, you’ll also need to submit your email address, name, and payment information, among other things. Furthermore, because cryptocurrencies cannot be used to make payments, there is no means to make payments anonymously.
Why IPVanish log policy matters – the headquarters is inside of the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance
Another issue to be concerned about with IPVanish is that its headquarters are in the United States, which is the epicenter of the 14 Eyes Alliance. INTERPOL is a global surveillance network in which member countries cooperate by exchanging information about their residents. They can also compel third parties to provide this information through legal means.
This is exactly what happened when the FBI ordered IPVanish to send over customer data in 2016, which demonstrated that the company was collecting user records and thus violated the law. They complied with the FBI as part of a criminal investigation after receiving two requests for assistance from the agency.
The company IPVanish is now owned by a different company called Ziff Davis (formerly known as J2 Global), and it has modified its privacy policies on a number of occasions since the issue broke. In addition to StrongVPN and Encrypt.me, Ziff Davis owns a variety of businesses that provide cybersecurity and digital services, including the company Ziff Davis Media.
How does IPVanish handle Geo-Restricted Streaming Services?
IPVanish is a far cry from being the best VPN for streaming video on the internet. I tried many different server locations and a dozen different streaming platforms, but the results were dismal. It got so bad that I even phoned customer service to ask for troubleshooting assistance, and all they could tell me was that they were aware of the issues.
Can IPVanish unblock Netflix?
IPVanish sometimes allows you to stream with Netflix, but it is not always reliable. I found that the best way to get IPVanish to work with Netflix is to try different server locations and streaming platforms. I had the most success with the United States servers, but I also had some luck with Canadian servers. I had no luck with other server locations, however.
IPVanish did not allow me to view the Netflix library in other countries. I contacted customer service and they told me that it was a known issue and they were working on a fix.
IPVanish and Kodi
IPVanish is compatible with Kodi, a home theater program that allows you to stream P2P files, despite the fact that it is not a streaming service. Watching Sita Sings the Blues while connecting to an IPVanish server in Miami allowed me to stream the show with no pauses or buffering. Please keep in mind that many of the P2P files available through third-party Kodi apps are protected by intellectual property rights. We do not condone any unlawful conduct, so I recommend that you double-check that the files you are streaming are not covered by copyright laws before proceeding.
IPvanish and Amazon Prime Video
The software did not allow me to stream utilizing IPVanish or Amazon Prime Video throughout my testing.
IPvanish and Hulu
Unfortunately, IPVanish did not allow me to view Hulu.
IPvanish and HBO Max
Using IPVanish to connect I received the same issue I was not able to stream Succession… shame!
IPVanish and Disney+
My last test with IPVanish was to log onto the Mickey Mouse Network… unfortuantely IPVanish was unable to unblock this service.
Can you Torrent using IPVanish?
IPVanish is an excellent choice for torrenting because its entire network is optimized for peer-to-peer file-sharing. You can also torrent as much as you want for as long as you want because there is no restriction to the amount of bandwidth or data you can use.
Using a virtual private network (VPN) for torrenting is suggested since it conceals your online identity and location while encrypting the data you transfer. This provides excellent protection from malevolent individuals on the other end of the line. Just make sure that your kill switch is activated in the event that you are disconnected from your VPN.
It’s important to remember, however, that your torrenting speeds are mostly influenced by the number of seeders and leechers that are assigned to your torrent, not by the speed of your connection or the quality of your VPN. The IPv6 protection, DNS leak protection, and no-logs policy, among other features, allow you to torrent in complete safety.
In addition, IPVanish provides SOCKS5 proxies in more than 25 different locations. If you want to conceal your IP address, you can manually adjust it in your BitTorrent client. Because it does not encrypt your traffic, you will experience significantly faster download rates. Utilizing the proxy IP in Sydney, I was able to achieve speeds that were 25 percent faster than those achieved by using the ordinary VPN server.
Even though the proxy provides fast browsing, keep in mind that it is less secure than other options because it does not encrypt your data. You can find a complete list of SOCKS5 proxy addresses in your IPVanish dashboard, and the company’s website contains instructions on how to set it up.
Please keep in mind that many torrents are protected by intellectual property rights, and we do not support any unlawful conduct. Always check the rules of your nation before torrenting, and make sure you don’t download anything that is protected by intellectual property rights.
How Many servers does IPVanish use?
IPVanish offers a large server network with 2,000 servers in 70 countries, with the majority of servers located in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Germany. There are also some servers in Africa and South America, which are not covered by the majority of VPNs. The advantages of having a large server network are that you can get quicker download speeds with less overcrowding, and you get more IP addresses, which allows you to access more worldwide content while maintaining your anonymity.
Most impressive is the fact that IPVanish owns its complete server network and does not rely on third-party servers for any of its operations. Because it is extremely improbable that your information would ever fall into the wrong hands, this increases the level of security. IPVanish does not utilize any virtual servers, either, which means that all of its servers are physically located in the countries in which they are serving.
Because IPVanish includes a Quick Connect feature, it is very simple to connect to the best server that is available. When I utilized it, it connected me to a server in Auckland that was somewhat faster than the others because it was closer to me. All that is required is that you select the country or city to which you wish to connect and then click “Connect.” In addition to selecting a server from a drop-down menu, you can search for a server using the interactive map provided by the website. The fact that you can zoom in and out of the map makes it simple to utilize.
How does IPVanish affect your internet speed?
IPVanish is not going to slow down your internet connection like some of the other VPNs on the market. I found that my browsing speeds were only minimally affected when I was connected to a server in the United States. In fact, I continued to be able to stream videos without any buffering issues. This was not a scientific test of internet speeds, and I was not able to test on a UK Server or any other foreign server but in the United States the speeds were very fast for VPN users.
It is usual for a VPN to cause your internet connections to slow down due to the additional encryption and distance between you and your new server.
Is IPVanish easy to use?
IPVanish’s apps are simple to use, however they are not the most visually beautiful. Because they are slightly different depending on the operating system you are using, it is not the most convenient to utilize across multiple devices. Despite the variations, I found the individual apps and their settings to be straightforward to navigate, regardless of whether you’re a novice or an experienced user.
The configuration options are arranged into tabs. The Quick Connect tab allows you to connect to the server location that is most convenient for you, while the Server List tab allows you to manually select a server and provides filtering options to make the choosing process more efficient. You can also save your favorite servers by clicking on the star icon to the right of the server name. Additionally, this tab contains an interactive global map that you can use to locate a server based on its geographic location.
The settings menu (also known as options on Mac OS) is where you may choose your security protocol, toggle the OpenVPN scramble feature on and off, and activate or disable DNS and IP leak protection, among other things. IPVanish also offers a number of customization options for how it connects to servers when it is first launched, including an automated connection tool that can be customized based on server location and speed.
There’s also a Diagnostics page in the settings menu, which allows you to identify and report connectivity issues so that they can be resolved. It is possible to share information with support, even if you are unsure of what any of the information means. Support will then be able to assist you in resolving any issues more efficiently.
Even while IPVanish’s apps are not extremely difficult, their simplicity, combined with their design, gave them an old-fashioned appearance.
How is the customer service of IPVanish?
IPVanish’s customer service is top-notch. The company provides 24/7 live chat support, and I found the staff to be knowledgeable and helpful. IPVanish also has a very comprehensive support center that includes a searchable knowledge base and troubleshooting guides. In addition, you can contact support by email or by opening a ticket.
Will IPVanish work in China?
IPVanish like other VPN services does not work in China. Access to the IPVanish website as well as all of the company’s servers and IP addresses have been blocked by the country. Even its obfuscation tool, Scramble, is unable to circumvent censorship in China and other censorship-restrictive countries.
How many Simultaneous Connections Does IPVanish Support?
With one IPVanish account, you can have as many simultaneous connections on one account as you desire as long as the number of devices are all on one account and are from locations and different IP addresses that the VPN is supported.
The fact that IPVanish allows any number of simultaneous connections from any number of devices on different IP addresses to be connected at the same time is what makes it such a good investment. This is particularly useful if you live in a larger household when each member of the family possesses at least one electronic gadget. Because IPVanish allows for an unlimited number of device connections, everyone living under the same roof can have their devices protected with a single IPVanish subscription.
That is an insane offer from a VPN provider.
What are the Pros of IPVanish?
- Simple User Interface
- Watch Netflix in different regions
- Unlimited bandwidth
- IPVanish Cost
- Online Privacy
- DNS Leak Protection
- Support for multiple operating systems including Chrome OS
- Unlimited device connections
What are the Cons of IPVanish?
- The Department of Homeland Security (HSI) received personal information on a client from IPVanish in 2016, according to a June 2018 article published by TorrentFreak.
- IPVanish headquarters are in the United States, which is the epicenter of the 14 Eyes Alliance.
What are the pricing plans of IPVanish?
Can you use IPVanish for free?
By taking advantage of IPVanish’s risk-free 30-day refund guarantee, you may utilize the service for free on all of your devices.
Because IPVanish provides for an unlimited number of simultaneous connections with a single subscription, this strategy works across all devices.
What is the Price of IPVanish?
Subscriptions to IPVanish start at $3.75 per month. That is in reference to the annual plan. Due to the higher rates associated with signing up for a shorter time, you’ll end up paying significantly more every month if you choose a monthly membership. For those who are only interested in using IPVanish for a short period of time, the monthly subscription is an excellent choice. However, if you want to save more money in the long term, it’s advisable to join up for the yearly subscription plan.
IPVanish’s VPN service costs $10.99 per month, but you can sign up for IPVanish services through this link and there will be a small discount for you as well. They do provide a 30 day money back guarantee in case you are not satisfied with the application.
What is included?
- 24/7 live chat & phone support
- Servers in 75+ locations worldwide
- Safe access to censored apps & websites
- No speed limits; browse & download with fast connections
- Advanced encryption standards
- 30 day money back guarantee (Yearly plan only)
- User-friendly apps for all platforms
- No VPN caps; secure every device
Final thoughts on IPVanish
Is IPVanish any good?
With DNS Leak Protection, Kill Switch, and other state-of-the-art VPN technologies as well as a minimal impact to your connection speed while connected to the VPN apps. IPVanish app is one of the best VPN connections that you can use to protect your data. IPVanish offers one of the easiest interfaces for the end-user making the experience very enjoyable.
For private internet access and a state-of-the-art VPN app, IPVanish is a good option to consider. IPVanish’s only major drawback relates to the fact that it is an American company operating from within the United States which falls under the jurisdiction of the 5 and 14 Eyes Alliances and thus not as safe as other VPN providers.
You can sign up for IPVanish here.
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