How to Select the best VPN in 2023
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Jan 2, 2023
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how-to-select-the-best-vpn-in-2022
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Published
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Selecting the best option among all VPNs is not easy. You might need a guideline that tells you where to look. It is time to learn how to select a VPN by checking the features.
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Eda Guzelyol
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Vpn
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How to Select the best VPN in 2023 - FastVPN
The first and foremost caution while selecting a VPN is to be aware of your needs. A VPN not meeting your needs is of no good, no matter how sophisticated it is. Nevertheless, some gold standards apply to almost all users’ needs. The set of standards also provides you a wiggle room to cater to all of your requirements in one fell swoop.
Our veterans have cherry-picked a set of factors that would help select you the most creme-de-la-creme VPN in 2023. Spare a few minutes to consider them. The due consideration will land you rightly at a happy product. Stay with the analysis.
Location MattersSpeed is the KeyLogging and PrivacyFind out the Right Technical FeaturingCheck out the PortabilitySteer Clear of RestrictionsStrike a Good PricePayment PreferencesConsider Customer SupportThird-party Certifications and AuditsiOS CaveatsBeware of Leaky TunnelsConclusion
Location Matters
Location is a sort of make-or-break factor. You must consider a VPN with extensive server locations. The more, the better. A geographically diverse service connects you from the nearest possible way. This notion thwarts the possibility of meandering and its concomitant hassle of latency. You connect to the nearest point in the most convenient manner. Multiple servers and IPs also shed the load and provide you with a seamless service. You must look for a VPN service that has servers in almost every continent excluding Antarctica.
Speed is the Key
Speed is the deciding factor. A VPN connection becomes painful when hit hard by the persistent latency. You may be less likely to use a slow connection and more likely to curse it every time. There are three basic metrics of speed. You need to test your connection in all three metrics; download speed, upload speed, and ping time.
The first two are just like their name betrays, it refers to the data speed. Whatever you want to download from the internet, you need to rely on a good download speed. Secondly, swift upload speed is necessary for sending back data. Here, a good example is backing up your memorable videos to the cloud. In the same vein, ping time refers to the time a single unit of data packet takes to travel from one destination to another. This time is specified in milliseconds. A general rule of thumb is that the lower, the better. The Real-implications like Skype, voice-over phones, or online games require the critical low ping otherwise you will keep banging your head.
Logging and Privacy
Privacy is the other concern while selecting a VPN service. You must go for the VPN provider that does not keep a log, colloquially known as logless or zero log service.
You must also look into the nuances of logging. Some VPN service providers may call them logless but in actuality, they keep track of your anonymous information. They have their reasons to garnish this information as it does not necessarily hurt the privacy issues directly. Having said that, this sneaking still itches you in many subtle ways.
Furthermore, some VPN services straightaway collect information at the premise of registration. They get all the nitty-gritty like email, contact, as well as the physical address. The less the VPN service knows, the better. The lengthy information sheet is a red flag at best, and you should steer clear of this sort of pitfall.
Another helpful factor from the privacy aspect is the location of the VPN company. Some countries have sophisticated data and antitrust laws. These data retention policies keep a check on the modicum of the VPN service provider. On the flip side, some countries have a strict point of view, they solicit the user data from data companies whenever required. This proposition also leads to data vulnerability. To tread a middle path, you must subscribe to a service that is located in a liberal and progressive country.
You can get information about data privacy at the Terms of Service or Privacy Policy pages. If the content there scares you, it is better to hop on to another VPN provider. Moreover, if privacy is a super important feature for you then try double VPN functionality aka multihop VPN.
Find out the Right Technical Featuring
Many users don’t care about this, but if you want to use a specific protocol then you should give importance to this feature too. There are many VPN protocols such as L2TP, PPTP, OpenVPN, and many more. If you are naive and don’t know what to pick or what to drop then you should opt in the OpenVPN protocol. This is considered the most secure, all things being balanced, and the best protocol around. Unless you have a compelling reason to pick otherwise, select OpenVPN protocol over other available options.
This same logic applies to encryption. Some security-conscious minds might love using the AES-256 cipher, RSA-4096 handshake, or SHA-512 authentication, but they should also make sure that the VPN services support this extra protection.
You must also acknowledge the fact that VPNs are not infallible. If you are just okay with the internet connection humming along when VPN desists, exposing whatever you’re doing, then you should not care much about this. Otherwise, an internet kill switch is a right tool you should solicit from the VPN service.
Check out the Portability
Not all VPN features work well on every OS or device. You should double-check the portability option too. The android version of VPN can be a stripped-down version for the Windows client. The same goes for iOS or router-wise implementation. It’s better to check on the feasibility options for your desired platform.
Steer Clear of Restrictions
Some VPNs also impose additional restrictions on their services. Restrictions should be minimal, so you enjoy the service with the utmost freedom. A common occurrence is a limitation on the number of connections. The usual number of connections covers around two to five. You should pay attention to the concurrent number of connections a VPN offers. Some VPNs also put extra restrictions on services like BitTorrent or other peer-to-peer sharing regimes. It’s better to go with a VPN having high usability. The use of BitTorrent is legal, but some VPN services deliberately suspend it owing to any possibility of using it for questionable purposes.
To avoid disappointment, it’s prudent to check the limitations beforehand. Other kinds of restrictions include checks on upload/download amounts as well as connection speed. Free VON services usually come up with extensive restrictions.
Strike a Good Price
The cost of a VPN fluctuates. The budget has a loud say in determining the options. Subscribing to the full six or twelve-month plan brings down the price tag by 70%. A viable price bracket is 2-dollar per month. To boot, some VPN services offer a trial period as well as a refund policy. These offers should be availed up to the maximum extent.
Payment Preferences
There are multiple payment options. If privacy is a big concern, you can pay via virtual currency such as Bitcoins. Moreover, if you are just uncomfortable giving your banking credentials to any other company, you can use PayPal instead. Whatever your payment options are, make sure that your VPN provider accepts these.
Consider Customer Support
Good customer support is always welcomed. Many people think of themselves as technically sound and do not give much attention to customer support. Nevertheless, some sort of out-of-box problem can arise at any time such as a billing issue.
Round-the-clock customer facilitation is what we always crave. The interactive mode should be easier for all. Live chat is preferable over ticketing or email support. Vibrant social media accounts are also a plus point and resolve any issues before reaching out for exclusive help.
Third-party Certifications and Audits
A VPN service may come with its exclusive third-party certifications and compliance audits. If you are looking for a premium quality VPN service then you should check its certification part too. There are no-logging certificates as well as full security audits. The audits also improve the overall security stature of the client’s infrastructure.
iOS Caveats
iPhones, as well as iPads, do not support the built-in OpenVPN. These smart devices require third-party apps such as OpenVPN to connect. This third-party leverage results in cumbersome processes. In this case, you should pick the VPN service that offers its very own built-in iOS apps with Wireguard support. This protocol is an essential alternative to iPads or iPhones.
Beware of Leaky Tunnels
Besides the basic nuts and bolts of the VPN protocols, some additional protocols are used to connect to the internet. Nevertheless, some of them cannot be routed through a VPN scheme. VPNs outright block them or route them differently. DNS is another protocol that connects with the ISP automatically, but could also leak privacy to the black hat pack. Other protocols like IPv4 and IPv6 should also run cautiously to avoid leaks.
Assessing Your VPN Needs
There is another important phase before plunging into the VPN selection. This is the need assessment. You need to make sure whether you require a VPN or your problem can be fixed by a router-based or home-grown solution. Let’s run through some questions that satisfy your actual VPN need.
Do You Need Safe Access to Your Home Network?
If your prime motive is just giving secure access to your home network then you should not invest in the VPN service. Subscribing a VPN service is not just overkill; it would be the case of the tool being wrong for the job.
You can get secure access to the home network through several economical ways like flashing your router to DD-WRT or buying a router that has a built-in VON server like Nighthawk X6 routers.
Do You Need Private Casual Browsing?
Private casual browsing is always risk-laden. Whether it is a coffee shop, airport, or cross-country travel, you are always at the mercy of potential incursions. In the same vein, routers can also be malicious, sniffing data packets and logging all your dog tap activities. You never have any assurance whatsoever that an unknown hotspot is not, either because of bad configuration or malfeasance, exposing your data. You also need to comprehend that a password does not necessarily mean that your network is secure enough.
Nonetheless, for catering to this requirement, you need not a beastly VPN with a plethora of bandwidth. You can just subscribe to a smart outgoing package. Many VPN services offer these trip-exclusive paid solutions that save your additional greenbacks prudently. You should not go for a full-fledged VPN service in this case.
Do You Need a Geo-Shift?
If your goal is to access such content which is restricted in your area of presence like BBC Olympic coverage when you are out of England then you require a VPN service with servers located in that particular geographic region you wish to virtualize. For the UK access to Olympics coverage, you will have to make sure that the particular VPN has its servers in the UK otherwise your investment will go down the drain. If you want to watch some private (we mean not so private) content in peace, you will have to make sure that those IP addresses are available in your VPN choice. If your VPN choice omits your particular need, even the greatest VPN help will be useless.
Do You Need Anonymity?
If your needs are a bit more serious than Netflix binge-watch and you think that VPN can provide a sort of cover; this proposition is no more than a logical fallacy itself. Many VPNs exhibit anonymity, but few can deliver it. It’s better if you try something more reliable like Tor.
Conclusion
If you go through all the abovementioned checklists, you will always land into the best possible VPN service. Going through this excerpt and getting our service like Fast VPN will save your time and energy.
Moreover, our veterans have also cautioned you about the scenarios which demand a subscription to a VPN service. By having our VPN you can enjoy the security you deserve. Go by all the golden tricks and enjoy the best VPN on the planet!
