How do you pick a good VPN? This is one question that most people who use the Internet have asked at some point in their life. Whether they are business owners, home users, or school students, everyone wants to have the best security possible.
With the many options available today, you have the ability to choose between several types of VPNs. Your job as a consumer is to be sure that you are getting a good value for your money. If you find a company that offers more benefits than just a good price, then you will have found the best company to meet your needs.
For that, here are things to look out for if you want to pick a good VPN:
Find Out If It Is Free, Paid, Or Has A Trial Plan
Now, it is also true that you can sign up to numerous free VPN providers. But be careful. Do not assume that these providers are as good as those that cost some money.
Many companies these days offer free trials and then don’t keep their end of the bargain. If you are looking to safeguard your identity, your money, and your privacy, you will have to work very hard to find the right provider.
It is very important to understand the difference between a company that offers free security and one that charges for it. Many times the free security offered by companies is not very reliable. In fact, the free versions may actually expose your data to more spyware than the one you pay for. It is therefore good to research any company you are thinking about using so you get a product that provides the best security available.
How Transparent Are The Pricing Plans
A good VPN provider should have transparent pricing plans. It should be easy to understand and calculate. Pricing is often one thing people are confused about. A provider who tries to hide this fact will leave you with doubts, which will negatively affect your decision. You will also be left in the dark about what kinds of packages are available.
Do They Have Good Customer Service
Another thing you have to look out for is customer service. When you are in need of help, who are you going to turn to? This is particularly important if you are still learning about how to pick a VPN. Remember, you may not fully understand all the terms and settings in the different types of services available.
Apart from the basic support, the technical support provided by a company is also an important consideration. You should check to see if the support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If not, you may want to pick another company.
It’s very possible for some companies to go on holiday, have their servers go down for a period of time or even experience outages. If the support doesn’t appear to be available when needed, you may want to flag out that company.
How About The Speed Of Connectivity
The fourth aspect you should consider is the speed of connectivity. A good VPN service will guarantee that your internet speed is always fast. This will make the type of applications you use much faster and smoother. So when you are browsing the web, you do not have to wait a long time for your page to load.
For that, a good VPN provider will always ensure that your connection is always fast.
Do They Have An Up-To-Date Infrastructure
Another thing you should look for in a company is an up-to-date infrastructure. Having a company that can offer you the latest security upgrades is important. The security updates can come in various forms such as software or sometimes through firmware updates. You want to know that the newest technology is being used to protect your information. Any company that doesn’t update their system on a regular basis is likely outdated and will only frustrate you while online.
Does The VPN Company Have The Port Blocking Feature
Another important factor to consider is the port blocking. This is a feature that some good VPNs will have. The purpose of this is to prevent information from getting into or leaving your computer. For example, if you were to download a picture from someone on a social network site and then put that file on a remote server, anyone could access it. With port blocking, only people who need the information will be able to view it. It’s important for privacy and security to only allow those who need access to certain files.
Which Devices Is The VPN Compatible With
Most VPNs are compatible with the main operating systems like Mac, Windows, Android, Linux, and iOS, but some may not cut across on all platforms.
If you have both a Windows PC and an iPhone, you may want to make sure that the VPN you choose has a Windows platform and an iPhone app.
And that may not be enough, you’ll also need to find out how many devices it can support at once.
“Some VPNs allow unlimited devices, while others only let you connect up to three.”
Does It Have A Friendly UI/UX?
User interface and user experience are vital aspects of good software.
It so happens that many VPNs are quite complex for non tech savvy people and if they are not given well-written procedures and manuals, they may give up.
A good VPN is one that is seamlessly navigable.
Are The Locations You Want Covered
This may sound petty but if a free VPN for Netflix or other platforms is not able to cover the locations that you want, why subscribe to it?
The number of servers and locations a particular VPN supports is a deciding factor.
Do They Have a Kill Switch System?
If your aim for using a VPN is to keep your online activities mildly anonymous, you need a VPN that isn’t going to dump your info into the regular internet. You will need a VPN that has a “kill switch system”.
This tool may come in handy in case the VPN connection stops for any reason. If such a thing happens, and the VPN has a kill switch system, it will automatically lock down the connection and your PC will not default to using the open and unsecured internet connection.
Conclusion
Picking a good VPN is not as easy as you think. Remember that you have to take into account how secure their network is. Make sure that you research the company and the various packages they offer. It would be even wiser if you read online reviews of the different VPNs that you come across at PrivacySharks VPN. This will give you an idea of what people feel about their services.
Price isn’t the only thing you should consider when choosing a good VPN provider. There are plenty of companies that charge too little and don’t provide very good services or features. Make sure you get more than just the bare minimum. You need protection and security, not just some basic connectivity features.
Do not be easily lured by the advertisements and choose the best one only after doing proper research. Compare the various companies and their products. Check into features, price, and reliability. If you do all of these things, you’ll be able to find a great VPN service with all the features you need and the price you can afford. Good Luck!
