In this review we tell you about NordVPN, one of the most popular VPNs around and also one of the best. After trying it for about 2 weeks several thousand kilometers from Italy, we tell you what we think!
NordVPN sure doesn’t need much introduction. It is one of the most popular VPNs available on the market, with an audience of over 14 million users. Certainly on the web you can find dozens of reviews of this product. Why is ours different? We went to the other side of the world – specifically to Japan – and used it for about 2 weeks. In fact, a VPN is particularly useful when traveling. And it’s also the best way to put some stress on the network. Let’s see what comes out of our NordVPN review!
NordVPN Review: GUI and Usage Specifications
We tested NordVPN on both mobile and desktop. In both cases the graphical interface seemed absolutely excellent: simple, intuitive and pleasing to the eye. To use our VPN in a simple way it will be sufficient to search for the country where we want to connect – in practice our device will then appear connected from that country – and wait a few seconds for the connection. Nothing more! In any case, accessing other features such as Double VPN, dedicated IP, Meshnet and more is just as simple. Just choose from the menu on the side – or below in the mobile version – the correct tab. Also very useful history bar which allows us to quickly access the services we have used most recently so that we do not have to search for them every time.
But how many devices can we protect? Our account allows us to connect up to 6 devices, however if we are connected to the same server we will have to use different VPN protocols (up to 5 available) or switch servers. Given that NordVPN has over 5,000 servers in 59 countries (just under 50 for each country) this shouldn’t be a problem.
NordVPN review: how does it work?
This section is probably the most interesting in which we will evaluate NordVPN’s performance from a technical and experiential point of view. We remind you that the tests were performed by Japan, connected to servers in Italy. The exclusive technology NordLynx essentially it does two things. It first encrypts the data and encapsulates it in anonymous packets that arrive at the previously chosen NordVPN server. Here the packets are decrypted, reconstructed and sent to the destination, anonymously, as if they had started from the server itself. So what you put in your packets cannot be intercepted on the way to the server and when it comes out it cannot be traced back to you.
Performance
There are two things to consider first: stability and speed from our VPN. Our basic connection (without connecting to the VPN server) offers around 200 Mbps in download and around 60 Mbps in upload. Instead, accessing an Italian NordVPN server, we go down to about 50 Mbps in download and about 10 in upload. A big leap, but we have enough bandwidth to do whatever we want, from online meetings to watching TV series. Much of the decline is probably due to the geographical distance between Italy and Japan. In fact, choosing a Japanese server we will have about 130 Mbps in download and about 20 in upload. There is always some overhead, but the result is that we will have a secure network to use and above all we will be able to access content that is not available in the country we are in. A simple case is that of Netflix which in Japan obviously offers different content and without Italian language. Using NordVPN we were able to access all the content without any problems.
The connection is remained stable throughout the entire time of use which ranged from about 30 to 60 minutes, even for streaming high-resolution content. From this point of view, therefore, we can be satisfied!
Additional features
NordVPN doesn’t just offer the ability to use a virtual private network, but there are several benefits to using this provider. Let’s see some of them:
- Double VPN– Route traffic through two VPN servers, making it even more difficult to intercept and track traffic.
- Obfuscated servea: this way you will not be able to tell that you are using a VPN. In fact, in some countries they are not welcome or even illegal.
- Onion over VPN: allows you to access the Tor network from within your VPN to stay protected.
- Dedicated IP: it allows you to have an IP just for you and not shared with others so that you can exploit all the resources in an exclusive way
And others too. However, all of the above remain within the world of VPNs. But we have many other useful features. For example Threat Protection which will provide us with real-time protection against cyber attacks and our privacy. Basically it works as a kind of antivirus that checks and blocks potentially dangerous websites, stops tracking, blocks dangerous or invasive advertisements, and protects against infected files. Another very interesting feature is Meshnet. Basically it will be possible to create a simulated local network between devices scattered around the world and connected securely through NordVPN technology. What does it mean? Easy: we can organize LAN parties with friends remotely or work on shared projects or even connect to PC and files remotely. Last but not least: Dark Web Monitor. This useful function allows you to get alerts if our personal data is somehow disseminated on the dark web. In fact, every day millions of data are poured into the illegal trading markets of the dark web. The only flaw? Not all features are available on both desktop and mobile.
NordVPN review: price and conclusions
So let’s get to the point: are we satisfied with NordVPN? Yes. It allowed us to use our devices as if we were in Italy. The subscription price is 6.79 euros per month for a year for the full-featured protection package we saw in our NordVPN review. The standard and Plus packages, on the other hand, cost money € 4.49 per month e € 5.49 per month for one year of subscription respectively.
But, on the occasion of Black Friday, we will have many discounts available! In particular, by accessing this link you will have the opportunity to have 3 months completely free on the two-year plans. Here is what you will spend:
- The 2 year Standard plan will cost € 2.99 per month.
- The 2 year Plus plan will cost € 3.99 per month.
- The 2 year Full plan will cost € 5.29 per month.
Not bad isn’t it? But is it worth choosing a paid VPN when there are tons of free ones? The answer is yes, especially if you have traveled extensively or work with sensitive content. In fact, a paid product like NordVPN not only offers significantly superior performance and stability, but also offers a host of additional security and productivity features. And the price isn’t that high!
That’s all from the web and social section, keep following us!
Can you find better?
Points in favor
- Simple and intuitive
- Top performance and stability
- Up to 6 connectable devices
- Great additional features …
Points against
- … but not 100% available on mobile