There certainly are a lot of VPN review sites out there. Of course I’m biased, but I think I’ve got the best VPN review site out there.  There are a couple of reasons why my VPN reviews are the best.

• + I’ve used the VPNs I review
• + I give full disclosure about making commissions on the VPNs I review
• + I review VPN services in a concise, easy to understand way
• + I don’t outsource my reviews

To tell you the truth, a lot of other websites just outsource their content, stick it up on the web, and then pay other people to link to it.  Though you’re more likely to find their web pages in Google, you’re more likely to stick with a service you find on my site.  Anyway, enough about how great I am.

I’ve included some reviews of my favorite VPN services, and highlighted some of their features to help you find the right service.  VPNs have a wide variety of uses – some may be more appropriate for anonymous browsing, others for privacy features, and still others for streaming foreign TV and movies online.

Top VPN For Anonymity

IP Vanish is a relatively new company, but one thing that is unique about them, and stands out among VPN services is that they own their own VPN server network. I know that sounds strange, but surprisingly, a lot of VPN services use ‘Hosted” networks which means that they don’t have full control.  Sure, privacy policies and all that stuff say they protect your data, and they don’t keep activity logs, but at the end of the day, without full control of the network, you can’t do much about it.

IP Vanish also has a very simple system of $10 per month for full access.  Unlimited bandwidth, unlimited server switching, and access to PPTP, L2TP, and OpenVPN servers in one package.  There are 39 servers in 15 countries which is impressive considering that they own and maintain all servers in their network.

>>> Go To IP Vanish

Top VPN For Server Location

This one has to be IAPS Security or Hide My Ass.  IAPS has something like 120+ country locations including Antarctica, Iraq, Kazakhstan (Borat anyone?).  Plus, there’s a huge variety of VPN protocols, and they’re not badly priced.  You can choose 1, 3, 6, or 12 month options.  IAPS VPN also has an impressive privacy policy and offers other privacy-related features on their site.

Hide My Ass also has an impressive server network, spanning almost 50 countries and growing.  HMA’s website is easier to navigate, and includes PPTP, L2TP, and OpenVPN in one package.  They also come with a 1 month money back guarantee which is impressive.  There’s a support forum, and lots of freebies on the site, plus they frequently offer discounts for renewing members, so there’s plenty to be happy about if you sign up for HMA.

The main difference to note is that with IAPS you must choose 1 country, while with HMA you get access to ALL countries with one subscription.

>>> Go To IAPS

>>> Go To HMA

Top VPN For Device Support

12VPN has a lot of nerdy features which will appeal to those who have specific requirements about how they want to run their VPN.  One of these features is an extremely broad device support, including various smartphones, VPN routers, and even connection in VPN censored areas of the world.    You can complete and order in 2 clicks, and use the promo code “promo7286″ for a 10% discount.  iOS, Mac, Windows, Linux, Nokia, DD-WRT, Tomato, and more devices supported.

>>> Go To 12VPN

Top VPN For Price

StrongVPN offers an impressive VPN package for just $55 per year.  You get access to US and UK servers, or a choice of European servers.  The package is for PPTP VPN or OpenVPN for $85.  PPTP uses a dynamic IP and OpenVPN uses a static IP.  StrongVPN is a trusted VPN service that has been operating in the industry for many years.  They also offer live support.

>>> Go To StrongVPN

……….

Previous Post

France, The UK The US, New Zealand, and Australia are really on the internet monitoring bandwagon recently.  If it’s not piracy, it’s hackers, and they’re looking for ways to keep tabs on what you’re doing online.  Sometimes they say its for our own good. Sometimes they say it’s for the good of society.  Every time it’s super annoying.  An offshore VPN is going to be the best way to combat big brother, not matter where you are.

Now the term ‘offshore’ is going to depend on where your shore actually is, but chances are that you mean something in Central/South America or Asia.  I’ll try not to sound too shady when I say this, but their laws are different there, and there are a lot of advantages and work arounds involved with having an IP or rerouting your internet traffic through these locations.

***DISCLAIMER***

Before you get to excited, it should be noted that VPN services are NOT FOR ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.  While things like online gambling websites, P2P, and some types of site content are permissible by international standards, if you are breaking international law, YOU WILL GET CAUGHT.  I don’t even want to mention some of the stuff that people do online for fear that my site will turn up in the search engines for those keywords, but you have an imagination.

REMEMBE: Using an offshore VPN hides your online activity from your ISP and own government.  It however, does not hide the virtual IP address from the VPN.  IF you use the IP address from the offshore VPN to do something that breaks international law, the IP address can be traced back to the VPN service.  With a court order, or sometimes even just a complaint from a foreign government, you could get your account disabled or worse.

For example, if you are in The USA and want to connect to a P2P site, you should not use a French IP address.  France’s government will see that a french IP is downloading torrents, contact the VPN service, and there could be consequences.  This is possible even if the VPN service is not located in France, or The USA.

***Notes About Anonymity***

Sorry for all the warnings.  No matter what VPN service you choose, they will keep logs of some sort. Most will not log your activity.  They do not know what you’re doing online.  They do however keep time logs, which means you activity can be traced back to you.  Continuing from the example above, if France logs a complaint that an IP address is downloading copyrighted content and traces it back to the VPN service, they can see what time the content was downloaded.  If you are on record of having used that IP at that time period, that labels you as the culprit.  All VPN services do this to maintain server and service integrity, and if they don’t, it’s probably a rubbish VPN service or they’re lying to you.

>>> Best Offshore VPN Services <<<

***it should be noted that with whatever VPN service you choose, regardless of the location of their ‘home base’, you can choose your IP address location. The following services are located in Hong Kong, but have many IP options including Malaysia, Russia, Switzerland, and more.

#1

The obvious #1 choice is 12VPN.  They have broader device support than other services, offer OpenVPN (more secure VPN protocol), SSL encryption upgrades (military grade), and are dedicated to great customer service.  Installation and setup is fast and easy, and it comes with a money back guarantee.  For an offshore VPN service, that’s all you can really hope to find: Privacy, Anonymity, Professionalism, Guarantees.  Servers are fast, and they offer two package options (US IP, and World VPN)

>>> Go To 12VPN

#2

PureVPN another Hong Kong based VPN service. They’re home base is located in Hong Kong.  They allow P2P on Russian, Netherlands, and a few other servers.  They’ve got live support, and unlimited server access to 14 different countries.  The standard service gives you 30 GB of bandwidth per month for the mega low price of $74.95 (I know that sounds like an advertisement, but it really is low).  There’s an unlimited bandwidth upgrade, and a dedicated IP server upgrade.  Definitely a high quality, fast offshore VPN service.  They don’t offer OpenVPN, but do have SSTP for Win 7/Vista.  VPN servers in Panama, Switzerland, Malaysia, Russia, and 10 other countries.

>>> Go To PureVPN

……….

Previous Post

I know that most top 10 VPN lists come in the form of a chart that lays out all the reviews in a start system, but I’m going to do things a bit differently.  To tell you the truth, many of these ‘star rated’ VPN charts are arbitrarily assigned by the owner of the site.  They often reflect the percent of commission that is paid for each sale, rather than the actual quality of the VPN service, which defeats the purpose of the review.  In fact, not all VPN services are suited to all people, and each user experience is going to be different.

So my Top 10 VPN list highlights some of the features, and I may make a few comments about which ones I like better than others.  This is not an ‘official review’, there is not rush to ‘order now’ because the deals are going fast, and there are not ‘exclusive offers’.  Just plain old facts. And if you want to know, yes, I make a commission off of these.  I believe in full transparency, unlike some blogs about personal VPNs or online privacy.  VPNs are listed in random order.

1.
StrongVPN

A reliable, and well established service.  If you want it, they have it.  PPTP, L2TP, OpenVPN, and SSTP.  Smartphone, PC, Mac, and Linux VPN, live support, and a wide range of options.  Choose plans based on your region, level of security desired, and budget.  314 servers in 19 countries.

• Best Deal: $55 / Year
• Best Feature: Fast, Reliable Servers
• Visit StrongVPN

2.
Hide My Ass

Come for the FREE stuff: Web based proxy, link cloaker, anonymous uploader, and anonymous email.  ProVPN is cheap and gives you free access to (2012) 43 server locations.  Simple download and installation, and choose servers based on speed. PPTP, L2TP, and SSTP for iOS, Android, Mac, Linux, and Windows.

• Best Deal: $ $6.55 / Month
• Best Feature: VPN Servers in 43 Countries, 30 day guarantee
• Visit HMA

3.
PureVPN

Live support, PPTP, L2TP, SSTP, dedicated IP servers, dynamic IP servers, and custom VPNs for China or other blocked regions. 3 plan options, 14 countries, and torrent access to dynamic IP servers.

• Best Deal: $74.95 / Year
• Best Feature: SSTP for Win 7, Dedicated IP Servers
• Visit PureVPN

4.
12VPN

Widest support for internet devices including DD-WRT, Nokia, Windows Phone (some models), and more. Custom VPNs for China and Middle East.  Friendly and fast support team, and simple installation are some of the highlights of 12VPN.

• Best Deal: $79 / Year
• Best Feature: Broadest Device Support, Military Encryption Upgrade
• Visit 12VPN

5.
SwitchVPN

Mega-cheap plan and 11 server locations.  Live support, and VPNs for most devices.  Good VPN service for the price you pay.

• Best Deal: $3.95 / Month
• Best Feature: Live Support
• Visit SwitchVPN

6.
IP Vanish

Simple plans means no headache for you.  $10 a month across the board – for anything and everything. It’s as simple as that.  Choose servers based on speed. 39 servers is 15 countries, and 29,000 IP addresses.

• Best Deal: $10 / Month
• Best Feature: Choose Servers Based On Speed
• Visit IP Vanish

7.
ibVPN

They’ve definitely got a unique setup, and divide plans based on user needs.  VPNs for families and small businesses available, and torrent ready VPN servers are also on the menu.  This is a very budget minded VPN service, and the even offer a free trial.

• Best Deal: $36.95 / Year
• Best Feature: Package Deals: Torrent VPN, Multi-VPN (family,business), +more
• Visit ibVPN

8.
My Private Network

This is a UK oriented VPN service that also simplifies things.  Privacy, security, and a fake IP address for one price – 5 GBP per month for 1 location, 9 GBP for full access.  Sometimes simplicity says a lot. A cute dog says more.

• Best Deal: 5 GBP / month
• Best Feature: UK based, Easy To Use
• Visit MPN

9.
Black Logic

There seems to be a difference between ‘anonymity’ and ‘privacy’.  With a man in a black trench coat and shaded glasses, this is clearly a service for anonymous-minded individuals.  Just remember – no illegal stuff compadres.  Kind of a low-key service, they’ve been around for a couple of years and mentioned in several PC magazines over the years.

• Best Deal: $8 / Month
• Best Feature: Anonymity
• Visit Black Logic

10.
IAPS Security Services

With recent improvements to the site, and plans for expansion, IAPS is upping their game.  They already offer a pretty comprehensive service – over 100 countries, various types of encryption, SSH proxies, SSL encryption upgrades, and more. They are clearly dedicated to your PRIVACY, as clearly stated in their ‘about-us’ page.  It’s a pit I’ve got this as number ten, because it truly is an amazing service.  Transparency is a key highlight of IAPS, and they really lay everything out on the table so there are no misunderstandings about what their service provides.

• Best Deal:  $30 / Year
• Best Feature: IP Address in Antarctica? Yeah, it’s true. + 120 other countries you’ve never heard of
• Visit IAPS

Previous Post

Intro – Change Your IP Address in Vista

Your “IP address” is like a post office box for your computer. Changing your IP in Vista is much like changing your mailing address. The post office is your modem and many boxes are serviced by one post office. However there are many cases where you might want a return address that might be different than before.

There are some cases where your address is important in what other post offices (servers) require. Fortunately it is pretty easy to change your address to suit what needs you might have.

First things first, if you want to change your IP address in Vista the long way it works like changing any other setting. The start menu button in the lower left will show you the control panel. After you are in the control panel click on the “Network and Internet” option and then the “Network and Sharing Center”. You should now have “Manage Network Connections” as an option and click it.

If your computer is a part of a larger network this might be the trickiest part but it still shouldn’t be a big deal. Choose which internet connection you want to change if you have more than one enabled. For most users they’ll only have one to worry about and either way you will only need to change the one you plan on using.

At this window right-click and select “Properties” and then the “Networking” tab. Choose Internet version protocol 6 (TCP/IPv6) if you have the most recent service packs, if not go with version 4. Now all you need to do is click “Obtain an IP Address Automatically” and then click okay. Now you should see a field for you to enter a new IP address, labeled “Use the Following IP Address” and copy and paste a new IP. There are many third party IP address providers to choose from, and these would provide you a list and their benefits.

Enter the IP address into these three boxes. A) “IP address” B) “subnet mask” and C) “default gateway”. The “default gateway” is a way of saying primary mailing address. If you are changing the DNS server settings in Vista than you only have a few different steps to
worry about.

At the last screen choose “Obtain DNS server address automatically” then okay. Click “Use the Following DNS Server Addresses” so that you can manually change them. Now you type your primary DNS server address into the box that says “Preferred DNS server” and the secondary one in the one that says “Alternate”. The first one is where you would want to set the proxy or other IP.

If you are trying to add a new network protocol in Vista click on “Properties” then “Install” from “Manage Network Connections” then click on “Client” then “Protocol” now it’s just a simple “Add” and an OK and you should be all done.

More Tips – Change Your IP Address in Vista

Finding a new IP will be the most difficult place if you don’t know where to look. The good news is there are a lot of spare IP addresses out there and by finding a service that lends you an IP like an anonymous proxy service, this can be relatively painless. Proxies tend to be less reliable and less secure then virtual private networks.

A virtual private network takes all the hard work out of quiet, secure, anonymous browsing of the internet. Fulfilling your needs is the biggest factor in what you’ll need to pick in the way of an IP solution.

……..

Previous Post

When writing an article about anonymous internet surfing, it’s tough to know what the reader is looking for. There are a lot of different kinds of people that need to be anonymous online.  Of course, as soon as ‘anonymity’ comes up, you might think of some guy huddled in the basement of his parents house watching fetish-porn worried about his mom finding out.

It’s none of my business.

But chances are, you’re not that guy.  You probably fit into one of these other categories.  These are common reason to use an anonymous IP when connecting to the internet.

1. You have an online business and want to keep you data private
2. You work for a company and need to access company servers from remote locations
3. You want to unblock websites/bypass firewalls on networks you don’t control (work, school, public)
4. You want to access foreign movie/music/TV/download sites, but they block your IP
5. You worry about your government spying on you, or private organizations tracking your IP
6. You got kicked out of a forum/website unfairly and want to access it under a different name
7. You want to create multiple accounts, but need multiple IP addresses to do this.
8. You download movies and music (P2P/Torrents), but don’t want to get in trouble

There are of course other reasons, but I think these 8 categories hit most of them.  Whatever the reasons, anonymous internet surfing is TOTALLY LEGAL.  It may sound kind of creepy if you’ve never heard of it before, but don’t think about it as “hiding”, but more as “protecting” your privacy.

For example, when you browse the net, all of your information goes through your ISP.  Every website you visit, ever link you lick, every song you download, and ever video you stream.  That information is stored, and can be accessed later.

How would you feel if the mailman could read every letter you wrote and then made a copy to store at the post office for later reference.

How would you feel if every time you went shopping, the store made a record of your name, address, phone number, and what you bought so that next time they knew what items to advertise to you?

How would you feel if the guy at your local DVD rental place followed you home and watched a movie with you?

Yeah. When you take the situation off the internet and into ‘real life’, it sounds pretty invasive.

So protect your privacy with anonymous surfing software.

It’s called a VPN (virtual private network).

It’s fast to download, easy to install, you can choose an IP from your home country or a foreign country.  It can be installed on your phone and laptop, or you can route your laptop to change the IP on your Xbox 360 or PS3.

I could go into details, but that would be boring. It’s best to download it and play around with it to see for yourself.  I’ve reviewed some services below (that I’ve personally used).  They all have money back guarantees, so try it out, and if you don’t like it or want to try another service, you can just get your money back.

……….
Best VPN Services
……….

StrongVPN

This is a great service because they have something for everyone.  It can be a bit of a challenge for a noob to find what they want – there’s just so much of everything, and too many options.  But it’s worth it to take a look if you know what you need.  You can also ask live support, and they can direct you to a product.   You can also choose a product based on location.  The most confusing thing for new users is deciding which VPN protocols to get.  IF security/anonymity online is your goal, you should be using a L2TP VPN for your smart phone or OpenVPN for your computer. IT’s as simple as that.

>>> Take me to StrongVPN!

……….

12VPN

This is actually the service I use on a regular basis.  Their customer service team makes all the difference, and if I run into any issues, they’re always fast and ready to help.  I’ve communicated with plenty of VPN services over the years, and many support (live/ticket) guys are very short in their response, unhelpful, and sometimes just rude.  Perhaps the worst experience was with a VPN live support person who told me, “That doesn’t concern me. Submit a ticket”, an signed out without saying bye.  12VPn also has a great prices and simple installation, which makes it a great VPN for noobs.  Data encryption options available as well.

>>> Take me to 12VPN!

……….

Hide My Ass

This is one of the most popular VPN services in the world.  They boast over 23,000 IP addresses in 38 countries and they’re still growing. Over the past year they’ve added several thousand IP addresses and 5 or more countries.  Six dollars a month is an excellent price for full access to all servers and unlimited bandwidth.  The 30 day money back guarantee pretty much seals the deal.

>>> Take me to Hide My Ass!

……….

Previous Post