What is NordVPN?

Over the years I haven't had the best of luck with VPN services. They've been slow, caused issues with my live TV service, and I generally had little to no use for them. I liked the idea of the added security, but the cons outweighed the pros when it came to everyday use.

Well after being contacted by Nord Security to check out and discuss their product, I can see the difference is night and day. Unlike the services I used before, NordVPN is a premium service, and offers customization options to meet all my needs.

But is it right for you? Well, here are the facts provided by Nord Security themselves, and I'll let you decide from there!

Disclaimer: 

Netto's Game Room is a part of the Nord Security Affiliate Program, and as such, we earn commission when users sign up for their services, including: NordVPN, NordPass, Saily, NordProtect, NordPass for Business, NordStellar, and more.

What is a VPN?

To start things off, what is a VPN? 

A Virtual Private Network (VPN), is a technology that allows users to establish an encrypted and secure connection over the internet across multiple devices. It creates a private network by routing internet traffic through a remote server that is operated by the VPN provider themselves. By encrypting your data and masking your IP address, a VPN upgrades your online security and privacy. It acts as a secure tunnel between your devices and the websites and services you access, in return protecting your sensitive information from the many potential threats that exist online.

What is NordVPN?

NordVPN is a product from Nord Security, which also offers NordPass (a password manager), NordLocker (file encryption and storing tool), NordLayer (business VPN), Saily, eSIM, NordProtect (identity theft protection for the US), and NordStellar (a next-gen threat exposure management platform). 

They offer over 7200 servers across 118 countries, including popular locations in The United States, Germany, Japan, The United Kingdom and others, and when using the service, users are able to select from a number of specific cities in the US, Germany, France and Canada.

Specialty Servers: 

Double VPN servers encrypt and send user traffic through two servers, which adds an extra layer of security. This is perfect for professionals working from a hot spot, where prying eyes could be watching.

Onion Over VPN works similar to a standard server, however traffic is also routed through the Onion network to add an extra layer of security.

Obfuscated servers hide the fact that a VPN is being used, which allow the servers to continue working in countries where VPNs are heavily restricted.

P2P (Peer-to-Peer) servers are optimized for secure and fast file sharing.

Dedicated IPs are not servers but are instead individual IPs that act like standard servers. They encrypt traffic and hide the user’s real identity, but are usually not available to all clients of a VPN provider. They are for a single person, and in some cases a small group of people who buy them.

Whatever type of server you choose to use, they all offer enhanced security to help protect you online.

Security: 

Security is the number one reason many users would consider using a VPN to protect themselves online. NordVPN uses AES encryption standard with 256-bit keys, which is impossible to decrypt.

Additionally NordVPN uses three different types of VPN protocols including:

• IKEv2/IPsec
• OpenVPN
• NordLynx (an adaptation of the WireGuard VPN protocol with a double NAT,Network Address Translation, which negates the possible WireGuard downside of privacy risks).

Their servers are also diskless RAM servers, which means that no data is stored locally.

As for NordVPN's server infrastructure, NordVPN has also begun to build a network of colocated servers owned exclusively by NordVPN, where only NordVPN staff can access them. NordVPN also offers a Kill Switch feature, which cuts off the internet entirely, in case the connection between the device and NordVPN’s server goes down.

Additional features:

In addition to security, NordVPN also offers the following features:

• Split Tunneling for Android and Windows devices. It allows redirecting only a portion of the traffic (e.g. an app) through a VPN server, while the rest of it is not routed via a server.
  
  
• CyberSec, a technology that blocks ads and access to malicious websites. Fully available on iOS, Mac, Windows, and Linux, malicious websites are blocked on Android.
  
  
• Dark Web monitor scans the dark web for credentials associated with the user’s email address.
  
  
• NordVPN Presets function combines custom VPN settings (such as server selection) with shortcuts to apps or websites.
  
  
• MFA for account protection, it’s also possible to access NordAccount with Google credentials.
  
  
• SmartPlay is a combination of VPN and Smart DNS features, which allows accessing content securely.
  
  
• Ability to automatically choose the fastest server in a selected country.
  
  
• One NordVPN account can secure up to 10 devices and is supported on Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, Mac, Android TV, tvOS, browser extensions, and others. NordVPN can also be used to secure the home router, this way securing all devices connected to the home Wi-Fi.

Threat Protection Pro:

NordVPN's Threat Protection feature also adds an additional layer of security and goes a step beyond VPN protection. These features include:

• Malware Blocking: Threat Protection prevents users from accidentally visiting malicious websites and scans downloaded files for Malware, deleting dangerous ones before they can do any damage.
   
• Executable Files: Threat Protection runs deep scans on all executable files that are up to 20MB in size. It does not scan files that might contain personal information, such as PDFs or.DOCXs.
  
  
• Flash Drives: Some files in flash drives can be scanned for Windows users, if they’re downloaded from the internet, for example.
  
  
• Trackers: Threat Protection blocks third-party trackers, which collect private information.
  
  
• Ads: Threat Protection blocks intrusive ads, such as pop-ups, which can not only be annoying, but dangerous too, as some can contain malware.
  
  
• Always protected: Once set up, Threat Protection is always on, regardless of whether the user has a VPN connection on.

Threat Protection Pro vs. Threat Protection:

Supported devices: 

• Threat Protection Pro (Windows, macOS)
• Threat Protection (Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, browser extensions)

Functionality: 

• Pro (Blocks malicious domains, phishing domains, ads, links, websites, trackers; scans files for malware)
• Threat Protection (Blocks malicious and phishing domains,some ads)

VPN Connection: 

• Pro (Works without VPN)
• Threat Protection (Must be connected to VPN)

System impact: 

• Pro (May use more resources),
• Threat Protection (Lightweight)

Browsing security: 

• Pro (Significantly increases security)
• Threat Protection (Helps avoid dangerous domains and ads)

Meshnet:

Meshnet is a feature by NordVPN that lets users access devices or encrypted private tunnels. Instead of connecting to a VPN server, users can connect to other devices no matter where they are, and all traffic on Meshnet is encrypted. Meshnet is powered by NordLynx – their more secure and enhanced adaptation of the WireGuard VPN protocol. This opens up many new usage possibilities, including Lan gaming parties, file sharing or remote device access.

Meshnet allows users to route their online traffic through another machine, and users can add 10 devices of their own (under the same account) + 50 external devices (via invitations). Meshnet is available on Mac, iOS, Windows, Android and Linux.

Currently traffic routing is available on Windows and Linux devices, however, all devices can connect to a Windows/Linux computer to route the traffic. Additionally, to protect against unauthorized access, device pairings have to be authorized by users. For this, each account is given a unique name, used for these connections. Alternatively, each device is assigned a unique IP address by NordVPN.

NordProtect:

NordProtect is an identity theft protection service that safeguards personal information. It scans the web, databases, chatrooms, Dark Web, forums, etc., for your credentials, such as your Social security number, credit, or personal information, and alerts you if any of it was leaked. NordProtect also offers up to 1M USD for Identity theft recovery expenses, such as legal fees, lost wages, credit bureau reports, mental health counseling, and more). Also, up to 100k USD to cover the costs related to you becoming a target of a cyber extortion attack. This includes professional assistance, payments made in response to threats, etc. Unfortunately it is currently limited to US customers.

Should you use a VPN?

Using a VPN is highly recommended for individuals who value their online privacy and want to secure their internet connection. Whether you're at home, traveling, or using public Wi-Fi, a VPN helps protect your data from potential threats. VPNs provide an additional layer of security, shielding your online activities from surveillance, ISP tracking, and other intrusions. And best of all, they give you peace of mind when accessing sensitive information online.

Try NordVPN Today:

By using our link, you can try NordVPN today to receive up to 76% off NordVPN. With this promo plans start at $3.39 per month, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Netto's Game Room is a part of the Nord Security Affiliate Program, and as such, we earn commission when users sign up for their services, including: NordVPN, NordPass, Saily, NordProtect, NordPass for Business, NordStellar, and more. https://my.nordaccount.com/legal/privacy-policy/