IP Vanish VPN Review

 

On their Website, IPVanish claims to be the ‘best VPN service provider’. Is there any truth to this statement or is it an exaggeration of its capabilities? That’s exactly what we’re going to address in this review.

IPVanish at a Glance

The VPN company isn’t a newcomer to the market by any means. Founded in 1999 by its parent company Mudhook Marketing, IPVanish quickly earned its place among top-tier VPNs. Even today it is still considered one of the best.

Here’s a brief summary of what IPVanish offers its users:

• AES 256-bit Encryption
• A variety of tunneling protocols
• More than 1300 servers spread across 75 countries
• Servers that unblock Netflix
• Up to 10 simultaneous connections
• Compatibility with multiple platforms
• Subscription costs that start off at $4.87 per month when you sign on to the Annual Plan.

The Pros

Here’s a list of things that makes IPVanish a great VPN:

High Speeds

IPVanish is definitely one of the fastest VPNs in the market. When connected to local servers, you’ll only experience a speed loss of around 18%. So if your default speed is capped at 100mbps, you’ll be able to achieve a max download speed around the 82mbps mark. That’s more than enough for online gaming and streaming within your region.

You can, of course, expect the speed to dwindle when you connect to distant servers. For instance, if you live in Europe and connect to a server based in Hong Kong, the download speed will plummet down to less than 10mbps on a 100mbps connection.

User-Friendly App

Like most VPNs, IPVanish offers a propietary app with which you can connect to servers and configure connection settings. In IPVanish’s case, the app installation process is a breeze, although you have to restart your device afterward. The interface is streamlined and user-friendly, allowing you to find your way around the settings pretty quickly.

With the IPVanish app, you can perform a range of actions including:

• Looking up different server locations and choosing a desired one
• Managing your account details
• Engaging and turning off features such as the Kill switch
• Configuring the tunneling protocol…etc.

The only downside with the app is that it doesn’t offer instructions on how to set up a SOCKS5 proxy. However, there are plenty of online resources to help you out with this.

Strict No Logging Policy

Back in 2016, IPVanish earned a rather poor reputation for logging user data and handing it over to Homeland Security. They did this despite promising users that they kept no logs in their databases. However, IPVanish has recently been acquired by a new company called ‘StackPath’ which assures users that they will always follow a strict ‘No Logging’ policy.

This means that the company will not store any data that ties to a user’s identity, including IP addresses, metadata, destination URLs and activity logs. This is what the company has to say about the matter:

“We have a strict policy against the collection of both connection and activity logs. We will never store the metadata about your VPN session or information about how you used the service.”

Industry Standard Encryption

When it comes to masking user data, IPVanish depends on the AES-256 encryption protocol. It’s the same protocol that’s used by intelligence agencies such as the CIA and FBI and most of the world’s leading banks. Hence, you can rest easy knowing that your traffic data is completely hidden from third parties.

A Variety of Tunneling Protocols

Tunneling protocols allow you to transmit data privately and securely across public networks. With IPVanish you get several protocol options to use from, including OpenVPN, L2TP, PPTP, and SOCKS5.

OpenVPN is the default option available in most VPNs and IPVanish with no exception. Despite being open-source software, OpenVPN is probably the most secure way to transmit your data. However, there are two downsides to using it: it’s not the fastest protocol and you have to download the software onto your device.

With SOCKS5 on the other hand, you don’t have to download any third-party tools. In addition, it is also significantly faster than OpenVPN. However, the reason it’s able to achieve higher speeds is due to its use of lower-level encryption standards. These standards use up less data, allowing SOCKS5 to transmit your data much faster. Hence, you’re essentially sacrificing security for speed.

Torrenting

Despite being based in the US, IPVanish permits its users to torrent or engage in Peer-to-Peer downloads. Not only is it permitted, but it’s actively encouraged as well.

Ten Simultaneous Connections

If you use several devices, then you’ll be delighted to know that IPVanish permits simultaneous connections. With up to 10 connections, the entire family can hop onboard the VPN connection at the same time. This means you don’t have to spend more on buying an additional subscription.

The Cons

US Jurisdiction

With most VPNs being based in places like Panama, the British Virgin Islands, and Switzerland, it’s odd to see one that’s under US jurisdiction. When it comes to data retention (or hoarding, we should say) the US is one of the worst offenders. The government is constantly collecting information on its citizens and anyone who uses services that are under their jurisdiction.

While IPVanish may currently be able to honour their ‘No Logging’ Policy, the situation may change in the future. The US government may possibly choose to pass stricter data retention laws, resulting in that policy becoming worthless.

Poor Customer Support

A lot of VPN companies have lacklustre customer support and sadly, IPVanish is no exception to this. For starters, they don’t offer a Live Chat feature on their website, despite claiming that they do. This eliminates the possibility of getting instant help.

This wouldn’t be much of an issue if their email support was up to par. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case either. Once you open a support ticket, it can take ages to get a response. It must be mentioned that they do, however, have an extensive knowledge base which contains a plethora of information.

Ineffectiveness at Unblocking Netflix

If your priority is unblocking Netflix, then it’s best to look elsewhere. Using IPVanish to bypass Netflix geo-restrictions isn’t such a good idea. First of all, it can be very difficult to find a server that allows you to do this. If you do find one that works, it usually lags, which makes for a less-than-ideal experience when you’re streaming a movie or a TV show.

Is IPVanish the best VPN Provider in the World?

The short answer is ‘no’. Don’t get us wrong, IPVanish has enough features to warrant its reputation as one of the top tier VPNs. It’s very fast, allows ten simultaneous connections, uses secure encryption methods and tunneling protocols, is easy to use and is relatively affordable.

However, it’s lack of customer support, ineffectiveness at unblocking Netflix and the fact that it’s based in the US makes it unworthy of being called ‘the best’.